Subject: JP: Indonesia still responsible for law and
order in E Timor
Date: Sat, 22 May 1999 10:21:07 -0400
From: "John M. Miller" <fbp@igc.apc.org>[also quote Mario Carrascalao,
Czech Ambassador and reports on latest massacre]
Indonesia still responsible for law and order in East Timor
JAKARTA (JP): Despite the planned deployment of United Nations police officers in East
Timor, Indonesian security personnel will be responsible for the implementation of the
referendum in East Timor.
"They (the UN police) will only give suggestions to the Indonesian Police, while
the responsibility for peace and order during the vote will still be in the hands of
Indonesian security personnel," Minister of Defense and Security/Indonesian Military
(TNI) Commander Gen. Wiranto said on Wednesday.
The number of UN police officers and the mechanism of their work with local security
personnel were still being discussed, Wiranto told Antara.
The Aug. 8 vote will give East Timorese a chance to determine whether they will choose
an autonomy offer from the Indonesian government or independence.
Wiranto said an interdepartmental body would likely be established to comprehensively
and thoroughly facilitate cooperation between Indonesian and UN security personnel.
Meanwhile, former East Timor governor Mario Viegas Carrascalao said in Lisbon,
Portugal, said he would comply with the decision reached by all Timorese on the fate of
the trouble-racked province.
"Personally, I'm a prointegration movement supporter, as when I supported the
Balibo proclamation and when I assumed the East Timor governorship from 1982 to 1992. But
I have a commitment to go with the East Timor boat even if it has to be separated from
Indonesia," Carrascalao told Antara.
Carrascalao recently left the country for safety reasons, as he felt threatened,
following a spate of recent death threats leveled at himself and his family.
The former Indonesian ambassador for Rumania said he expected the best for the
province.
Saying that he most likely would be absent from the province during the vote,
Carrascalao also urged East Timorese to support the prointegration movement. He said
tendencies in societies, were for countries to become 'globalized' or to integrate with
each other.
In a related development, the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Indonesia, Milan
Sarpatha, in his visit to East Timor said the province would be better off if it remained
Indonesia's 27th province.
"If it is independent, how will it build itself, and what will happen with its
human resources?" he asked on Tuesday.
Milan was speaking at a meeting with local administration secretary Radjakarina
Brahmana in the province's capital, Dili.
He said if East Timor remained part of Indonesia, developments to enhance the welfare
of its people would be much smoother.
If proindependence leader Xanana Gusmao wanted to improve social welfare for the East
Timorese, it was not necessarily achieved by separating from Indonesia, he said.
Meanwhile, Sunday incidents involving proindependence and prointegration supporters at
Atara village in Atsabe district, Ermera regency, led to the deaths of 12 civilians, not
five fatalities, as cited in a statement by UN representatives here, sources said on
Tuesday.
The UN representatives issued the revised statement, urging the Indonesian government
to help maintain security ahead of the vote.
The sources, who visited the office of Suara Timor Timur daily in Dili, said at least
20 Atara villagers were still missing after the clash.
They said the incident was a massacre by prointegration members of a Pancasila Team and
local military district and Tribuana BTT forces.
Members of the pro-Jakarta militia moved from a mountain area into the village, while
the others moved from the village's main road. They then brutally attacked villagers, the
sources said.
The 12 victims were Jose Justino, 30, Joao Leo-Nali, 40, Urgano Goncalves, 35, Ugel
Goncalves, 25, Armando, 26, Rogerio Tolo-Aci, 25, Agustinho de Jesus, 24, Paulo de Jesus,
20, Sidoni Leo, 30, Romeo, 25, Alfredo Goncalves, 25 and Thomas, 27.
East Timor Police spokesman Capt. Widodo D.S. said the violence happened when members
of the prointegration group, accompanied by security personnel from Atsabe district were
on their way to promote the autonomy package at Atara village, when they were interrupted
by "irresponsible people".
In a related development, six of the 15-member Japanese delegation assigned to monitor
the situation in East Timor, had returned to Tokyo to prepare for the August ballot,
Masato Ushijima, the first secretary in charge of political affairs at the Japanese
Embassy, said on Tuesday. (33/emf/jun)
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