Indonesian Military rejects reports on militia infiltration
Indonesian Military rejects reports on militia infiltration
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara
A senior Indonesian Military (TNI) commander in Kupang denied on
Thursday recent reports in several local media that 78 armed pro-
Indonesia militiamen have infiltrated Timor Leste (formerly East
Timor) and were ready to stir up chaos there after UN troops have
pulled out of the neighboring country in May.
"The reports are baseless, as no militiamen have infiltrated
Timor Leste. The militia organization does not even exist.
"In the past, the militia were indeed organized by the
Prointegration Forces (PPI), but the militia organization has
already been disbanded," said Col. Moeswarno Moesanip, chief of
Wirasakti Military Command, which oversees East Nusa Tenggara.
A similar comment was also expressed by Florencio Mario Viera,
a prointegration figure.
He alleged that the reports were merely part of a media
campaign aimed at extending the presence of the UN Peace Keeping
Force (UNPKF) in Timor Leste.
"It is a cheap attempt to misinform the world that the
situation in Timor Leste is not secure yet, so that the presence
of UNPKF troops has to be extended," said Florencio, a former
spokesman of Uni Timor Aswain, the now-defunct prointegration
organization.
Quoting information from intelligence sources, he said that
two big camps were now battling for power. The first was headed
by Marie Alkatiri, the prime minister of Timor Leste, who
supported the presence of UNPKF. The second was an opposition
camp, led by leaders of Timor Leste freedom fighters, who failed
to secure positions in the Timor Leste government after Timor
Leste separated from Indonesia.
"Apparently, both sides will try to make us a scapegoat if
chaos does occur in Timor Leste," he said.
Meanwhile, deputy Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Peter
Rowe and senior Australian military officer Col. Ian Ernington
visited on Wednesday several refugee camps in Atambua, which
borders Timor Leste.
Chief of Belu police precinct Adj. Sr. Comr. Agus Nugroho said
that, during the visit, they sought information on the activities
of former militiamen in the refugee camps.
It raised suspicions that the Australian government might
doubt the security situation in Timor Leste after UN troops were
pulled out of the country, he said.
"I have told them that the militia did not exist anymore,"
said Agus.
The TNI helped establish the militias before Timor Leste
separated from Indonesia in 1999; they were aimed at helping the
TNI to curb armed resistance in East Timor, led by Xanana Gusmao.
After the independence of Timor Leste in 1999 pro-Indonesia
militia and other Timor Leste refugees fled to East Nusa Tenggara
province, Indonesia, which borders the neighboring country.