Subject: AU: UN mission biased, says Indonesia
Date: Sat, 22 May 1999 10:24:28 -0400
From: "John M. Miller" <fbp@igc.apc.org>Received from Joyo Indonesian
News:
The Australian 21 May 99
UN mission biased, says Indonesia By DON GREENLEES and DENNIS SHANAHAN
THE Indonesian Foreign Ministry yesterday accused a UN mission in East Timor of bias
and of trying to discredit pro-Indonesian militias after UN officials complained over
renewed attacks on civilians in the territory.
The sharp rebuke of the UN came as Indonesia rejected a proposal by the Bishop of Dili,
Carlos Belo, to hold fresh peace talks in Australia between those for and against East
Timorese independence.
It followed a move by Australia yesterday to express its concern over UN reports that
the Indonesian military was training militias which could threaten East Timor's autonomy
vote in August.
Alexander Downer telephoned Indonesia's ambassador Wiryano after the UN's spokesman in
East Timor said he had witnessed a paramilitary training class at an army base at Atsabe,
about 100km south of Dili.
The Foreign Minister told Mr Wiryono the Australian Government's view was that
Indonesia's wishes for a successful ballot depended on the help of the UN. "That is,
in turn, reliant on the conditions on the ground," Mr Downer told the ambassador.
The UN spokesman, David Wimhurst, was travelling to Atara to investigate reports of a
massacre on Sunday when he witnessed the militia training session and decided to abandon
the mission.
A Reuters cameraman travelling with the UN envoy said the militiamen were being trained
on an army base by a man in an Indonesian military uniform.
"A militia-training class in the town of Atsabe, not far from Atara, where six
people were killed by a branch of the same pro-autonomy militia last Sunday, was under way
. . . when UN staff arrived in the town to gather more information about the
murders," Mr Wimhurst said. "It (the training) was very disciplined and it
signified that the militia are actually engaged in a preparation for continued
violence."
An Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman told The Australian the UN officials were in
East Timor to prepare for the August 8 ballot and had no role as investigators.
"There seems to be a bias by the UN officials over there," the Foreign
Ministry spokesman said. "They are not sent to investigate the conflict there between
the rival groups but if they make a report it must be balanced. It seemed to me to be a
one-sided report, discrediting the pro-Indonesian groups."
Meanwhile, East Timorese resistance leader Xanana Gusmao, held under house arrest in
Jakarta, was told yesterday the Indonesian Government had rejected a request to go to
Australia for talks.
Called to a meeting with Information Minister Yunus Yosfiah, Mr Gusmao was told the
peace talks could go ahead in Jakarta with pro-independence activists including, Nobel
laureate Jose Ramos Horta.
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