UNAMET must not take sides

UNAMET must not take sides

I support Mr. Florence Dos Santos' letter concerning the role
of United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) which appeared
in The Jakarta Post on Aug. 5, 1999. UNAMET's role in this
month's referendum is very strategic in nature. As a mission of
the world body, UNAMET must exercise its mission with full
responsibility without the slightest bias for or against either
sides (proindependence or prointegration).

It disappoints me that UNAMET has failed to show its integrity
as an international arm of the UN and favor one side over the
other. Mr. Santos said that one Australian UNAMET staffer even
flew an Australian flag and in Liquica the Indonesian red and
white flag was torn down by a proindependence group.

I share Mr. Santos's view that Australia has a special
interest in East Timor due to the huge Timor Gap Project. But I
believe Australia, as a post-colonial power, could easily act in
a way that is shameful. When the Australian prime minister
visited East Timor a few weeks ago, we saw how he acted like a
godfather giving instructions to the Indonesian government.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan also behaved in the same way
by arbitrarily postponing the referendum date. All the
unfavorable things happening in East Timor, as far as the
referendum is concerned, might result from the too lenient policy
on the part of the Indonesian government in dealing with
violations of referendum procedures.

It should be taken into consideration by all foreign personnel
in East Timor that they are guests there and as guests they
should behave accordingly.

MUHD. RAMZY HASIBUAN

Jakarta