Existence of document on East Timor denied

Existence of document on East Timor denied

JAKARTA (JP): The government has denied the authenticity of a
'leaked' document outlining contingency plans, including large-
scale evacuation measures, should East Timorese reject its offer
for wide-ranging autonomy and select the independence option.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas, citing a statement
from the Indonesian Task Force For The Implementation of The
Popular Consultation on East Timor (Satgas P3TT), described the
document on Wednesday as a forgery.

The document, said to be a letter from the task force,
reaffirmed Jakarta's support for prointegration militias in East
Timor, but predicted a loss for them in the UN-sponsored vote for
self-determination next month.

"Satgas has denied the accuracy of the reports (on the
document)," Alatas said before meeting with President B.J.
Habibie at Merdeka Palace.

In a media release, issued on Wednesday, task force spokesman
Dino Patti Djalal said the document was a 100 percent forgery. He
expressed surprise that the media readily accepted it as
authentic without careful scrutiny.

"The task force has been shown the 'letter' in question and,
even at first glance, has found that none of the formatting, the
logo, the style, the language, the signature of the letter match
those normally used by the task force," said Dino in the
statement.

"The forged letter indeed shows that black propaganda and
disinformation is still thriving in East Timor, aiming to mislead
the people of East Timor to think about their future on the basis
of wrong assumptions."

The five-page memo, purportedly signed by H.R. Garnadi, an
assistant to Coordinating Minister for Political and Security
Affairs Gen. (ret) Feisal Tanjung, predicted that proindependence
groups would win the vote because the government had failed to
win the hearts of the people.

The memo also predicted that violence and chaos would erupt.
It expressed concern about the fate of prointegration militias,
described as the "heroes of integration".

The document listed a five-point recommendation, including a
plan to rescue civil servants and migrants soon after the direct
ballot.

"The evacuation routes must be planned and secured, possibly
by demolishing public facilities and other vital objects," it
says.

The document, titled "General Assessment if Option I Fails",
was leaked by the proindependence East Timor International Group.
It was then quoted by the Australian media.

Meanwhile, the Forum for Unity, Democracy and Justice, alleged
on Wednesday that an Australian intelligence officer had
infiltrated the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET).

"An Indonesian officer has succeeded in identifying a high-
ranking Australian intelligence officer, disguised as a UNAMET
civilian, under a changed name," the forum said in a statement.

Quoting police sources in Dili, the afternoon daily Suara
Pembaruan reported on Wednesday that two Indonesian police
officers, Capt. Ryad and Capt. Eko Yasmo, recognized the UNAMET
staff member as Maj. George Hermest Simon. The two said they had
received intelligence training from Simon in Australia.

"According to the two police officers, they retained a
photograph taken with the Australian intelligence officer," the
newspaper reported.

Also on Wednesday, President B.J. Habibie met with Australian
Ambassador to Indonesia John McCarthy at Merdeka Palace.
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer is scheduled to
visit East Timor on July 30.

Donor concern

Meanwhile, World Bank country director for Indonesia Mark
Baird said on Wednesday international donors would be closely
watching the situation in East Timor.

"I certainly understand from a number of donors that they
share a strong interest in ensuring that the UN process in Timor
proceeds smoothly, and that there is a peaceful election in East
Timor," he said.

Donors in the Consultative Group for Indonesia (CGI) will meet
in Paris later this month. Indonesia expects to obtain up to US$6
billion from the donors.

"I'm sure the situation could be different if there was a
change in the situation in East Timor, and I'm sure donors will
be watching that very closely," Baird said.

Meanwhile, the Carter Center, a U.S.-based international
election observer mission, which deploys two observers in Dili,
said it had observed a significant decrease in the level of
intimidation and violence directed at UNAMET personnel.

However, the center said it remained concerned about security
issues and continuing reports of intimidation carried out by
prointegration militias.

"Similar reports indicate that the militias are largely
responsible for creating tens of thousands of internally
displaced persons and preventing them from returning to their
homes to participate in the (direct ballot) consultation," it
said in a statement, released on Tuesday from Atlanta.

Separately, UNAMET chief Ian Martin assured East Timor
Governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares he would try to simplify the
requirements for eligible voters.

The assurance followed complaints from East Timorese who were
turned away from registration centers because they failed to
produce at least two types of identity documents.

In West Nusa Tenggara, Governor Harun Al Rasyid said about 100
East Timorese people were still waiting for the arrival of UNAMET
personnel who will register them as voters in the forthcoming
direct ballot.

In Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, Garfield Du Couturier from
the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which is
organizing registrations outside of East Timor, acknowledged
difficulties in calculating the number of East Timorese living in
the province.

"The government has not yet obtained accurate data," he said.
(27/33/45/prb/rei)