TNI ready to welcome UN peacekeeping force

JAKARTA (JP): Top military officials said they were doing their best to maintain security in East Timor, and were willing to gradually withdraw their troops if a United Nations peacekeeping force was sent to the territory to safeguard the transition period.

A transition period is expected if Monday's direct ballot results in the rejection of autonomy within Indonesia, making the province a UN-administered territory.

"Security forces have tried to overcome and neutralize (incidents after the ballot)... therefore, let's keep East Timor safe," Minister of Defense and Security/Indonesian Military Commander Gen. Wiranto said in Jakarta on Wednesday. He made the statement before reports of more violence came in from East Timor.

Also on Wednesday, military spokesman Brig. Gen. Soedrajat said if necessary Indonesia would invite the UN to deploy a peacekeeping force during the transition period. TNI would then gradually withdraw its forces, he said.

A worst-case scenario is the eruption of civil war if East Timor separates from Indonesia, he said.

He said if this occurred, TNI would help protect displaced people, adding, "It would be difficult for TNI to maintain its presence if East Timor became a new state."

"TNI will then request a UN peacekeeping force so the TNI will be clean," he said. TNI and the National Police have been criticized for failing to prevent violence in East Timor involving armed civilians. They were praised, however, following Monday's largely peaceful voting.

In reaction to how veteran soldiers might view East Timor separating from Indonesia, Soedradjat said "all parties with emotional ties" to the province should view these developments as "historical fact".

Many soldiers died during military operations in East Timor and veterans have voiced resentment of President B.J. Habibie's approval of the ballot.

Soedradjat said if the ballot resulted in the rejection of autonomy, "The Indonesian Military would still have a responsibility to maintain security, but we could not do it alone; we would request the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force."

Saying he was quoting a statement made by Wiranto during a visit to Malang, East Java, on Tuesday, Soedrajat said in case of East Timor's separation, TNI and the National Police would not turn their backs on their responsibility to help safeguard the province.

Under the UN agreement on the direct ballot, the police are responsible for security in East Timor.

If necessary TNI will become part of the UN peacekeeping force, "wearing the UN's blue berets", Soedradjat said.

Soedradjat also said police, together with prointegration and proindependence supporters, had conducted raids to confiscate weapons from civilians.

A police officer in Dili said on Wednesday the police had to disarm civilians "gradually", or risk provoking violence toward security personnel.

However, chairwoman of House Commission I for security and defense, Aisyiah Amini, rejected the possibility of a UN peacekeeping force in East Timor.

"Predictions (of violence) are excessive. Indonesia must resist the deployment of such a force," she said.

Visiting Irish Foreign Minister David Andrews said after meeting with President B.J. Habibie, "The people of East Timor must be given permanent peace."

Meanwhile, overseas calls for a peacekeeping force in the territory mounted.

An editorial of Singapore's Straits Times daily urged Indonesia's military to "suppress its instinct to hit back" in the event the ballot results in independence for East Timor.

"Much as Jakarta dislikes the idea, stationing a UN peacekeeping force in East Timor will help to keep the peace," the daily said, as quoted by Reuters.

An Australian newspaper, The Canberra Times, wrote: "The East Timorese voted in peace and they voted for peace, but there are no guarantees that peace will be their immediate reward."

New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Don McKinnon said if violence escalated in the territory there was the possibility of intervention by Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the United States and possibly members of the Association of South East Asian Nations, Reuters reported. (emf/prb/05)