East Timorese apply for jobs with UN team
East Timorese apply for jobs with UN team
JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of young East Timorese have flocked to the United Nations office in Dili to apply for jobs with the UN team forming in the province ahead of a self-determination ballot scheduled for Aug. 8.
The large number of applicants resulted from the plan by the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) to hire 4,000 locals to support its operations in the former Portuguese colony, Antara news agency reported.
"UNAMET will recruit a number of locals as staff to help prepare for the direct vote," team spokesperson David Wimhurst was quoted by the news agency as saying.
Wimhurst said local staffers would work as translators, drivers, voter registration officials and janitors.
"The local staff will be deployed to some 200 centers scattered throughout the territory," he said.
Some 600 UN personnel are expected to arrive in East Timor by mid-June to monitor the implementation of the ballot to determine whether East Timorese will accept an Indonesian offer of wide- ranging autonomy or opt for independence.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Military (TNI) expressed objections on Friday to the UN plan to deploy such a large number of UN personnel in East Timor.
Maj. Gen. Syamsul Ma'arif, chief spokesman for the military, told The Jakarta Post TNI would only comply with the May 5 agreement between Indonesia and Portugal which stipulates that Indonesia is responsible for security in East Timor ahead of and during the ballot. The agreement also makes provisions for the presence of 280 civilian police advisers in the territory.
Syamsul said, however, TNI would leave the matter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"The most important thing is that TNI is against the presence of a UN peacekeeping force and an excessive number of UN personnel," he said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said here on Friday the government had not yet determined a feasible number of UN personnel needed to organize the ballot.
Syamsul also denied allegations the military was arming prointegration militias in the province.
People should not hastily accuse TNI of arming the militias, he said, adding that the military and the National Police would maintain their neutrality during the ballot.
"The people should go into the field and see whether or not the military and the police are involved in violence and intimidation ... And it will certainly be considered unpopular if I say that East Timorese prointegration and proindependence groups have been involved in violence many times in the past," he said.
Wimhurst warned on Friday that the ballot could be canceled if violence in the province continued. He also called on warring factions to hand over their guns to help create a conducive climate for the ballot.
Syamsul said TNI had armed a limited number of security volunteers who were deployed to counter attacks launched by rebels.
"Rebels, now living among the people in urban areas, still possess at least 300 G-3 guns and thousands of other guns left by soldiers of the former Portuguese colonial administration," he said.
He said that while violence in the territory was continuing, TNI was not behind it.
Syamsul said TNI would consider disarming the security volunteers if the rebels were also ready to hand over their guns under UN supervision.
He said TNI was committed to creating a conducive climate in the province ahead of the ballot.
"The military's commitment has been shown in its support of the April peace agreement reached by conflicting factions in the province and the impartial enforcement of law by security personnel," he said.
Meanwhile, Alatas said the Indonesian government would give the green light to the proposed meeting between jailed East Timorese resistance leader Xanana Gusmao and 1996 Nobel colaureate Ramos Horta, as long as the meeting took place in Indonesia.
"The government will allow the meeting between the two East Timorese figures in Jakarta or in Dili because East Timor is Indonesia's internal matter," he said.
Xanana recently proposed to the government a meeting with Horta in Australia to discuss peace in East Timor. (rms/hhr)