East Timor deal signed at UN
East Timor deal signed at UN
By Imanuddin
UNITED NATIONS (JP): Indonesia and Portugal signed a landmark
agreement on Wednesday that will give East Timorese people an
unprecedented chance to determine their own future.
Under the deal, signed by foreign ministers Ali Alatas of
Indonesia and Jaime Gama of Portugal, the people in East Timor
will be asked in a United Nations-supervised ballot, scheduled
for Aug. 8, to choose between integration or separation with
Indonesia.
If they choose integration, East Timor will remain part of
Indonesia but will be given wide-ranging autonomy.
"It's the last time we see the two ministers meeting here
discussing solutions for the East Timor problem," UN Secretary-
General Kofi Annan, who witnessed the signing, told a joint media
conference with the two ministers.
"This is a historic moment," he said.
Three documents were signed: one on the basic text on the
election and the autonomy package, another on security
arrangements, and the third on the mechanism for the "popular
consultation" as the August ballot is officially called.
The UN Security Council plans to welcome and endorse the
agreement on Thursday or Friday.
East Timor was annexed by Indonesia in 1976, a year after the
Portuguese colony administration abandoned the territory. The
United Nations never recognized Indonesia's claim over East Timor
and the issue, coupled by reports of gross human right violations
by the Indonesian military, has plagued Indonesia's standing in
the world.
Wednesday's agreement ended a long-drawn and exhaustive
diplomatic battle between Indonesia and Portugal at the United
Nations dating back to 1983.
Under the deal, the United Nations would send civilian police
to help oversee the election, but responsibility for the security
in East Timor remained with Indonesia in the run-up to and on the
day of the ballot, Annan said.
"I strongly urge all elements and political tendencies in East
Timor to refrain from any resort to force and to cooperate with
the United Nations in fulfilling its tasks," he said.
He said an advanced UN team was on its way to East Timor to
begin preparing for the election.
Gama insisted that Indonesia create a conducive peaceful
situation in East Timor. "The consultation cannot be held with
the presence of fear and killings among the East Timorese."
He gave assurances that Portugal would comply with the content
and support the agreement.
He presented a US$10 million check to the UN secretary-general
as Lisbon's contribution to cover the cost of the August ballot,
which is estimated at between $30 million and $45 million.
Responding to questions, Alatas said all parties agreed on
disarmament of the militia "but we are realistic enough to know
that special steps need to be taken".
He said disarmament required the cooperation of all groups,
including those favoring independence.
"And that requires some doing," he said.
Separately, Alatas told Indonesian journalists he was glad
Indonesia's diplomatic battle over East Timor at the United
Nations was finally over.
"This is a milestone for the future settlement of the East
Timor problem."
On security in East Timor, Alatas urged all the warring
parties to end their hostilities.
"Avoid any intimidation, provocation and armed violence by any
parties," he said, referring to both the prointegration militias
and the proindependence armed resistance.
Asked about the fate of the jailed East Timor guerrilla
leader, Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao, Alatas said the
government would consider releasing him after the Aug. 8 ballot.
Jamsheed Marker, the UN envoy assigned by Annan to handle East
Timor, said there would not be any UN peacekeeping troops in East
Timor prior to or during the election.
He said UN police would not be assigned the task of disarming
the opposing factions.
"The United Nations is more concerned with maintaining law and
order in East Timor," the Pakistani diplomat said. "Because I'm
convinced that East Timorese have had enough of the conflicts."
The United Nations was waiting for an assessment from a team
already in East Timor before deciding on how many UN police
officers were needed, he said.
President B.J. Habibie had specifically asked that the United
States, Britain, Australia, Japan, Germany and the Philippines be
included in any UN mission to East Timor.
Marker said Australia was one of the countries, which had
expressed willingness to financially and physically support the
consultation process.
"Australia has made the commitment and contribution to help
support the consultation," he said.