U.S., Australia attack RI failure to control militias

U.S., Australia attack RI failure to control militias

JAKARTA (JP): Compounding the sharp criticism from the United
Nations over Tuesday's attack on a UN post in Maliana, East
Timor, the United States and Australia have castigated Indonesia
for failing to rein in members of militias in the province.

"Pro-Jakarta militias, which have operated with the
acquiescence and support of elements of the Indonesian military,
are responsible for much of the recent violence and killings in
East Timor," State Department spokesman James Rubin was quoted as
saying AFP reported Wednesday.

"We're not satisfied with the fact that the Indonesian
military has not taken the steps to bring under control these
militias. We're not satisfied with the position of the Indonesian
military and its government."

Rubin urged the authorities to immediately bring to trial
those responsible for the incident and that Indonesia should
create a conducive climate for August's self-determination ballot
which was free of fear and intimidation.

In Jakarta the government said on Wednesday it "deeply
regretted" the attack on the post of the UN Mission in East Timor
(UNAMET) in Bobonaro regency in which at least seven people were
hurt. A South African electoral officer was among the injured.

In a statement distributed by Minister of Information
Muhammad Yunus, the government said it was investigating what it
termed a "stone-throwing incident between prointegration and
anti-integration groups" in front of the post.

"The Indonesian police, in cooperation with the Task Force for
the Implementation of the Popular Consultation in East Timor, are
now conducting an investigation into the incident."

Representatives of the rival factions concluded a round of
peace talks in Jakarta on Wednesday.

UNAMET said on Tuesday that the post was attacked by about 100
militia members. A witness said a member of the local military
command was involved in the attack.

From Sydney, Reuters on Wednesday quoted foreign minister
Alexander Downer as saying that Australia lodged a protest with
Indonesia's envoy in Canberra over the attack.

He warned Jakarta it would "realize the consequences for
Indonesia's international reputation if incidents of this kind
are repeated.

"It simply reinforces our message that the Indonesians have to
improve their control of the security environment in East Timor.
The Indonesian authorities need to take stronger action to
protect the United Nations presence".

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan late Tuesday said he held the
Indonesian government "accountable" for the incident.

"To the hoodlums who carried out this despicable attack on
the UNAMET premises, UNAMET is not scared nor will it ever be,"
Annan's personal envoy on East Timor, Jamsheed Marker, said
shortly before leaving Jakarta.

An Annan spokesman stated that "such acts of provocation and
vandalism will not deter UNAMET from fulfilling its obligations".

Marker and UNAMET insisted there was no need for the
deployment of a peacekeeping force to take over from the unarmed
UN civilian police.

The UN Security Council voiced "grave concern at the attack"
on Tuesday and demanded "that all parties respect the safety and
security of UNAMET personnel".

Paolos Pereira, chief of pro-Indonesia militia group Dadurus
Merah Putih from Maliana, confirmed his organization was involved
in the attack, but said he wanted to "protect" the UN staff, AFP
reported on Wednesday.

"The situation is peaceful here now... but there are
antiintegration people who want to spoil the situation," Pereira
said. He said his militia was unarmed.

Minister of Defense and Security/Indonesian Military chief
Gen. Wiranto said on Wednesday that the military could not
control everything in the territory.

But he said he believed the situation now was more conducive
for the direct vote. "About 1,000 Falintil (proindependence)
members also pledged to leave the jungle," Yunus quoted Wiranto
as saying.

On the grounds of ensuring stability before the ballot, the
government banned Jose Ramos-Horta, a proindependence campaigner
attending the peace talks in Jakarta, from visiting the province.

Ramos-Horta said earlier he wanted to see his family for the
first time in 23 years. Yunus said Dili Bishop Carlos Filipe
Ximenes Belo agreed to the decision to bar all overseas East
Timorese attending the talks from visiting the province.(prb)