Marker pleased with ballot preparations

JAKARTA (JP): The United Nations secretary-general's personal representative on East Timor, Jamsheed Marker, indicated on Monday that he was encouraged by ongoing preparations for the direct ballot to be held in the province.

Marker declined to say whether the UN would go ahead with its original plan to hold the self-determination vote on Aug. 8. or postpone it because of security concerns.

"I have to discuss that with Secretary-General (Kofi Annan)," he said after meeting with President B.J. Habibie at Merdeka Palace.

Also present in the meeting were head of the UN Assistance Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) Ian Martin, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas, Minister of Justice/State Secretary Muladi, and Habibie's adviser and spokeswoman Dewi Fortuna Anwar.

"I think the process is going well and we hope this will continue. The UN will continue with all it can to bring about this peaceful solution," said Marker, who will leave for Dili on Wednesday.

Alatas acknowledged there were still minor incidents in the province, but said the government would be able to ensure an atmosphere conducive to the ballot process.

He said Annan would make his final decision on the ballot date after receiving Marker's report on the East Timor situation.

"We are mobilizing all our efforts to overcome these remaining insecurity problems, which are minor," Alatas said.

The minister also stressed that UNAMET was doing its best to carry out its mission to organize the direct ballot to schedule.

"They are quite serious, and are trying to conduct their task of meeting the target," he said.

In Dili, under tight security, the first contingent of foreign police officers, unarmed and wearing blue UN caps, arrived in a UN aircraft from Darwin on Monday.

They included 15 from Australia, 10 from New Zealand, seven from Britain, six from Spain, and three from Ireland. The UN will deploy a total of 248 officers in the territory ahead of the ballot along with 600 UN civilian officials.

"They will be able to help the Indonesian police do their job better," UNAMET spokesman David Wimhurst said about the role of the UN police in the territory.

Wimhurst also disclosed that the UN mission has opened voter registration centers in Dili, Baucau, Suai and Same. Later this week it plans to open similar centers in Viqueque, Los Palos, Ermera, and Maliana regencies.

Meanwhile, the chairman of Hak human rights organization, Aniceto Guterres Lopes, said on Monday that provincial authorities had used up to Rp 39 billion of social safety net funds to persuade residents in the 13 regencies to vote for integration.

"The largest fund was spent in Los Palos, worth Rp 3.5 billion, while each of the 12 regencies received Rp 3 billion," Aniceto said.

Habibie's spokeswoman, Dewi, said last week the government had canceled the distribution of funds for the poor to avoid accusations of misuse for money politics.

Antara reported that East Timor Governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares warned East Timorese to "be alert" for the threat of UN workers in the province acting as spies for foreign governments.

"It is possible that spying by foreign social workers could happen in East Timor, which has in the past attracted international attention," he said.

"I presume that what happens in Kosovo can also happen in East Timor. If there are some UN team members who perform duties which are different from those set by the UN, it is possible that it can happen in East Timor," the governor cautioned.

Separately, Amnesty International said on Monday that, despite promises by Indonesia to provide security, serious human rights abuses have continued in the province and were undermining East Timorese people's ability to exercise their rights.

"Proindependence activists, students and civil servants are the main targets of this campaign, with hundreds being arbitrarily arrested, tortured and ill-treated, disappeared or killed by civilian militias, operating with the support and at times direct involvement of Indonesian security forces," the human rights group said in a statement.(prb/33)