Subject: RT: Ramos-Horta Demands Sanctions Over East
Timor
Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1999 10:28:13 -0400
From: "John M. Miller" <fbp@igc.apc.org>Received from Joyo:
Ramos-Horta Demands Sanctions Over East Timor
01:01 a.m. Apr 20, 1999 Eastern
By Andrew Quinn
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Nobel peace laureate Jose Ramos-Horta Monday demanded
international sanctions on Indonesia, which he said had turned a blind eye to efforts by
hard-line military leaders to flame violence in East Timor.
``I have always from the very beginning expressed my skepticism about the promises made
by Jakarta to want to leave East Timor peacefully,'' Ramos-Horta said after weekend
violence in the embattled province claimed as many as 30 lives.
``Tragically, I have been confirmed right in my skepticism. The violence in East Timor
is entirely orchestrated by hard-liners in the Indonesian military.
``The only way to stop it is if countries like Australia, the United States and
European countries begin to consider economic, financial sanctions (on Indonesia) and to
terminate all current military training programs, joint military exercises, and weapons
deliveries.''
Ramos-Horta, who lives in exile in Lisbon and Sydney, was speaking by telephone from
Chico, Calif., a stop on a U.S. speaking tour. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in
1996 along with East Timor Catholic Bishop Carlos Belo for seeking to bring peace to the
disputed Indonesian territory.
Ramos-Horta said the outbreak of violence in East Timor was part of an attempt by some
Indonesian military officials to destabilize the region ahead of a scheduled July vote in
which East Timorese will be asked whether they back an autonomy offer from Jakarta.
If autonomy is rejected, as is widely expected, July's vote is expected to lead to
independence for East Timor, a former Portuguese colony which Indonesia invaded in 1975
and annexed in 1976 in a move not recognized by the United Nations.
The prospect of independence has put loyalist militias on an avowed war footing.
Saturday, up to 30 people died when loyalists rampaged through the East Timor capital,
Dili, after a rally at which a militia leader urged the cleansing of independence
supporters. Another person died in a small clash Sunday.
Ramos-Horta said the fresh bloodshed should speed the planned deployment of U.N. troops
in the region, a suggestion already rejected by Indonesian armed forces (ABRI) commander
General Wiranto.
``I don't see how the U.N. and the member countries can continue avoiding facing this
issue,'' Ramos-Horta said.
``In doing so, the U.N. will be blamed for the loss of life in East Timor as it was
blamed for the loss of life in Rwanda for having failed to intervene early enough.''
He said that Australia and New Zealand should immediately be tapped to lead a
peacekeeping force for East Timor which would remain in place throughout the run-up to the
vote.
Ramos-Horta dismissed suggestions that the violence in East Timor in any way reflected
divergent opinions among East Timorese themselves about the future of their homeland.
Instead, he said military officials in Jakarta were using directed paramilitary strikes
to create the impression of local civil unrest.
``It is not the Timorese killing each other. It is not a civil war in East Timor. It is
all entirely orchestrated by the Indonesian army, a foreign army, which is using a small
group of bandits to target the civilian population, women and children.''
Ramos-Horta said he was hopeful that talks between Indonesia and Portugal in New York
Thursday would result in new pressure on Jakarta to stop the violence, which has drawn
statements of dismay from the United States and New Zealand and prompted emergency talks
between Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Indonesian President B.J. Habibie.
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