Subject: DPA: UN warns East Timor pro-autonomy
groups of campaign rules
Date: Sat, 29 May 1999 11:41:23 -0400
From: "John M. Miller" <fbp@igc.apc.org>May 26, 1999 Deutsche
Presse-Agentur U.N. warns East Timor pro-autonomy groups of campaign rules
Dili, Indonesia - The United Nations mission in East Timor has warned pro-Indonesia
groups about campaigning before the official campaign start date for a ballot on
self-determination scheduled for August 7, a senior U.N. official said on Wednesday.
"We've made it very clear to them there can be no campaigning on the question of
autonomy. We believe they have understood that message," U.N. spokesman David
Wimhurst told reporters.
"Already we have met with students and explained our impartiality. We ran through
the same scenario with FPDK as people on the independence side," Wimhurst added.
FPDK is an acronym for the main pro-Indonesian umbrella group with links to militia
organisations.
The U.N. Assistance Mission to East Timor (UNAMET) had earlier expressed concern about
banners being hung in Dili linking the U.N. to support for the pro-autonomy lobby.
Wimhurst said U.N. officials has been in contact with local authorities asking for the
banners to be removed.
Under the terms of a May 5 agreement signed between former colonial power Portugal and
Indonesia, East Timorese will vote for either wide-ranging autonomy within Indonesia or
independence in a U.N.- supervised ballot.
Wimhurst conceded escalating militia violence could cause U.N. monitors to postpone the
date of the ballot but he strongly ruled out any cancellation of the vote.
Regardless of the outcome, Wimhurst said, the U.N. would stay in East Timor after the
ballot to ensure an orderly and peaceful transition.
He said a second U.N.-chartered Russian cargo jet would arrive in East Timor on Friday,
bringing more equipment for the U.N. team, while the head of mission Ian Martin was
expected to arrive on Saturday, scheduled as the official opening of the U.N. headquarters
for East Timor.
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