Martial law imposed on troubled East Timor
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)