Time 'not right' for UN peacekeeprs
Time 'not right' for UN peacekeeprs
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Wiranto
asserted on Friday that he was not against the idea of a United
Nations peacekeeping force in East Timor, as long as the
situation and timing were appropriate.
"It is very highly sensitive for such a force to enter the
territory (now) because a number of native East Timorese still
hold a deep emotional reaction against UNAMET," Wiranto said.
"Such (emotion) will be shown toward incoming peacekeepers."
"We're open for further discussion on the matter (peacekeeping
forces) and to talk on when will be the right time for such a
force to be deployed to the territory," he added.
Speaking to journalists after meeting a five-member UN
Security Council delegation, Wiranto said he had explained the
situation to them and stressed the need for the Security
Restoration Operation Command in East Timor to do their work.
The Command under the leadership of Maj. Gen. Kiki Syahnakri,
who has full authority over the territory under a state of
military emergency, is tasked with bringing back law and order
and stopping the anarchic situation which erupted last week.
According to Wiranto, he has informed the UN mission that
since the imposition of martial law, the situation was "gradually
returning to normal".
The mission met Wiranto on Friday before a planed trip to East
Timor on Saturday.
Wiranto praised Syahnakri, whom he said had done well in just
a brief period, for steadily decreasing the level of violence.
Speaking about the calamitous circumstances surrounding the
announcement of the ballot results in East Timor, Wiranto said:
"What happened in East Timor as an emotional outburst and
expression of disappointment by proautonomy supporters."
Nevertheless, he warned that sending UN forces at this
juncture would be counterproductive to the ultimate end of
achieving law and order in the shortest possible time.
"Our military personnel are still welcomed by all levels of
East Timorese," Wiranto said. (emf)