Monitoring team reports intimidation

Monitoring team reports intimidation

JAKARTA (JP): A private team monitoring the process of a
direct ballot for Aug. 30 in East Timor said that overall, the
registration process was running smoothly but, intimidation was
still being reported in a number of places.

The Independent Committee of the Ballot Monitoring (Kiper)
said in a report made available here over the weekend that the
scale of intimidation was found to be "light" to "severe".

Kiper was set up recently by several individuals inside and
outside East Timor to monitor the United Nations-sponsored direct
ballot.

Claiming to have 300 volunteers, it lists prominent scholars
on its board as well as activists. Among others, members of the
advisory council include Australia-based researcher on East Timor
George Junus Aditjondro, sociologist Arief Budiman, the National
Commission against Violence of Women's chairwoman Saparinah Sadli
and Dili Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo. Abdurrahman Wahid,
leader of the influential Nahdlatul Ulama organization, is also
an advisor.

Kiper will observe the ballot in East Timor's 13 regencies
apart from those in Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar and
Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi.

Bonar Tigor Naipospos, who leads the Solidamor organization
which has been among those campaigning the East Timor issue, is
Kiper's chairman.

Kiper's report states that intimidation was found to have come
from civilian and military personnel and from proautonomy
militia, particularly outside the capital.

Among the registration glitches, Kiper noted a lack of
understanding and a lack of socialization of requirements.

"One important problem is a lack of freedom from fear,"
despite conditions agreed to at UN Headquarters in an agreement
between Portugal and Indonesia regarding the ballot, Kiper said.

The ballot lacks a crisis center to where people can report
complaints, Kiper said.

Another difficulty was the distance between residences and
registration centers, Kiper added. "For the elderly, disabled or
ill, (registration) is a problem, while registration officials of
the UNAMET (UN Mission in East Timor) are generally passive,"
Kiper said. (anr)