UN praises Indonesia for East Timor efforts

UN praises Indonesia for East Timor efforts

JAKARTA (JP): United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan
has praised Indonesia for its serious efforts to ensure a more
peaceful atmosphere in the first days of voter registration in
East Timor.

In a report to the UN Security Council released on Wednesday,
Annan expressed confidence that the Indonesian government would
take further measures to improve security in the troubled
territory.

"I remain confident that the government of Indonesia will take
further determined measures to improve the situation," he told
the council.

Annan said he would reassess the situation in East Timor
halfway through the 20-day voter registration process, which
began last Friday.

However, he also regretted the limited ability of
proindependence groups to hold meetings and their poor access to
the media, whereas pro-autonomy forces continued to campaign even
though the campaign period was not due to begin until early
August.

The UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) also has given the
Indonesian government substantial evidence of public officials
using their offices and public funds to pressure civil servants
to vote for autonomy, he said.

"The activities of armed civilian groups continue to challenge
the fundamental security which all East Timorese deserve in order
to fully participate in a credible consultation," Annan's report
said.

He also expressed concern about the condition of some 60,000
refugees, who were either forcibly displaced or intimidated by
the pro-autonomy militias into fleeing from their homes.

He promised the UNAMET would develop plans to ensure that all
East Timorese refugees could vote in next month's self-
determination direct vote.

"UNAMET is now trying to get these refugees to take part in
the upcoming direct balloting," he said.

Meanwhile, Abilio Araujo, former president of proindependence
group Fretilin, told President B.J. Habibie on Thursday that the
direct ballot, scheduled for either Aug. 21 or Aug. 22, should
not be delayed again. Any further postponement would cause the
situation to deteriorate.

"A delay will only worsen the situation in East Timor," Araujo
said after meeting with the President at Merdeka Palace.

Araujo, who currently lives in Portugal, confirmed reports
that UNAMET planned to organize a meeting between the warring
factions in the near future. He did not give details of the plan.

"There is some information regarding this (meeting), and I
hope everybody will work for harmony and peace in East Timor,"
Araujo said.

The chief electoral officer of UNAMET, Jeff Fischer, did not
rule out the possibility of yet another delay, although he
stopped short of citing the security situation as a factor for
the possible postponement.

According to AFP, Fischer said in Dili that since the 20-day
registration period started on July 16, two weeks behind
schedule, and would not finish until Aug. 4, the schedule for the
whole exercise had become cramped.

In Dili, UNAMET spokesman David Wimhurst dismissed the
criticism of Dino Patti Djalal, spokesman for the Indonesian Task
Force For The Implementation of the Popular Consultation on East
Timor (P3TT), of UNAMET's method of explaining the consequences
of a vote for independence or autonomy under Indonesia.

Wimhurst said the task force spokesman did not have the right
to make his own interpretation of the advertisement. He said the
message of the advertisement could be easily understood by
ordinary people.

In the advertisement, broadcast by state-owned TVRI and RRI
radio, UNAMET described the choice of independence as an
opportunity for the people to have their own home. If on the
other hand they voted for autonomy, they would have their own
rooms and share the house with other Indonesian people.

"We are very careful on that," Wimhurst said.

Separately, East Timor Police chief Col. Timbul Silaen warned
hotel and house owners where UNAMET personnel lived not to allow
prostitutes on their premises. He also warned the UNAMET
personnel to behave properly.

"Hotel owners must be responsible for such (prostitution)
practices," the colonel said. (33/prb)