World urges swift E. Timor deployment

World urges swift E. Timor deployment

JAKARTA (JP): The United States, Australia, Britain and Portugal were among the first to hail Indonesia's decision on Sunday to let the United Nations sent a peacekeeping mission to East Timor.

They also called for quick deployment in the territory.

East Timor independence leaders Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao and Jose Ramos Horta welcomed the announcement and called on their supporters for restraints.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan "very much" welcomed the decision and called for Indonesia to keep order until troops arrived, Reuters reported.

Annan said in a statement he awaited the arrival in New York of Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas to finalize details so the Security Council could approve the force.

U.S. President Bill Clinton, who was in Auckland for the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, was described by aides as "pleased" by Habibie's announcement in Jakarta.

The United States had led the international chorus for Indonesia to invite UN forces into East Timor to stop the violence in the former Portuguese colony.

White House National Security Adviser Sandy Berger said it was hoped the force would be able to deploy in a matter of days, Reuters reported.

He said the American contribution would be limited but did not say how many U.S. troops would be required.

"This will involve U.S. troops," he said. "Some of those troops will be in Timor, but they will be, I think, of limited numbers. And I don't want to rule out anything categorically, but the focus is not on infantry forces."

He said consultations with key members of the Congress were ongoing about the American contribution.

Berger said many questions had to be answered about Indonesia's decision -- "how quickly the force can be deployed, what the mission is, what the mandate is, whether any restrictions will be placed by the Indonesians. All these things need to be clarified."

He called Habibie's decision "wise and statesmanlike" but added, "assuming that this actually takes place."

He said there were no objections to the UN force working alongside the Indonesian military as long as the same objective is pursued and as long as there is a clear chain of command in the UN force.

But he said: "The devil's in the details here."

Australian Prime Minister John Howard Indonesia's decision was a tremendous step forward but that much needed to be done before a force was deployed.

"It's a tremendous step forward. It's a very important statement and I welcome it. This is a great step forward for the people of East Timor," Howard told reporters in Auckland.

Britain said peacekeepers should be assembled quickly to stop the bloodshed there.

"I'm glad our message appears to have been heard in Jakarta. But we will now be looking for details of their commitment and for their commitment to a UN peacekeeping force to be carried out rapidly and in full," Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said in London.

Cook said 250 British Army Nepalese Gurkhas would be among the first peacekeepers to arrive in East Timor, probably within days.

Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio appealed to Indonesian President B.J. Habibie to permit a rapid deployment.

Sampaio, speaking on state television, urged Indonesia to allow humanitarian aid to be distributed to the people of East Timor immediately.

Sampaio said he reacted to the news with caution.

"The events of the last few days and the behavior of Indonesian officials force us to be prudent," he said.

"We appeal to Habibie to honor his statement by allowing the rapid deployment of the international force," Sampaio said.

"The eyes of the world are fixed on the suffering of the people of East Timor," he added.

Xanana Gusmao, speaking in the British embassy in Jakarta where he has lived since his release last week, pledged restraint from his guerrillas.

"I fully commit myself and Falintil (guerrillas) to undertake every effort to stabilize the territory and to support all and every action, initiative and endeavor to help those who have been uprooted and displaced," he told reporters.

Welcoming Jakarta's decision, an emotional Xanana also appealed for urgent foreign aid for the tens of thousands of people forced to flee their homes after a bloody rampage by pro- Jakarta militias reported to have killed thousands.

"To my beloved people, my sisters and brothers inside our motherland, I admire your resilience, your determination and endless courage," said Xanana, who appeared on the verge of tears.

"I urge you to hold on to your unlimited faith in the future of our newborn nation."

Because of the unrest in East Timor, he has been unable to return home and is living in the British embassy for his own safety.

Ramos-Horta urged the United Nations to deploy its force without delay.

"I hope this will be implemented immediately," he told Portugal's TSF radio. "I hope the UN does not delay."

The chief of the UN Mission in East Timor, holed up in a compound in the militia-terrorized city of Dili with more than 1,000 terrified refugees, welcomed Indonesia's decision.

"This is a day on which an important corner has been turned for East" Timor," Ian Martin said in a brief statement relayed to AFP here by phone from the beleaguered compound.

Martin called the decision "Extremely important and good news from the point of view of the people of East Timor."

But it must be remembered that we are "still in the middle of a period of enormous suffering, that must be brought to an immediate end."

Before the announcement , UN Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson called for a war crimes tribunal to investigate the brutal human rights abuses now taking place in East Timor.

"I hope there will be a tribunal in due course to investigate (human rights abuses). I will be working to that. There must be accountability and there must be no impunity," Robinson told reporters in the northern Australian city of Darwin.

Robinson canceled plans to visit the East Timor capital Dili at the request of Annan while "delicate negotiations" continued on East Timor at the UN Security Council.

She appealed to victims of the brutality in East Timor to come forward.

"It is important for you to tell your stories individually, so that those of you who know of human rights violations can document them so that we can have those responsible brought to justice and end this violence," Robinson said.