World Bank backs U.S. warning to RI

World Bank backs U.S. warning to RI

SYDNEY (Agencies): World Bank president James Wolfensohn has
backed a U.S. warning that Indonesia faces a loss of
international financial support unless it brings pro-Jakarta
militia under control in West Timor.

Wolfensohn told reporters here Indonesian President
Abdurrahman Wahid had a responsibility to demonstrate before a
meeting of international donors next week that he was serious
about tackling the militia, AFP reported.

"I would like to see the militia under control," Wolfensohn
said during a brief visit to Sydney. "That is not in my power. It
has to be in someone's and it is my hope that he will be able to
do it."

He said he had written to Abdurrahman last week warning that
if he did not do something before the consultative group
representing international donors meets next week "the chances
are the donors are going to react."

His comments followed a demand by U.S. Defense Secretary
William Cohen to Abdurrahman on Monday that Indonesia bring the
militia under control as a matter of urgency and that failure to
do so would threaten economic aid.

Speaking during a visit to Jakarta, Cohen said the militia
must be disarmed, disbanded, and held accountable for their
deeds.

"Failure to do so will have consequences for Jakarta's
relations with the international community and it could impact,
it could jeopardize, continued economic assistance to Indonesia,"
he said.

Cohen said the Indonesian leaders had indicated they
understood that time was of the essence.

"Without the dismantling of the militias the problem will
continue to fester," he said.

"What takes place in the coming weeks will determine what the
international community's reaction will be, it could have
certainly some serious financial implications," Cohen said.

Armed Forces Chief Admiral Widodo Adisucipto said after
meeting Cohen earlier Monday that the militias were disbanded in
1999 after Indonesia relinquished East Timor to the United
Nations in October.

Indonesian Defense Minister Mohamad Mahfud accused the United
States of being partly to blame for violence in the province
through its embargo on military cooperation which he said had
deprived the military of the equipment necessary to rein in the
militia.

Machete-wielding East Timorese militiamen attacked a UN office
in West Timor border town of Atambua where they hacked to death
three UN relief workers, including a U.S. citizen, on Sept. 6.

The militia fled to West Timor as UN-backed troops arrived
last September to end a rampage of killings, arson and looting
that followed an East Timorese vote for independence in their
self-rule ballot.

Unknown numbers of East Timorese were killed and up to 300,000
driven across the border to West Timor.

Wolfensohn said he had written to Abdurrahman because he was
concerned the activities of the militia in West Timor were
"screwing up" East Timor as the World Bank played a leading role
in trying to rebuild it.

But he said it "was not an aggressive letter" and he had
already received a positive response to it from Abdurrahman.

Flag burning

Meanwhile in Jakarta, dozens of people belonging to the Youth
and Students for People's Mandate burned an American flag on
Tuesday in front of the U.S. Embassy in protest against what they
perceive as American interference in Indonesian internal affairs.

The protesters said the U.S. had made up stories about Atambua
and East Timor to strengthen its hegemony in the Asia-Pacific
region.

In Yogyakarta, noted Indonesianist Harold Crouch of the
Australian National University said on Tuesday that the
Indonesian people should understand the uneasiness of the
international community over the Atambua incident.

He noted that a UN Security Council resolution on the matter
was supported not only by the United States but also China and
Russia.

The international community has strongly rebuked Indonesia
following the killing of three United Nations workers in Atambua,
East Nusa Tenggara.

"How can a country let United Nations humanitarian workers get
killed like that when the country needs international help and
cooperation. It is normal that many are angry at the incident,"
he said.

He, however, suggested the United States government not punish
Indonesia through an embargo.

Crouch said the military embargo currently imposed by
Washington was sufficient punishment.

Crouch's comments come on the heels of a warning issued by
Cohen.