UNAMET urges anti-weapon measures

UNAMET urges anti-weapon measures

JAKARTA (JP): The United Nations Mission in East Timor
(UNAMET) called on Thursday for Indonesian police to arrest
anyone found with weapons outside designated cantonment areas.

UNAMET chief Ian Martin told a press briefing in the East
Timor capital of Dili that he had also urged the removal of
Indonesian military officers linked to prointegration militia
groups.

His statement came after renewed violence between supporters
of proindependence and prointegration groups prior to the Aug. 30
self-determination ballot in the former Portuguese colony.

Martin said actions to meet the demand would be the clearest
indication that the Indonesian government's policy was being
"followed on the ground".

"We expect to see a consistent policy now, ordered by senior
officials," Martin said.

He was speaking after visits to Viqueque, Suai and Bobonaro
regencies, where clashes involving the warring parties recently
flared up. Two students were killed on Aug. 10 and Aug. 11 in
Viqueque, and seven people were injured on Wednesday in Maliana,
the capital of Bobonaro. While in Suai, prointegration militia
were blamed for the influx of refugees to a church compound.

The violence occurred during the campaign period, which
precedes the ballot.

UNAMET has repeatedly requested the Indonesian government,
which is in charge of maintaining order prior and during the
vote, to refrain from supporting the prointegration militia.

Martin said during his trip he saw Laskar Merah Putih (Red and
White Legion) and Mahidi (the Indonesian acronym for Dead or
Alive for Integration) militiamen freely carrying weapons in
towns.

Martin said security conditions in the three regencies still
needed improving to ensure that the vote could run in a free,
fair and peaceful manner. He said he was particularly satisfied
with the security situation in Viqueque.

Clashes in Bobonaro stemmed from the local government's
opposition to the Aug. 30 ballot, which according to Martin
violated the New York agreement signed by the UN, Indonesia and
Portugal.

He said security conditions in Liquisa, Manufahi and Ainaro
"are continuously improving, although have not yet returned to
normal".

Speaking on Wednesday at a news conference in New York, a UN
staff member in charge of electoral division, Carina Perilli,
said the security situation in East Timor had improved
significantly enough that no major upheavals were expected for
the day of the popular consultation.

Perilli, who was assigned to help UNAMET, said 451,792 people
in and outside East Timor had registered for the direct ballot.
The figure exceeds the initial estimate of 400,000 registrations.

Separately, spokesman for the Indonesian Government Task Force
for the Popular Consultation Dino Patti Djalal, said the first
six days of the 20-day campaign session had run in an orderly and
safe manner.

However, the task force was concerned about a number of
attacks on anti-integration youths in Liquisa, clashes in
Viqueque and an Indonesian flag-tearing incident in Manatuto.

Dino said a group of people who ripped down the country's red
and white flag on Aug. 16 had incited retaliation by
prointegration supporters who tore a CNRT (National Council for
East Timor Resistance) flag.

He said three proautonomy and four proindependence supporters
were injured in the brawl, which he said was provoked by
proindependence supporters pelting stones at a prointegration
group preparing to attend a campaign rally.

Dino quoted the police as saying the Center for Solidarity
Information office and two houses were vandalized and a
motorcycle was set on fire in the incident.

From Washington, AFP reported that the United States dismissed
on Wednesday a call by Amnesty International to send a high-level
U.S. team to monitor East Timor's upcoming vote, suggesting it
had already done enough for the province.

Amnesty released a report alleging mounting violence against
proindependence forces in the Indonesian-ruled territory, and
urged the U.S. to send a "senior officer right away to East
Timor". (amd)