TNI warns of threat of militia attacks

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.