UNSC okays date of E. Timor's independence
UNSC okays date of E. Timor's independence
Edith M. Lederer, Associated Press, United Nations
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has formally
approved a recommendation by East Timor's first elected assembly
to declare independence on May 20, 2002 and pledged that the UN
will "remain engaged" in the fledgling nation.
The United Nations has been administering the tiny Southeast
Asian territory since its people voted overwhelmingly for
independence in August 1999, and the Security Council said on
Wednesday the world body will maintain a reduced military,
police, and civilian presence after independence.
The council gave no figures on the size of the post-
independence UN mission and stressed that while members believe a
premature withdrawal of the large international presence could be
destabilizing, they want to wrap up operations as soon as
feasible, hopefully by May 2004.
UN administrator Sergio Vieira de Mello urged the United
Nations to ensure that a fledgling independent East Timor has
sufficient international support.
Mari Alkatiri, chief minister of East Timor's transitional
government, urged the council to provide "the necessary human,
material and financial resources that will demonstrate the
success of the UN. and the international community."
East Timor was devastated by Indonesian troops and their local
militia supporters after the UN-sponsored independence
referendum. The world body currently has about 8,000 peacekeepers
in the territory.
With just 200 days to independence, de Mello said, many issues
still must be resolved between East Timor and neighboring
Indonesia. These include cooperation in bringing to justice those
responsible for crimes in East Timor, he said.
In addition, he said, the UN. probably will have to organize
presidential elections in late March or early April.
Vieira de Mello said the UN plans to reduce the peacekeeping
force to about 5,000 and cut the number of international police
by about 400 to 1,240 by independence.