Subject: AFP: UN meets top East Timor rebels as
decision on autonomy vote
Date: Sun, 01 Aug 1999 11:16:00 -0400
From: "John M. Miller" <fbp@igc.apc.org>Received from Joyo Indonesian
News:
UN meets top East Timor rebels as decision on autonomy vote awaited
DILI, East Timor, July 26 (AFP) - The United Nations held its first talks with
anti-Indonesia rebel commanders in East Timor Monday as the troubled territory awaited a
UN decision on whether to hold a vote on its future next month.
A spokesman for the UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) said a meeting between Brigadier
General Rezaqul Haider and rebel commander Taur Matank Ruak was the highest level of its
kind.
"A UNAMET team led by Brigadier General Haider went with representatives of the
Commission on Peace and Stability to meet Falintil commanders," he said.
"They discussed the intention to undertake cantonment of their forces and Falintil
participation in the Commission on Peace and Stability and arrangements for registration.
"There were useful mutual discussions and UNAMET envisages these dicussions
continuing," the spokesman added, without giving further details.
The UN military group were believed to have flown by helicopter to the meeting
somewhere in mountains outside East Timor's capital Dili.
The Falintil is the armed wing of the Council for East Timorese Resistance headed by
jailed rebel leader Xanana Gusmao, currently under house arrest in Jakarta.
The Council on Peace and Stability is designed to bring the two warring sides in East
Timor -- pro and anti-independence -- together before and during the vote to minimize
violence.
Lack of disarmament on either side is believed to be one of the major factors weighing
in favor of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan delaying the vote from its scheduled date in
late August.
Indonesia has said it may let go of the former Portuguese colony that it annexed in
1976 if the East Timorese vote to reject an offer of autonomy under Jakarta.
But Monday it was unsure whether the vote would go ahead as scheduled in the third week
of August, with a decision expected from Annan later Monday.
Annan, under the terms of an agreement reached between Portugal and Indonesia at the UN
in May, must decide whether security has been sufficiently tightened to allow the ballot
to go ahead.
He has already postponed the start of the 20-day registration period by two weeks,
citing pro-Indonesian militia intimidation and violence against pro-independence factions.
In Dili Monday the tense calm in the city was shattered by a brawl between pro- and
anti-independentists in the central market place, which left several people injured,
witnesses said.
There were unconfirmed reports that one man was killed in the fight which involved
members of the Aitarak pro-Indonesia militia.
Under the terms of May's accord, the Indonesian police are charged with ensuring
security for the polls.
Referring to the arrival of 900 extra police officers in Dili Monday, police spokesman
Captain Widodo (eds: one name) said: "These police will help bring more intensive
security to East Timor."
Another 400 were due to arrive Tuesday.
Earlier Monday UNAMET spokesman Hiro Ueki said two of the 200 voter registration
centers in the territory had to close down Sunday because of problems with pro-Indonesian
militia.
Some 20 to 30 militia arrived at the two centers in Balibo, and tried to force UN
officials to register them with one document each instead of two as required, he said.
"The district electoral officers refused and the militias threatened to return
with additional men and destroy the registration center. As a result of this threat, the
registration closed at midday," Ueki said.
But there was no violence and the militia were unarmed, he added.
Ueki said UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) chief Ian Martin was Monday finalizing his
assessment report on the security situation, which was expected to be sent to New York
later in the day.
Separately, the independent three-person election commission assigned to UNAMET said it
was sending its own report directly to Annan.
Back to July Menu
Human Rights Violations in East Timor
Main Postings Menu
June '98 through February '99 |
