UN aid agencies may return to West Timor soon

UN aid agencies may return to West Timor soon

DILI (Reuters): United Nations aid agencies could soon return
to Indonesian West Timor (East Nusa Tenggara province), a year
after they fled brutal violence there.

"I cannot give you a timeframe, but we hope sooner than later
there will be a UN presence in West Timor, subject to first
coming to some sort of security arrangement with the Indonesian
government," N. Parameswaran, the chief of staff of the UN
administration in East Timor, told reporters on Wednesday.

The UN and other foreign agencies helping East Timorese
refugees pulled out of West Timor after pro-Jakarta East Timorese
militiamen butchered three UN refugee workers last September.

A Jakarta court convicted six men over the violence that led
to the killings, but handed down sentences of only 10-20 months
each.

UN officials visited West Timor for a security assessment last
month and have been talking with the Indonesian military.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates up
to 80,000 East Timorese refugees remain in West Timor.

Meanwhile in Bangkok, a former Thai military chief will head
up a mission to monitor East Timor's first independent ballot
amid fears the vote could reignite simmering tensions in the
already scarred territory.

"This is a very significant election in Timor, the first
independent election," General Saiyud Kerdphoi, a former supreme
commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces told AFP.

"Monitoring elections ... is key to make sure the elections
are free and fair, to achieve a government of and for the
people."

Saiyud, who is chairman of the Asian Network for Free
Elections (ANFREL), will head up the week-long mission by 26
observers from 12 countries to monitor the Aug. 30 ballot.

Saiyud said his team would work closely with local non-
governmental organizations and the United Nations Transitional
Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), which invited the
delegation to visit the territory.

Sunai Phasuk of regional rights network Forum Asia, who will
travel to East Timor on Saturday as part of the delegation, said
the group was bracing for any trouble.

"They all expect to win in this election," he said.

The candidates "cannot accept defeat and this is dangerous.
There is the possibility that the results will not be recognized
by certain groups and political parties.

"We have received reports of violence between hostile parties
during the campaign period."

Sixteen of East Timor's 30-plus registered political parties
are due to contest the constituent assembly election, which will
take place ahead of a general election, he said.

The 88-member assembly, which will be elected in the country's
first democratic vote since breaking away from Indonesia in
September 1999, faces the task of preparing a constitution for
the new, independent state within 90 days.

The election falls on the anniversary of the UN-supervised
plebiscite in 1999, in which the East Timorese opted
overwhelmingly in favor of independence from Indonesia.

Sunai added the mission would try to head off conflicts
between supporters over the new constitution with three drafts in
existence.

One has been prepared by the UN, a second by non-governmental
organizations and a third by a local political party.

"In the history of East Timor there is such a lack of
reconciliation that often leads to violence, and we absolutely
don't want to see it happen again," he said.

"They have to approve this draft, and it will be transformed
into legislation," Sunai said.

"It will decide what form of government they have in East
Timor. This will be the backbone of East Timor as an independent
nation."

Sunai said delegates from the group would also meet with
independence leader Xanana Gusmao and Revolutionary Front for an
Independent Timor (Fretilin) party founder Jose Ramos Horta.

Gusmao is considered a likely candidate for the post of
president of East Timor once it becomes fully independent. At
present, however, he has stepped away from the political
limelight and currently heads the veterans' resistance
association.

The fledgling state and former Portuguese colony is currently
under UN administration as it heads towards independence.