U.S. senator calls UN peacekeepers in E. Timor
U.S. senator calls UN peacekeepers in E. Timor
MALIANA, East Timor (AFP): A U.S. senator called here Saturday
for armed UN peacekeepers to be sent to East Timor to cap
violence in the run-up and during the Aug. 30 self-determination
vote.
"I can assure you that we will be asking our government and
the United Nations to provide some peace keeping forces here,"
Democrat Tom Harkin told a crowd of refugees in a church here.
Harkin, with two other senators, was speaking during a brief
helicopter visit to hundreds of refugees camped in a church
compound, driven from their homes by pro-Indonesian militia
violence.
On his return to the East Timorese capital of Dili, Harkin
told AFP he was going to make his request directly to President
Bill Clinton.
"I'm going to recommend it to President Clinton. I'm going to
do that before the weekend's out," he said.
"I just know that they need some forces down here with blue
helmets that are armed because the situation could get out of
hand, because one of the UN officials told me this could be a
bloodbath."
Asked how long he thought any such peace keeping force should
stay, Harkin replied: "From now, right through the election and
afterwards."
Under an agreement reached between Jakarta and Lisbon in May,
Indonesian police are responsible for security in the run-up and
during the vote in which East Timorese will accept or reject an
Indonesian autonomy offer.
The UN currently has only unarmed police in an advisory role,
as well as military observers.
On Friday Harkin and Democratic senator Jack Reed warned that
Indonesia's ties with the United States could be harmed if its
military fails to maintain security during the landmark vote.
"This is a test case for the Indonesian authorities,
particularly the military, whether or not they can conduct a safe
and fair election," Reed said on his arrival.
"It is a test of whether we will continue to support their
efforts, both in terms of financial support to Indonesia and also
in increasing ties to their military."
Reed, Harkin and Jack McGovern, another Democrat, arrived on a
U.S. Air Force jet for a visit that will end later Saturday.