Dili students protest coercion

Dili students protest coercion

DILI, East Timor (JP): Hundreds of students on Friday demanded
an end to intimidation, abductions and killings in order that
East Timorese will feel free to choose between accepting or
rejecting the government's offer of special autonomy on Aug. 8.

The fourth consecutive day of protesting was undisturbed, but
in broad daylight in downtown Dili, shots were heard. Residents
said a man had been beaten up and taken away by militias in a
vehicle.

Students danced in the streets on Thursday after learning that
Indonesia and Portugal at the United Nations headquarters in New
York had signed an agreement giving East Timorese their first
chance to determine their future.

A separate memorandum to the agreement also mentions "laying
down of arms by all armed groups" before the ballot, the
redeployment of Indonesian military forces and free campaigning.

At Friday's rally in front of East Timor University, student
Cadeia da Costa described the "forced" dispersal of regional
branches of the proindependence organization National Council for
an Independent East Timor (CNRT).

Minister of Information Muhammad Yunus has said 10 of 13
regional CNRT branches have dispersed voluntarily.

"We will prove later in the direct ballot whether it is true
that all East Timorese want wide-ranging autonomy... We will not
be forced... by the dispersal of CNRT branches," da Costa said.

In Dili there were no signs of disarmament on Friday. Military
commander Col. Suratman said on April 28 that disarming the
prointegration militia would happen "in the next week or two".

He said disarming the groups would be a simple matter, because
he had a list of all their names. He said he was more concerned
about the ability of the proindependence Falintil militia's
response to the April 21 peace pact between the conflicting
parties.

On Thursday, it was reported from United Nations headquarters
that the UN Security Council had welcomed the agreements.

AFP quoted council president Denis Dangue Rewaka of Gabon as
saying that the 15 members also backed UN chief Kofi Annan's
decision to dispatch UN staff to East Timor as soon as possible
to assist with preparations for the ballot.

Britain presented to the council members a UN draft resolution
endorsing the East Timor agreement. The resolution could be
adopted on Friday, Dangue Rewaka said.

The draft resolution "stresses the responsibility of the
government of Indonesia to ensure the safety and security of
United Nations and other international staff and observers".

Reuters reported that the council resolution expresses "grave
concern at the security situation in East Timor" where anti-
independence militias have been active since President B.J.
Habibie announced in January his government's willingness to
reverse the integration if the East Timorese rejected autonomy.

The agency said the issue of security was stressed by Annan in
a written report to the Security Council on Thursday containing
the texts of the accords.

He said he had emphasized to the parties the main elements
that would need to be in place "to enable me to determine that
the necessary security conditions exist for the start of the
operational phases of the consultation process."

He said these included "the bringing of armed civilian groups
under strict control and the prompt arrest and prosecution of
those who incite or threaten to use violence."

Antara on Friday reported from New York that the United States
welcomed the May 5 agreement on the ballot as "a very important
step to achieve a peaceful solution to the issue of East Timor",
Deputy Spokesman at the U.S. State Department, James B. Foley,
said.

AFP reported from Tokyo that the UN has asked Japan to send a
civilian police force to help monitor the ballot.

"It is true that the United Nations headquarters has sounded
out Japan on the possibility of sending a civilian police force
(to East Timor)," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka said,
adding that a response would be discussed with other ministries.

Also on Friday AFP reported from East Timor's Liquica regency
that more than 1,000 refugees have flooded into Liquica town and
were camping out in tents and under trees.

One woman living in a tent with her children said she was
fleeing terror in the countryside. No further details were
provided. Liquica was the site of an alleged slaughter in early
April in which at least 25 died.

At Dili Police Headquarters, a CNRT executive, Leandro Isac,
who is among dozens sheltered there, said on Friday he looked
forward to immediately returning home to publicize the New York
agreement and the April 21 peace pact.

Leandro was among proindependence leaders whose homes were
attacked by militias on April 17.

Rector of East Timor University, Theo T. Balella, said mass
prayers for peace were planned for Saturday. Prayers would also
be held for the safety of two students abducted last month during
field studies in Suai, Covalima regency. (33/anr)