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.