Pro-RI forces reject UN police

JAKARTA (JP): Pro-Indonesian militia leader Jose Estavao Soares told an Australian radio station on Thursday all prointegration groups opposed a United Nations presence during August's ballot in East Timor, warning of a danger to the safety of the UN members.

"We will never accept any kind of peace force," Soares told ABC radio on Thursday.

"Maybe some kind of team to assist us but don't try to come here with weapons or anything because we will not be responsible then," he said as quoted by AFP.

Other civilian militia groups have expressed similar threats against the planned UN presence.

President B.J. Habibie told Australian Prime Minister John Howard in Bali on Tuesday his government accepted the presence of UN police officers to help ensure security in East Timor during the direct ballot in August.

In the vote, tentatively set for Aug. 8, East Timor's 800,000 residents will decide whether they want to remain Indonesia's 27th province with wide-ranging autonomy or become an independent state.

Howard told Habibie Australia "would be sympathetic" to any UN request for support of the UN agreement.

"You can't ever say to anybody, in all honesty, who is being sent to a trouble spot, be that person a police officer or a soldier, you can't ever say there's no danger," Howard said in a radio interview broadcast in Sydney.

British Junior Foreign Office Minister Derek Fatchett, who visited Dili on Wednesday, said UN personnel would be the international community's "eyes and ears" in East Timor.

Indonesia is facing mounting pressure from the international community to accept a large international presence during the ballot due to its failure to control pro-Indonesian militia groups.

There are a number of armed militia groups in East Timor. They are Halilintar (Thunder), Alfa, Ablai, Ahi, Besi Merah Putih (Red and White Iron) and Aitarak.

Meanwhile, proindependence activist Manuel Carrascalao left the East Timor capital of Dili for Jakarta on Thursday. He said he would probably seek temporary asylum in Australia, citing fears for his family's safety.

"I don't feel too good about my security there (East Timor) and if the situation dictates it, I will seek temporary asylum in Australia until I can return when the situation is more secure," Carrascalao told AFP.

His 18-year-old son Mario was among 20 people killed on April 17 when armed pro-Indonesian militiamen rampaged unchecked through Dili.

Carrascalao had been staying at the provincial police headquarters before his departure to Jakarta. Despite the death of his son and other relatives, Carrascalao signed last week a peace agreement between proindependence and prointegration groups in a ceremony also attended by Minister of Defense and Security/ Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Wiranto.

His brother, Mario Carrascalao, fled to Portugal after reportedly receiving death threats from prointegration groups. Mario, East Timor governor from 1982 to 1992, arrived in Lisbon on Wednesday with his family.

Mario said he had decided to resign his position on the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA).

"I had already drafted my resignation about a month ago, but I was asked not to submit it," he said, but did not identify the person who advised him against resigning.

East Timor Governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares criticized Mario, saying the latter should help settle the crisis in the country rather than fleeing abroad.

"It is his right, but as a community leader Pak Mario is expected to remain here and (help) solve East Timor's problem," Antara quoted the governor as saying.

Portugal's special envoy to Indonesia said on Thursday East Timor was in the grip of a panic and the situation could worsen in coming weeks.

Speaking to Portuguese journalists after visiting Dili, Ana Gomes said the violence and sense of insecurity in the province had increased since her visit to the former Portuguese colony a month ago.

"There is generalized panic at the moment," she told Portugal's TSF radio before returning to Jakarta at the end of her two-day visit.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International said a group calling itself Red Blood Commando threatened proindependence supporters in a statement circulated in Dili.

Reuters quoted church sources in Dili as saying on Thursday they had seen a version of the statement but did not know who the group was.

"After the passing of the deadline, we will conclude that everyone left in Dili, be they man or woman, old or young, child or adult, is an antiintegrationist who should and must be exterminated and wiped out," the statement said.

Proindependence sources said many of their leaders had gone into hiding or were in protective custody. (prb/yac)