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.