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)