Interfet takes control of East Timor

Interfet takes control of East Timor

By Ridwan Max Sijabat

DILI, East Timor (JP): The International Force for East Timor
(Interfet) officially took over control of security
responsibilities in East Timor from the Indonesian Military (TNI)
on Monday.

A ceremony held behind closed doors at East Timor Military
Headquarters marked the transfer of authority for the strife-torn
territory from the head of the Restoration Operation Command,
Maj. Gen. Kiki Syahnakri, to Interfet commander Maj. Gen. Peter
Cosgrove.

TNI will maintain a presence of some 1,000 personnel from the
Army, Navy, Air Force and the National Police to safeguard vital
facilities such as the governor's office, military headquarters,
air base and seaport.

Indonesia will complete its pullout of troops from the former
Portuguese territory after the People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR) decides on East Timor's independence in November.

Normalcy returned to the city on Monday morning after an
overnight outbreak of violence in which eight houses and a bank
were burned.

Cosgrove said he appreciated the cooperation between the
multinational force and TNI in restoring peace to the territory.

"Formally, Maj. Gen. Kiki just handed over charge of security
in East Timor to Interfet despite the presence of a certain
number of TNI troops in the territory ... But, of course, it is
proper and we knew previously that it would happen," Cosgrove
said.

He pledged to enhance teamwork between the Australian-led
multinational force and the remaining TNI troops.

Kiki said Interfet was now responsible for any security
concerns in the territory.

Asked about the total number of Interfet troops to be deployed
to the territory, Cosgrove said: "The number will be many
thousands." The United Nations' initial estimate of the
multinational force was 8,000.

Cosgrove said Interfet's main mission was to provide
protection for all East Timorese, regardless of their political
choices, to help the UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) complete
its duties. He said another main objective was to secure complete
access for international humanitarian aid for East Timorese
refugees.

However, Cosgrove was quoted by foreign media after the
ceremony as stating that Indonesia remained in charge of security
for East Timor until the MPR decision.

"Indonesia retains security control for the province," he told
AFP after the ceremony.

Misunderstanding

Cosgrove acknowledged the international community initially
misunderstood the ground situation in the territory and TNI's
past role.

He said the misreading of the situation disrupted Interfet's
efforts to execute its mission.

"There is an international misunderstanding about the real
situation in East Timor and about the role TNI has played in
handling incidents in the past. This has caused friction between
many countries and Indonesia," he said.

Many nations, particularly Australia, have accused TNI of
masterminding an orgy of murders, arson, abductions and looting
by prointegration militias after a majority of East Timorese
rejected Jakarta's proposal for greater autonomy in an Aug. 30
ballot.

Asked to comment on a possible UN human rights commission
tribunal concerning human rights abuses committed in the
territory, Kiki said TNI would strive to prove to the world that
the allegations were unfounded.

"The government and TNI will convince the international
community that our presence was to maintain the country's
sovereignty over the territory. We came here and are leaving it
under official instructions, and no genocide occurred in the
past."

Cosgrove declined to comment, saying it was a matter for the
UN to decide. He added that he appreciated TNI's cooperative
efforts to calm tension and restore law and order.

The UN human rights commission decided on Monday to set up an
inquiry into alleged rights abuses in East Timor. The proposal
was challenged by 11 Asian countries.

In Darwin, East Timorese and pressure groups accused the UN on
Monday of wasting valuable time in setting up the investigation
amid what they said was mounting evidence of widespread human
rights abuses.