No UN peacekeepers to East Timor: Alatas

No UN peacekeepers to East Timor: Alatas

JAKARTA (JP): Foreign minister Ali Alatas dismissed on Tuesday
the possibility of the deployment of a United Nations
peacekeeping force in East Timor, despite reports of attacks on
UN posts and UN staff in the province.

The minister said the government would continue to strive for
a conducive climate for the ballot scheduled for Aug. 22.

"According to the tripartite agreement in New York on May 5,
the UN will never send a peacekeeping force to East Timor, except
for a number of liaison police advisers," Alatas said at a break
during a hearing with the House of Representatives' Commission
for foreign affairs, defense and security.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in East Timor (UNAMET)
reported last week attacks and threats on its posts in Maliana
and Viqueque. The government said the attack in Maliana which
injured one UN electoral officer was a brawl between
proindependence and prointegration supporters.

A humanitarian mission visiting refugees in Liquica with
UNAMET staff was attacked on Sunday by local militia, leaving
three injured and six missing.

However, Antara reported on Tuesday the six had
returned safely. Coordinator of the Dili humanitarian mission,
Jose Luis de Olivera, said at the nongovernmental Human Rights
and Justice (Hak) Foundation in Dili the six had sought safety in
the Sare village at the time of the attack, and returned to Dili
by public transport.

A UNAMET official said on Monday that given the lack of
guaranteed security ahead of the August direct ballot, the United
Nations might send a peacekeeping force.

Ueki Yasuhiro, a UNAMET spokesman, said on Tuesday in Dili
that the head of the mission, Ian Martin, had left for Jakarta to
meet Minister of Defense and Security/Indonesian Military (TNI)
Commander Gen. Wiranto and Alatas to discuss security concerns
and the recent violence involving UNAMET.

The meetings may take place on Wednesday, officials at the
ministries said.

Alatas denied allegations on Tuesday that UNAMET was being
discriminative and leaning toward proindependence groups, adding
there were only "certain staff members" who frequently
acted out of line. However, he did not elaborate.

In a statement made available to The Jakarta Post, the
prointegration Forum for Unity, Democracy and Justice (FPDK) said
among other things that UNAMET had violated the May 5 agreement
as it had no right to conduct a humanitarian mission.

Activists in the humanitarian mission said it was already
coordinated with police apart from UNAMET, which had its own
humanitarian mission.

FPDK also cited a survivor, Ronaldo Comea Martins, who said
his shot wounds came from inside a vehicle of the mission.

Meanwhile, the chief of police advisors for the UN-sponsored
direct ballot, Brig. Gen. Rezaqul Haider arrived on Tuesday in
Dili from Darwin, Antara reported, along with 15 other officers.
They comprised officers from Malaysia, Denmark, Ireland,
Australia and Bangladesh.

After a day's rest they would be spread to UN posts in the
province's 13 regencies, according to UNAMET.

A demonstration by 300 proindependence activists was held in
front of the UN office in Dili on Tuesday, which urged the UN not
to be cowed by the latest violence, Reuters reported.

Chairman of the Hak Foundation Aniceto Gutteres also refuted
suggestions on Tuesday that nongovernmental organizations were
leaning to proindependence groups in their humanitarian mission.

"Every week we receive reports of deaths because of shortages
in medical and food supplies," Aniceto said.

The mission to Liquica was aimed to help 4,200 refugees in
Sare and 3,500 in Faulara village. In Sare, 15 have died of
starvation and 70 have perished in Faulara, he said. (rms/33)