UN clipped out power in E. Timor: Witnesses

UN clipped out power in E. Timor: Witnesses

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Two former top security officers in charge of East Timor
testified at the ad hoc East Timor human rights trial on
Wednesday, insisting that the task of creating peace and order
before, during and after the 1999 independence ballot was simply
out of their hands.

Former Udayana military commander Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri and
former East Timor police chief Brig. Gen. Timbul Selaen told the
court that they were under the control of the United Nations
Mission in East Timor (UNAMET).

"There were not enough military and police personnel on the
ground to calm heightened tensions between conflicting community
groups... We were undertaking mission impossible," Adam said.

He was testifying during the trial of former Covalima regent
Col. Herman Sedyono, former Suai military commander Col. Sugito,
Sugito's predecessor Lt. Col. Liliek Koeshadianto, former Suai
military command chief of staff Capt. Achmad Syamsudin, and
former Suai Police chief Lt. Col. Gatot Subiakto.

They are charged with neglecting their duty and failing to
prevent pro-Jakarta militia members from attacking pro-
independence supporters taking refuge in Suai's St. Ave Maria
Church on Sept. 6, 1999, two days after the result of the ballot
was announced.

The attack claimed 27 lives, including three Catholic
priests.

Adam said security authorities had provided shelter for
refugees, while the shelters in churches "were created only to
attract international attention in order to get donations. The
refugees were still doing their daily jobs."

Although UNAMET was not entrusted with security matters in
Indonesia's former 27th province, there was virtually not a
single security measure the military and police could carry out
without consulting UNAMET.

"It was UNAMET who made Jakarta replace Suai military
commander Lt. Col. Achmad Mas Agus for no clear reason, so I
appointed Liliek to fill the post. UNAMET also prohibited the
military from patrolling," he said.

Timbul Silaen meanwhile said that 6,000 police personnel were
not enough to secure the 13 districts of East Timor.

"UNAMET rejected our request to put the military under our
command since there was no time to wait for additional force from
other regions to stop the rampant clashes following the
accelerated announcement of the ballot result," he said.

Both Adam and Timbul are among the 18 suspects charged with
offenses relating to the East Timor violence.

Presiding Judge Cicut Sutiarso adjourned the hearing until
June 25 to hear more witnesses.

Earlier in the day, Judge Cicut opened the first hearing on
the attack of Liquica Church on April 6, 1999, which killed 22
proindependence civilians taking refuge in Catholic Priest Rafael
Dos Santos's residence inside the church compound.