TNI warns of threat of militia attacks
By Ridwan M. Sijabat
DILI, East Timor (JP): On the eve of the military handover, Indonesia's outgoing military chief in the territory warned of militia raids but cautioned the International Force for East Timor (Interfet) not to violate Indonesia's borders in its hunt for them.
Maj. Gen. Kiki Syahnakri, chief of Indonesia's Restoration Command in East Timor, warned that in its operations to weed out militiamen, the multinational force must not transgress across the western half of Timor island into the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara.
"The Indonesian Army will not stand still if our territory's borderlines are breached," he said.
Dili is only about 60-kilometers east of the land border with East Nusa Tenggara.
Speaking to journalists about the general security situation here on Sunday evening, Kiki said neither Indonesian nor Interfet personnel could provide security guarantees to journalists.
He warned of possible attacks on the city by prointegration militias.
"Many militias are now staying in Maliana and Atambua (East Nusa Tenggara), and have (so far) declined to launch attacks on the city because of the Indonesian military's presence," he claimed.
Meanwhile Interfet, which is predominantly made up of Australian soldiers, made final preparations to take over military command from Indonesia.
Interfet patrols continued throughout the day as fumes of thick smoke covered parts of Dili, while refugees continued to trickle home.
Eight houses and the Bank Danamon building were torched by suspected militias on Sunday.
Hundreds of armed Interfet troops were deployed at almost all intersections while others in tanks and armored personnel carriers roamed the streets.
Until late last night, Interfet choppers flew over the city almost once every 15 minutes.
In the afternoon, dozens of Interfet solders raided the location of the fire but no arrests were made.
An Australian major leading the raid who identified himself as Glenn told The Jakarta Post that the raid was launched to arrest the groups which had burned the buildings.
"We came here to arrest them, but I think they escaped before we arrived ... We hope the situation will get better after the TNI departure tomorrow," he said.
Another Interfet soldier who requested anonymity accused the Indonesian military of being behind the burnings, saying it had to do with the Indonesian soldiers' pullout.
"You yourself can judge who's behind the burnings because it's happening just when they are going to leave," he said.
More then 1,500 Indonesian Army soldiers were waiting at Dili harbor to be transported to Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi.
Kiki said that after the pullout of Indonesian troops on Monday, the Indonesian Task Force for the Implementation of the Popular Consultation on East Timor (P3TT) would be responsible for public administration through its headquarters in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, while Interfet would take military command of the territory.
Two battalions from the Indonesian Army, Navy and Air Force, along with some police officers will stay until East Timor is completely handed over to the UN in November.
"P3TT, the East Timor Provincial Police and Military District will represent the Indonesian government in East Timor, while all military staff of the military administration will go back to Jakarta tomorrow," Kiki said, adding that he himself would fly to Jakarta on Monday evening.