TNI, UNTAET vow to guard border

TNI, UNTAET vow to guard border

ATAMBUA, East Nusa Tenggara (JP): The Indonesian Military
(TNI) and the United Nations Transitional Authority in East Timor
(UNTAET) pledged on Wednesday to work together to stop reported
cross-border attacks by pro-Jakarta militias.

The head of the Udayana Military Command, Maj. Gen. Kiki
Syahnakri, said measures to follow up the agreement would include
increasing joint patrols along the border between East Timor and
East Nusa Tenggara and exchanging military liaison officers.

"TNI will provide access to UN military liaison officers in
our territory and in several security posts along the border, and
vice versa," Kiki said during a joint press conference with
chief of UN peacekeeping force in East Timor Lt. Gen. Jaime de
los Santos here.

"This is proposed to increase our communication, and we hope
we can exchange information without any suspicion or fear of
being misinterpreted," he said.

The meeting on Wednesday was held after De los Santos and
other UNTAET officials visited Jakarta last week to lodge
complaints with the Indonesian government about repeated militia
incursions into East Timor from East Nusa Tenggara, the
Indonesian half of Timor island.

UNTAET claimed there were 16 such incidents over the last four
weeks near the border, saying it suspected the incursions were
the work of prointegration militia.

President Abdurrahman Wahid reportedly was concerned and
unhappy with the reported militia attacks.

However, Kiki contended on Wednesday the incidents occurred
far from the border, saying TNI therefore was not responsible for
the breaches of security.

Kiki, who headed the military mission in East Timor after
martial law was imposed in the territory in September last year,
said a battalion of troops would be deployed to reinforce the 689
military personnel already stationed along the border. But he
added that TNI's force would remain far smaller than that of
UNTAET.

"TNI's concern is mainly to maintain security along the border
and to help in the UN's repatriation of the refugees," Kiki said.

Both Kiki and De los Santos did not specify a time frame for
the agreement.

De los Santos said Wednesday's meeting was "very fruitful and
productive", adding that the results of the meeting with Kiki
would be referred to his superiors in the UN, because any troop
deployments or assignments required their approval.

UNTAET and TNI have been on the defensive over reports of
escalating tension along the border, where both forces have joint
security responsibilities.

De los Santos dismissed on Wednesday allegations that the UN
peacekeeping force distrusted TNI's sincerity in maintaining
peace and order on the border.

"I trust General Syahnakri and his sincerity, and we
communicate well." (lem/emf)