Subject: AFP: UN Security Council expresses
"grave concern" at ETimor attack
Date: Fri, 02 Jul 1999 09:09:09 +0000
From: "John M. Miller" <fbp@igc.apc.org>Received from Joyo Indonesian
News:
UN Security Council expresses "grave concern" at ETimor attack
UNITED NATIONS, June 29 (AFP) - The UN Security Council on Tuesday expressed
"grave concern" at an attack by pro-Indonesian militias on a UN regional office
in East Timor and demanded a full investigation.
The 15-member council, reacting swiftly to an attack by about 100 militiamen on the UN
post at Maliana, in East Timor, also endorsed a statement issued earlier by the UN
spokesman which had warned that the Indonesian government would be held accountable for
such incidents.
UN chief Kofi Annan, in the statement issued by his spokesman Fred Eckhard, strongly
deplored the attack and called on Indonesian police to investigate and punish those
responsible.
The council issued a formal statement in open session which expressed "grave
concern at the attack on the UNAMET office in Maliana, East Timor, and demands that all
parties respect the safety and security of UNAMET personnel."
UNAMET is the UN mission which is organizing a referendum in August on the future of
the former Portuguese colony annexed by Indonesia in 1976. The East Timorese are to be
asked whether they wish East Timor to remain part of Indonesia with wide-ranging autonomy
or to become independent.
Western diplomats said that Bahrain, a Moslem country like Indonesia, opposed a more
strongly-worded statement which would have condemned the attack and more clearly laid the
blame with the Indonesian authorities accused of arming the anti-independence militia.
But Portuguese Ambassador Antonio Monteiro told AFP that the council reaction was
satisfactory because of its endorsement of the UN spokesman's statement, and its call for
a "thorough investigation."
The United States issued a condemnation of the attack and called for the militias to be
reined in immediately.
"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 James Rubin said.
The Security Council said it was particularly concerned that militia violence against
the local population was having "an intimidating influence over them."
"These activities continue to constrict political freedom in East Timor, thus
jeopardizing the necessary openness of the consultation process," the council said.
The council also noted that Annan had pointed out in a report that the precarious
security situation had been favourable to the anti-independence side, while public
expression by pro-independence activities had been "severely limited."
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