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International Federation for East Timor
Observer Project
IFET-OP Report #2:
Tens of Thousands Register Amidst Persistent Pockets of Intimidation
For Immediate Release: 23 July 1999
For further information contact either:
East Timor field office (Dili)
Joseph Nevins or Will Seaman
Tel. 62-390-321969 fax:62-390-321264
International coordinator (New York)
Charles Scheiner
Tel:1-914-428-7299 fax:1-914-428-7383
ifet@etan.org
Press Liason (New York)
John Miller
1-718-596-7668
[Note: The International Federation for East Timor Observer
Project (IFET-OP) is composed of trained volunteers from a variety of countries
throughout the world. IFET-OP opened its office in Dili on June 22, and
now has a five observers in East Timor, with dozens more due to arrive
in the next few weeks. By mid-August, IFET-OP intends to have teams of
observers in each of East Timor's 13 districts. IFET-OP is accredited
by UNAMET as a non-partisan observer mission. As such, IFET-OP will carefully
monitor the human rights situation as it relates to the UNAMET-run consultation
process, voter registration, political campaigning, and the actual vote.
IFET-OP will produce reports, including a final one evaluating the entire
consultation process.]
Dili, East Timor - Tens of thousands of East Timorese successfully
registered to vote in the upcoming "popular consultation" during the first
week (July 16-22) of voter registration. Would-be voters are flocking to
the registration sites established by the United Nations Assistance Mission
in East Timor (UNAMET), a clear demonstration of the resolve of the East
Timorese people to decide the political status of the former Portuguese
colony in a peaceful and democratic manner.
But there are areas of the territory where an atmosphere of intimidation
and violence persists, preventing perhaps tens of thousands of people from
participating in the consultation process. As such, it calls into question
the commitment of the Indonesian authorities to provide the security needed
to ensure a free and fair process as agreed upon in the May 5 accord signed
by the Indonesian and Portuguese governments at the United Nations in New
York. Given such factors, IFET-OP recommends that UNAMET take certain steps
to redress registration problems flowing from the situation of insecurity
associated with the consultation process.
This report is based on registration observation and field visits in
the districts of Dili, Manatuto, Bobonaro, and Liquica during the first
week of voter registration. It is also based on discussions with UNAMET
officials and staff, and with representatives from a number of international,
Indonesian, and East Timorese non-governmental organizations.
Our major preoccupations concern the continued presence of paramilitary
groups in many areas of the territory. The most obvious manifestation of
the paramilitary groups and the associated violence is the presence of
tens of thousands of refugees, or internally-displaced persons. Another
major concern is the persistence of intimidation of would-be voters in
certain areas. A lesser, but still significant, concern is logistical,
and relates to the actual registration process conducted by UNAMET.
Internal Refugees
Pro-Indonesia paramilitary groups have driven tens of thousands of East
Timorese civilians from their homes over the past few months. Estimates
of the number of refugees range from 30,000 by the United Nations High
Commission for Refugees to over 60,000 by the East Timorese group, Yayasan
HAK, the Legal Aid, Human Rights and Justice Foundation in Dili.
Article 3 of the May 5 accord between the Indonesian and Portuguese
governments assigns responsibility to Indonesia "for maintaining peace
and security in East Timor" so that the consultation process is "fair and
peaceful." Nevertheless, the Indonesian government has not yet taken the
steps needed to allow the refugees to return to their home villages.
Many of the internal refugees have lost their identification and eligibility
documents because of the paramilitary violence. While UNAMET registration
procedures allow for such persons to present an affidavit signed by a local
religious or Indonesian government official, there is often poor access
to religious officials in rural areas. This necessitates recourse to local
government officials. IFET-OP observers have received reports of one area
in Liquica with a large number of internal refugees, where a local administrator
is refusing to provide affidavits to certify the identity and eligibility
of potential voters.
There is also the matter that UNAMET procedures require that individuals
register and vote at the same site. Such a requirement is very reasonable.
For internal refugees, however, it has the effect of compelling them to
stay in the resettlement areas until the vote takes place. Or, at the very
least, if the refugees are allowed to go home, it forces them to negotiate
long distances (and potential paramilitary roadblocks) on voting day.
Intimidation of Potential Registrants
In most parts of East Timor, it appears that voter registration is proceeding
smoothly, a result of a security climate that has improved appreciably,
to a large degree due to the very presence of UNAMET. But there are still
many areas where potential voters are afraid about registering. Even in
Dili, where the security environment has greatly improved, there are still
paramilitary posts in a number of neighborhoods. While Dili is quiet during
the day, paramilitary groups engage in shows of force (by brandishing and/or
firing weapons) in some neighborhoods at night. Even during the day, there
is still occasional paramilitary activity. On the afternoon of Sunday,
July 18, for example, two members of the local paramilitary group chased
two trucks and fired shots into the air in the Dili area.
IFET-OP observers have also seen pro-integration banners with the name
of the paramilitary group "Aitarak" hung across the streets in a number
of Dili neighborhoods. That at least two of these banners were in front
of Indonesian military (TNI) installations speaks to the close relationship
between the TNI and the paramilitary groups.
The pressing problems of intimidation of potential registrants/voters,
and of internal refugees, cannot be resolved unless the Indonesian government
takes immediate and effective steps to disarm and disband the paramilitary
groups, in fulfillment of its obligations under the May 5 accord.
Logistical Problems Associated with the UNAMET Process
IFET-OP has been extremely impressed by the professionalism and the dedication
to the consultation process exhibited by all UNAMET staff people encountered
in the field. That said, IFET-OP is concerned that UNAMET does not have
sufficient resources in certain areas to ensure that all eligible people
who would like to register will be able to do so by the time the registration
period ends (scheduled for August 4).
Although there are supposed to be two UNAMET District Electoral Officers
(DEOs) at each of the 200 UNAMET registration sites, for example, IFET-OP
observers have visited three sites (out of 16 visited) where there has
been only one DEO. At two of these sites, the lack of sufficient staffing
was due to illness. Reportedly, UNAMET has no substitute personnel. Given
the large numbers of people each site is responsible for registering (upwards
of 3,000) over a 20-day period (four of which are half-days), such staffing
problemsóeven if they exist for a brief period of timeócan seriously limit
registration possibilities in specific locales. That said, even if there
were full staffing of all registration sites, it is difficult to imagine
that UNAMET will be able accommodate all would-be registrants given the
time-intensive nature of the registration process and the length of its
duration.
Problems of insufficient staffing could be especially pressing in areas
where there are a high number of internal refugees. IFET-OP volunteers
visited a registration site in Liquica that was overwhelmed by refugees
from outlying villages. It was clear that UNAMET personnel needed more
resources to accommodate the numbers of would-be registrants.
Along a similar vein, it appears that there is not a sufficient number
of registration sites. While this is not a problem in and around major
population centers, IFET-OP volunteers have received a number of reports
of people having to walk a day or more from more remote areas to reach
a registration site. For the elderly or the infirm, such distance makes
voter registration very difficult. The lack of a sufficient number of UNAMET
registration sites in rural areas also possibly facilitates the interests
of parties attempting to intimidate potential registrants.
Major Recommendations:
-
That UNAMET establish additional voter registration sites, and/or mobile
registration units to facilitate greater ease of registration for internally
displaced persons, and persons who live in remote areas;
-
That the registration period be extended to maximize the possibility that
all eligible persons desiring to register will be able to do so (this may
require a short postponement of the voting date); and
-
That UNAMET develop a mechanism or policy to allow internal refugees who
are able to return to their home villages, but who have registered at a
UNAMET site in another area, to vote at sites easily accessible from their
home villages.
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