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)