Indonesia still responsible for law and order in East Timor

JAKARTA (JP): Despite the planned deployment of United Nations police officers in East Timor, Indonesian security personnel will be responsible for the implementation of the referendum in East Timor.

"They (the UN police) will only give suggestions to the Indonesian Police, while the responsibility for peace and order during the vote will still be in the hands of Indonesian security personnel," Minister of Defense and Security/Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Wiranto said on Wednesday.

The number of UN police officers and the mechanism of their work with local security personnel were still being discussed, Wiranto told Antara.

The Aug. 8 vote will give East Timorese a chance to determine whether they will choose an autonomy offer from the Indonesian government or independence.

Wiranto said an interdepartmental body would likely be established to comprehensively and thoroughly facilitate cooperation between Indonesian and UN security personnel.

Meanwhile, former East Timor governor Mario Viegas Carrascalao said in Lisbon, Portugal, said he would comply with the decision reached by all Timorese on the fate of the trouble-racked province.

"Personally, I'm a prointegration movement supporter, as when I supported the Balibo proclamation and when I assumed the East Timor governorship from 1982 to 1992. But I have a commitment to go with the East Timor boat even if it has to be separated from Indonesia," Carrascalao told Antara.

Carrascalao recently left the country for safety reasons, as he felt threatened, following a spate of recent death threats leveled at himself and his family.

The former Indonesian ambassador for Rumania said he expected the best for the province.

Saying that he most likely would be absent from the province during the vote, Carrascalao also urged East Timorese to support the prointegration movement. He said tendencies in societies, were for countries to become 'globalized' or to integrate with each other.

In a related development, the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Indonesia, Milan Sarpatha, in his visit to East Timor said the province would be better off if it remained Indonesia's 27th province.

"If it is independent, how will it build itself, and what will happen with its human resources?" he asked on Tuesday.

Milan was speaking at a meeting with local administration secretary Radjakarina Brahmana in the province's capital, Dili.

He said if East Timor remained part of Indonesia, developments to enhance the welfare of its people would be much smoother.

If proindependence leader Xanana Gusmao wanted to improve social welfare for the East Timorese, it was not necessarily achieved by separating from Indonesia, he said.

Meanwhile, Sunday incidents involving proindependence and prointegration supporters at Atara village in Atsabe district, Ermera regency, led to the deaths of 12 civilians, not five fatalities, as cited in a statement by UN representatives here, sources said on Tuesday.

The UN representatives issued the revised statement, urging the Indonesian government to help maintain security ahead of the vote.

The sources, who visited the office of Suara Timor Timur daily in Dili, said at least 20 Atara villagers were still missing after the clash.

They said the incident was a massacre by prointegration members of a Pancasila Team and local military district and Tribuana BTT forces.

Members of the pro-Jakarta militia moved from a mountain area into the village, while the others moved from the village's main road. They then brutally attacked villagers, the sources said.

The 12 victims were Jose Justino, 30, Joao Leo-Nali, 40, Urgano Goncalves, 35, Ugel Goncalves, 25, Armando, 26, Rogerio Tolo-Aci, 25, Agustinho de Jesus, 24, Paulo de Jesus, 20, Sidoni Leo, 30, Romeo, 25, Alfredo Goncalves, 25 and Thomas, 27.

East Timor Police spokesman Capt. Widodo D.S. said the violence happened when members of the prointegration group, accompanied by security personnel from Atsabe district were on their way to promote the autonomy package at Atara village, when they were interrupted by "irresponsible people".

In a related development, six of the 15-member Japanese delegation assigned to monitor the situation in East Timor, had returned to Tokyo to prepare for the August ballot, Masato Ushijima, the first secretary in charge of political affairs at the Japanese Embassy, said on Tuesday. (33/emf/jun)