UN will not send mission to Atambua

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab said in New York the United Nations Security Council had agreed not to send a mission to Indonesia in the wake of the murder of three UN workers in Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara.

Alwi said he met with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and members of the Security Council, and they agreed with Indonesia's proposal that they instead send their Jakarta-based ambassadors to Atambua.

"Both Annan and the foreign ministers of the member countries (of the Security Council), whom I met with one-on-one, eventually understood Indonesia's position. Therefore, I can assure you the UN mission will not come to Jakarta," Alwi was quoted by Antara as saying in New York.

Alwi said Jakarta eventually would allow a UN mission to visit Atambua after steps had been taken to restore security in the border town.

"When the situation has returned to normal, and if it is deemed necessary, Indonesia will invite the UN mission to see what we have done to resolve the problem," Alwi said.

The minister's remarks came after a Cabinet meeting in Jakarta on Tuesday deliberated the proposed UN visit and deemed it "inappropriate".

Complaint

Meanwhile in Jakarta, East Nusa Tenggara Governor Piet A. Tallo said the United Nations and the international community were mourning the death of the three international workers, while seemingly ignoring the fact that seven locals also died in the incident.

Speaking to journalists after meeting with President Abdurrahman Wahid at Merdeka Palace, the governor accused the international community of being indifferent to the suffering of the people of East Nusa Tenggara as a result of the presence of the East Timorese refugees.

The governor also blamed the media for blowing up the incident without stopping to consider the damage it could do to the unity and cohesion of the nation.

"For the last year the people in my province have lost their peaceful lives. Do they care about that?" the governor charged.

He went on to say the UN must learn from the deaths of its workers, saying the incident was related to the behavior and partiality of the world body in dealing with refugees.

Meanwhile, the chairman of House of Representatives Commission I for security, political and foreign affairs, Yasril Ananta Baharuddin, said the House supported the government's move not to allow the UN team to visit Atambua.

"People should unite to face foreign threats; it's not narrow nationalism," he remarked.

He also said his commission decided on Wednesday to establish a team to be sent to Atambua next week to help investigate the matter.

"We will visit Atambua and meet parties related to the case," said Yasril, who is a Golkar Party legislator.

The deputy chairman of the commission, Maj. Gen. Ferry Tinggogoy, said he would lead the 10-member team, scheduled to leave for Atambua on Monday.

"Our main mission is to investigate the recent attack by refugees on the UNHCR office, and all of the social problems related to the presence of refugees in the province," he said following a meeting with Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and ministers under Susilo's coordination.

I Wayan Karya, the spokesman for Susilo's office, said representatives of the government, the UN Transitional Authority for East Timor (UNTAET), the National Council for East Timor Resistance (CNRT) and East Timorese militias and refugees would meet in Denpasar on Thursday to seek a comprehensive solution to the problems along the border between Indonesia and East Timor.

He said Bambang and Indonesian Military Commander Adm. Widodo A.S. would represent the government at the meeting, while the refugees and militias would send a delegation led by Eurico Guterres.

"Sergio de Mello and Xanana Gusmao are expected to represent UNTAET and CNRT, respectively," he said.

Meanwhile, an observer of international affairs, Dafri Agus Salim from Gadjah Mada University, warned the government of a possible anti-Indonesia backlash in the international community.

Dafri, who lectures on international affairs at the university's Department of Social and Political Sciences, said the government must prove it has a strong case for rejecting the UN mission. (prb/byg/jun/44/rms)