Martial law imposed on troubled East Timor
JAKARTA (JP): The government has declared martial law in East Timor in an attempt to halt spiraling violence in the territory.
The surprising decision backtracked on the rejection of Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Wiranto's proposal for a state of emergency, which was made in a Cabinet plenary meeting on Monday morning.
Presidential Decree No. 107 signed late Monday night stated that martial law took effect in East Timor at midnight on Sept. 7 and would remain in effect until the situation normalized.
Based on a 1959 law, power is vested in the local military command, with its chief empowered to take all necessary measures.
They could span assuming control of telecommunications facilities, censuring correspondence, arrests and detention for 20 days, and expulsion of people from the area.
Wiranto insisted that martial law was needed to empower the military and police in carrying out tough measures to restore order.
"As you know, the situation has worsened after the ballot," Wiranto said after meeting with Habibie at Merdeka Palace on Tuesday morning.
The about-face in policy further fueled speculation of discord within the government over East Timor policy.
Habibie was scheduled to officially announce the decision at a special news conference on Tuesday. However, TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sudradjat preempted the President late Monday night.
Wiranto defended his decision of ordering Sudradjat to make the announcement on state-owned TVRI television network and RRI radio because the information needed to be disseminated promptly.
"This decision had to be directly informed both to the East Timorese and the security apparatus. (That's why) the decree was immediately announced by the military spokesman."
More than a hundred deaths have reportedly followed the announcement of results from the Aug. 30 ballot, with 78.5 percent of the populace rejecting Jakarta's autonomy proposal.
Militias have run riot, causing a huge exodus of residents.
Rejection
Minister of Information Muhammad Yunus said after Monday's Cabinet meeting that Wiranto's proposal was rejected because it contravened a treaty on East Timor between Indonesia, Portugal and the United Nations signed in New York on May 5.
A palace official told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that Wiranto later went to Habibie's private residence in Patra Kuningan, South Jakarta, and convinced him of the necessity of a state of military emergency in East Timor.
The official, who asked not to be named, said Habibie finally agreed and signed the decree at his home only four hours after Yunus' announcement.
The official said Yunus, foreign minister Ali Alatas and Minister of Justice/State Secretary Muladi were those who opposed to Wiranto's proposal during Monday's meeting.
During the official announcement at Merdeka Palace following a meeting on Tuesday morning, Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Feisal Tanjung claimed Habibie obtained approval by phone from United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Portugal before he signed the decree.
Alatas, who was also present with Wiranto at the news conference, said consultations were conducted with the UN and Lisbon to avoid violating tenets of the May 5 agreement.
"In fact, the secretary-general told our President to please go ahead as quickly as possible and restore security, law and order."
Habibie summoned 12 ministers, including Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare and Poverty Eradication Haryono Suyono and Minister of Mines and Energy Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, late Tuesday evening to discuss the refugee problem in East Timor and the legal implications of the result of the ballot.
Kuntoro said Indonesia was ready to revoke the Timor Gap treaty with Australia under which the two countries share royalties from joint oil production in the Timor Sea.
Task force
Muladi said separately that Habibie's decision was fully within the mandate of the 1959 law which grants the president, as supreme military commander, the right to declare martial law.
He said Habibie also sent a letter informing the House of Representatives of the decision.
Meanwhile, Sudradjat said the military would send a task force to take over public administration in East Timor until law and order was restored.
"The military administration will have the task of safeguarding and protecting civilians, including refugees whose number has reached around 40,000.
"During the state of military emergency, the military will be on the front line while the National Police will be backup." He said eight Army battalions and 12,000 police were being deployed.
Asked why such a drastic move was needed, Sudradjat said public administration could no longer function amid the chaos.
"The burning of houses and others buildings can be seen in many areas in the territory. All these have made the situation uncontrollable. The government has no other alternative than to declare a state of military emergency."
Sudradjat promised that the military administration would do its best to end martial law as quickly as possible.
"However, the enforcement of martial law will depend on the two warring factions. To the military, the sooner the state of emergency ends, the better the situation will be."
Newly released East Timor independence leader Jose Alexandre Xanana Gusmao denounced the decision.
"Why are more battalions being sent to East Timor? ... TNI is destroying and plundering the belongings of the population."
From UN Headquarters in New York, AP reported that consideration of an international peacekeeping force was high on the agenda if Indonesia failed to curb the violence in the next few days.
However, UN spokesman Fred Eckhard conceded that it would take months to organize and deploy a UN-led peacekeeping force.
The other option, Eckhard said, would be for the Security Council to authorize "a coalition of the willing" -- a group of nations ready to take quick military action and full responsibility for deployment. (prb/rms/byg)