Government revokes martial law in East Timor
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie lifted on Friday the state of military emergency in East Timor and ordered Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Wiranto to hand over TNI's responsibility on security and order to the International Force for East Timor (Interfet).
Minister of Justice/State Secretary Muladi said with the issuance of Presidential Decree No. 113, the President revoked his previous decree, No. 107, which declared martial law in East Timor starting from Sept. 7.
"With the revocation of the military emergency status, East Timor automatically returns to civil order status," Muladi told journalists after attending a Cabinet meeting at Bina Graha presidential office.
He said the decision was made given the improved security situation in East Timor.
Muladi said Gen. Wiranto would also instruct the commander of the Restoration Operation Command in East Timor, Maj. Gen. Kiki Syahnakri, to transfer TNI's control of security in the territory to Interfet Commander Maj. Gen. Peter Cosgrove this week.
"It will likely be handed over either on Friday or Saturday," Muladi remarked.
Habibie also issued Presidential Instruction No. 13 on Thursday, which orders officials, both military and civilian, to support and provide necessary information to the Fact Finding Commission on East Timor.
The National Commission on Human Rights set up the fact finding team on Wednesday to probe human rights abuses in the territory.
Muladi said the government would also send a team to attend the UN High Commission on Human Rights'(UNHCR) special session on the weekend in Geneva to discuss developments in East Timor.
He argued that it was unnecessary for the UN to set up a special team to investigate rights violations in East Timor because the task was already being done by an Indonesian team.
Gunfire
Meanwhile, the situation in Dili was tense for several hours on Thursday afternoon as gunfire was heard in several parts of the capital city. However, it is unclear who was responsible for the gunshots.
There were confusing and conflicting claims from officials on both sides.
The spokesman for the Restoration Operation Command in East Timor, Col. Willem Rampangilei, claimed that Interfet troops fired warning shots to ward off Indonesian troops collecting ammunition from a military store in Taibessi, east of Dili.
"There was a misunderstanding about the activities of Indonesian soldiers who were moving goods from the store," said Rampangilei. "Misunderstandings sometimes happen."
However, British commander Brig. Gen. David Richards, whose soldiers were reportedly involved in the confrontation, was quoted by AFP as saying that Indonesian troops fired the shots and denied any of the multinational troops had fired.
Separately, the Thai deputy commander of Interfet reportedly left for Jakarta on Thursday for talks with Gen. Wiranto to try ease mounting tension in East Timor.
A senior Thai army source told Reuters in Bangkok that Thailand was concerned about the "aggressive" approach taken by the Australian commander of the UN force and wanted to calm the atmosphere.
The Thai army said Maj. Gen. Songkitti Chakkrabhat, the deputy commander of the UN-mandated force, would hold talks with Gen. Wiranto and other senior Indonesian Military figures in Jakarta on Friday.
"He (Cosgrove) led the troops into East Timor with the kind of aggressive attitude that is no good to anyone. That kind of attitude can only lead to more violence and eventually East Timor will end up like the Vietnam War," said the senior army officer, who did not want to be identified.
Thailand's 1,000-strong contribution to the multinational force would leave for East Timor on Oct. 1 and be based in Baucau, about 100 kilometers from Dili.
Meanwhile in Ambeno, the East Timor enclave in East Nusa Tenggara, hundreds of pro-Jakarta militiamen grouped in Aitarak and Sakunar began rooting out on Thursday proindependence rivals hiding in the forests and hills of Mount Butete.
A prointegration militiaman, Ricardo Fretes, said the move was in retaliation to an alleged attack on Aitarak members by Interfet troops in Dili.
He said hundreds of members of Besi Merah Putih (Red and White Iron), a pro-Jakarta militia from Liquica, would join the hunt.
Sporadic gunshots were heard in the area as dusk fell.
A member of Besi Merah Putih, Alves Correira, 30, said prointegration forces would prevent Interfet troops from reaching Ambeno. "They will never set foot on Ambeno," he said.
In a related development International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Michel Camdessus said in Washington on Thursday that a resumption of aid for Indonesia depends on developments in East Timor and the resolution of the Bank Bali scandal.
He expressed hope that with the arrival of a UN force a "more acceptable situation will progressively be established."
But he said it would not make sense for the IMF to resume aid until bilateral donors lifted their own suspension as IMF aid only worked as part of a concerted effort. (prb/27)