TNI pulls troops from East Timor

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Military (TNI) began withdrawing some of its soldiers from East Timor ahead of the arrival of a multinational peacekeeping force next week, a military source said on Thursday.

"Some of the troops are starting to leave for Atambua. We expect all soldiers to be out when the peacekeeping troops arrive," the source, who requested anonymity, said.

Atambua is a border town on the western half of Timor island.

The source said the military leadership issued an order on Friday to withdraw all its troops from East Timor, except for a small unit of Army engineers.

He said there were still one Marine and 12 Army battalions in East Timor, as well as 8,000 police and 5,000 members of the local military command as of Thursday.

He said when the multinational force arrives, TNI soldiers would assume the role of consultant and liaison officers.

The Australian-led International Force in East Timor (Interfet) is expected to arrive on Sunday or Monday. An advance team will be in Dili this weekend.

The United Nations Security Council voted on Wednesday to establish the multinational peacekeeping force to restore peace in East Timor. The Council invoked Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which authorizes the force to use full military power.

Prior to the Security Council resolution, TNI was to remain in charge of the territory's security until November when Indonesia was expected to formally hand over authority of East Timor to the United Nations.

East Timorese voted overwhelmingly against wide-ranging autonomy within Indonesia on Aug. 30, but any separation with Indonesia must first be approved by the People's Consultative Assembly, which is not scheduled to meet until November.

TNI Commander Gen. Wiranto said earlier on Thursday that the withdrawal of Indonesian soldiers would be coordinated with the arrival of the peacekeeping forces.

"This is not a retreat. TNI will adjust the size of its presence in accordance with whatever role it is given by the United Nations in the multinational force," he said.

In Canberra, Australian defense minister John Moore said the first Interfet forces would land in East Timor on Sunday or Monday, Reuters reported.

Australia is planning to send 4,500 troops to East Timor as part of an 8,000-strong multinational peace force. The first deployment is expected to total about 2,000 troops, including British Gurkhas and Australian soldiers.

Thailand has pledged 1,000 soldiers, making it the largest Asian contingent.

In Darwin, Australia's Defense Force chief warned that Intefet would not hesitate to get tough if it met resistance from Indonesian forces or the pro-Jakarta militias.

Admiral Chris Barrie said the peace enforcement mission could be short and successful if the Indonesian Army cooperated.

"The success of this mission will rely very much on the cooperation of all of the members of the multinational force," Barrie said.

"We also expect a great deal of help from Indonesia."

"If we don't get the cooperation we need, we will end up having to make this a tough military operation and that will be a tough challenge but... we are ready to take this challenge," he said.

Barrie said he was concerned about the possibility of clandestine operations by Indonesian Army's Special Force (Kopassus) or irregulars.

Australian defense analysts have said noncommissioned officers from Kopassus were used in East Timor to direct the militias blamed for thousands of deaths after the self-determination vote on August 30.

"You read about the special forces doing things in a clandestine and covert way, they are the sorts of concerns we will have," he told reporters at the Darwin air force base, which is the launching pad for the force.

Commander of the UN force, Australian Maj. Gen. Peter Cosgrove, said securing Dili and the city's abandoned UN headquarters would be a priority, adding it would take several months to restore law and order to the troubled territory.

"My first step will be to seek out the local TNI senior officer and to ensure that he understands the nature of the build up of forces," Cosgrove said. "I'm led to believe that he's eagerly awaiting such a meeting."

Cosgrove said he believed militia leaders' threats to target Australian soldiers were mere rhetoric. "The best thing for the militia would be to surrender their weapons and to become peaceful, law-abiding East Timorese," Cosgrove said.

"The issue is giving them every encouragement to become law- abiding or to leave East Timor and let the East Timorese have the peace that the U.N. desires for them."

But Cosgrove warned: "We will not allow people to interfere with our task of protecting East Timorese". (lem)