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Intelligence on Timor Kept Secret, By Lindsay Murdoch ~ Dec. 20
Timor's Stolen Children Abandoned, By Lindsay Murdoch ~ October 25
E-mail Warned Of Killing Spree, By Michael Cameron ~ Sept. 9
Oxfam Staff Evacuated From West Timor, Oxfam ~ September 9
Statement On The International Workers Killed This Week in West Timor, by Xanana & Ramos-Horta ~ Sept. 8
ETAN Calls UN Deaths in West Timor Preventable, ETAN ~ September 6
ETAN Calls Indonesian Suspect List "Inadequate and a Capitulation" Calls International Tribunal Only Option, ETAN ~ September 1
East Timor Federation Urges International Tribunal on Timor Vote Anniversary, ETAN/TOPAL ~ Aug. 30
One Year Later, East Timor Still Needs Justice and Security, ETAN ~ August 29
Genuine Self-Rule Elusive A Year After Independence, By Kafil Yamin ~ Aug. 29
Gusmao Steps Down As Head of Falintil Army, By Mark Dodd ~ August 21
Border Raids Have UN At Full Stretch, By Mark Dodd and Joanna Jolly ~ 18 August
Indonesia Promises To Shut Refugee Camps In West Timor, Associated Press ~ August 1
Church In Atambua To Open Reconciliation Dialogue, NTT Ekspres ~ August 1
Australian Unions Criticises UN Over Asbestos Concerns, by Denis Peters and Linda McSweeny, AAP ~ August 1
New Zealand Foreign Minister Appalled By Bounty Report, AP ~ July 31
East Timorese Youths Rejected Foreign Military Bases, TEMPO Interaktif ~ July 31
Timor Militia Bordering On Comeback, by Don Greenlees, The Australian ~ July 31
Act Now For East Timor, Grassroots International ~ July 30
Boyhood Dream Dies in Timor, by Geoff Cumming and Paul Yandall ~ July 26
Time To Punish The Usual Suspects In Indonesia, By José Ramos-Horta ~ July 26
East Timor Militia Thugs Stage Protest in Kupang, Indonesian Observer ~ July 26
Australian Labor Party Forges Ties With Indonesian Militiary, by D. Sangga Buwana ~ July 26
United States Complicity In Indonesia's Illegal Occupation, Amy Goodman ~ July 21
At Least 547 Refugees Have Died in West Timor, Associated Press ~ July 20
Funding for East Timor: Charity or Justice? La'o Hamutuk Bulletin ~ July 19
Xanana Gusmao Hails E. Timor's First Transitional Government, AFP ~ July 17
No U.S. Military Engagement with Indonesia, ETAN ~ July 17
Coalition Government Approved, Ministers Chosen – UN, LUSA ~ July 14
Timorese Demand Release Of U.S. Documents, Democracy Now ~ July 12
IFET Warns of West Papua-East Timor Parallels, By Charles Scheiner ~ June 13
Urgent Request for Photographs, Anecdotes, Oral Histories, By Brennon Jones ~ June 14
Falintil Apologizes to Muslims Around the World, Surya Timor ~ June 9
East Timor's Muslims Bemoan New Hostility, By Rajiv Chandrasekaran ~ June 9
Not Independent Yet: East Timor, By Reese Erlich ~ June 9
Yohanes Yakob Denies he Planned Solidamor Attack, Surya Timor ~ June 7
Jakarta Police Reluctant to Act Over Militia Attack on Solidamor, TAPOL ~ May 31
Support Ban on U.S.- Indonesia Military Ties, ETAN ~ May 31
Ethnically Mixed Bosnian Police Contingent Working in East Timor, by Daniel Cooney ~ May 30
ETISC Deplores Militia Attack on Indonesian NGO, Solidamor, ETISC ~ May 30
Update on Solidamor Attack in Jakarta, TAPOL ~ May 29
Gusmao Condemns Attack on Jakarta Support Office, Lusa ~ May 26
Gusmao: Where Is The Aid Going?, by Mark Dodd ~ May 26
Solidamor Office Attacked, Activists Injured, TAPOL ~ May 26
UN Condemns Attacks on East Timorese Muslim minority, by Daniel Cooney ~ May 26
US-Indonesia Military Ties, by Jim Randle, Voice of America ~ May 25
East Timor Action Network Opposes Resumption of Military Ties with Indonesia, John M. Miller ~May 25
East Timorese Asking to Be Returned Home, Dow Jones Newswires ~ May 24
Latest on the Timor Floods, by Niurka Piñeiro ~ May 24
Ramos Horta - Remove District Administrators by August, by Mark Riley ~ May 24
U.S. and U.N. Must Support an International Tribunal on East Timor, by John M. Miller ~ May 23
Marzuki to Force Ex-Officials to Testify on Timor Violence, Indonesian Observer ~ May 18
General Wiranto Grilled for 7 Hours, Jakarta Post ~ May 17
East Timor Leader Notes Resistance's Past Mistakes, by Jose Ramos Horta ~ May 16
Workers Confront Discrimination, Poor Conditions, by Akara Reis ~ May 15
Leandro Isaac Criticizes UN Performance, by Francisco Mangas ~ May 15
CNRT to be Disbanded After Independence, Kyodo News ~ May 15
Allan Nairn's Statement to Congressional Subcommittee on Human Right, ETAN ~ May 11
Calls for U.S. and Indonesia to End East Timor Refugee Crisis, by ETAN ~ May 11
Former Militias Form Party to Contest First East Timor Election, Antara ~ May 11
Australian Minister Rejects Ramos-Horta Timor Treaty Proposal, AAP ~ May 10
Indonesian Activists Lash Out at East Timor Probe, Jakarta Post ~ May 9
Former Indonesian Minister Killed Journalists, by Marianne Kearney ~ May 3
Labour Issues Discussed by UNTAET, Timorese Representatives, UNTAET ~ April 28
50,000 Timorese Refugees Still Living Under Thumb, by Joanna Jolly, South China Morning Post ~ April 7
Uncovering Indonesia's Cemeteries of Truth, by Kusnanto Anggoro, Jakarta Post ~ April 7
Indonesia's Gen. Lumintang Labels U.S. Rights Group's Lawsuit 'Strange', AFP ~ April 6
Jakarta Troops 'Train Militias for Invasion' in Timor, by Joanna Jolly, South China Morning Post ~April 4
East Timor's Gusmao Opposes Sanctions on Indonesia, Reuters ~ April 3
Former Australian PM Appeased Indonesian Brutality, AFP ~ April 3
Indonesia Hands Over East Timorese Refugees to UNHCR, Jakarta Post ~ April 3
For Articles before April Please See East Timor Archive Page
Intelligence on Timor Kept Secret
By Lindsay Murdoch, The Age ~ 20 December 2000
Australia has withheld from United Nations prosecutors secret intelligence implicating dozens of people, including former Indonesian armed forces chief General Wiranto, in last year's violence in East Timor.
Evidence collected by Australian and US spy agencies includes photographs of massacre sites and those involved, according to Canberra-based defence intelligence specialist Desmond Ball.
Professor Ball says the Australian Government has a wealth of information on atrocities in East Timor, including unreported mass killings of students whose bodies were dumped at sea in the days after the UN-sponsored independence ballot.
"The Australian intelligence agencies were able to provide the government with a ringside seat at the mass killings and forced deportations that began when the result of the ballot was announced on September 4," he says.
But Professor Ball, of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University, says Australia has handed over only a "minuscule" amount of the evidence and "none of the most incriminating material".
He argues, in a paper to be published in the London-based Pacific Review, that despite security sensitivities, "ensuring that evidence concerning gross violations of human rights will be brought to bear against war criminals not only serves justice but may deter future violations".
Indonesian military officers are refusing to cooperate with UN investigators trying to collect evidence against those responsible for the violence. Indonesian prosecutors, pursuing separate investigations, have failed to name General Wiranto as a suspect.
Professor Ball says secret briefing papers, prepared for Canberra last year, cited intelligence material revealing that General Wiranto's chain of command remained intact during the military-sponsored violence, with officers loyal to him in operational control. But Australian Government ministers insisted publicly that they believed "rogue elements" in the armed forces were behind the violence.
A September 9 report by the Defence Intelligence Organisation, obtained by Professor Ball, said the Indonesian military had used East Timor as a vehicle for its broader aspirations, which included undermining the then president, Dr B.J.Habibie.
The report said that while the military's immediate aim was to retain East Timor as part of Indonesia, "its broader and longer-term aim was to strengthen the position of the TNI (military) and Wiranto in the Indonesian political system". The military was to employ all necessary force but with maximum deniability.
The report said the military had embarked on a "coordinated process of revenge, destruction of infrastructure and records, killing of key pro-independence leaders and both short and longer term destabilisation of East Timor".
Professor Ball says most of the high-resolution imagery, which could identify individuals in particular incidents, was given to Australia by the United States and is not Australia's to share. But he argues that the need to protect sources and methods is never absolute given the importance of bringing war criminals to justice.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said early this year that Australia had provided some classified material to UN investigators using "the precedent of what the British and Americans did in supplying intelligence material on Bosnia".
END
Timor's Stolen Children Abandoned
By Lindsay Murdoch ~ October 25
Nersia Emaculada De Nercio sits on the edge of a bed in the dormitory of an orphanage she shares with dozens of other children in central Java. She clutches the tattered photographs that are now the only link she has with her family, somewhere hundreds of kilometres away in the squalid refugee camps of West Timor. Asked about her parents, seven-year-old Nersia proudly holds up the photographs. She says her father's name is Anthony; she cannot remember her mother's name. Nersia is one of 130 East Timorese children taken from their parents in the camps of West Timor in the violent aftermath of the Indonesian withdrawal from East Timor last year and placed in poor orphanages in Central Java. Humanitarian investigators and other sources have told The Age the children were relocated by pro-Jakarta Timorese who plan to indoctrinate them as political activists to push for East Timor's reintegration with Indonesia.
Investigators believe the children are among as many as 1000 separated from their parents at the height of the violence in East Timor last year and later from refugee camps in West Timor. Investigators fear many of the children have been forced to work in Indonesian factory sweatshops, plantations or as prostitutes. The Age has found 130 of the children - aged six to 17 - living in primitive orphanage shelters under the supervision of caring Catholic nuns and volunteers who struggle to provide food, clothing and medicines to look after them.
The children, many of them deeply traumatised, have been told they will not be able to return to Timor to see their parents for three years. Even then, they would have to return to Java to continue their education. In one of the orphanages 57 boys are living in one room under a leaky roof. Twenty-three girls are packed into three rooms in a tiny house. For 80 children there are only four toilets and several cooking pots.
Parents in the West Timor camps were persuaded their children would receive a better education in Java. They agreed for the children to go at a time of chaos and fear for the future, UN officials and humanitarian workers say. Some parents have complained to the UN that documents were thrust on them to sign. The arguments of the men who arranged the separations were similar to those used by white Australians to separate Aboriginal children from their parents early this century. The separations go against the spirit of UN conventions protecting children.
The children, weeping and distressed, were left without prior arrangement with Catholic Church officials in the Central Java city of Semarang in November and on Christmas Eve last year after travelling from West Timor by passenger ferry. Nuns at the orphanages say many of them suffer nightmares and are deeply unhappy. But the orphanages are managing to provide the children with a basic education and care despite an acute lack of resources.
The church fears the children will be politically manipulated and has tried to restrict visits by the men who brought them. Brother Paulus Mudjiran of the Semarang Catholic bishop's office said the church felt trapped because it did not want to get involved in East Timor politics. "Our job is just to care for the children," he said. "We are quite aware that others may have plans for the children. In order to minimise any political manipulation we try to minimise contact between those who brought them and the children."
The men who arranged for the children to leave their parents are closely linked to pro-Jakarta militia responsible for violence and intimidation in the West Timor camps. One of them is Octavio Soares, a prominent Timorese student activist based in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta. Speaking by telephone from West Timor, where he is visiting the camps, Mr Soares said yesterday he arranged for the children to be sent to Java so that they could get a proper education. "They lost everything in the war," he said. "They lost their country. I just don't want the children to lose their future. To be honest, I was in a blank when I brought the children to Java. Fortunately, some nuns agreed to take care of the children, it was just a spontaneous idea. Don't get me wrong. I did this for strictly humanitarian purposes."
Mr. Soares denied he intended using the children for political purposes or to train them to be militia or soldiers to fight for the return of East Timor. "That's naive, so stupid," he said. "If I have such a bad intention, why did I not buy weapons in the first place instead of spending the money on transportation and study for the children?" Mr Soares said he wanted to provide an education for at least 1000 Timorese children. "They will be given proper education for at least nine years so that they will become a full and better person who can fight for their own political rights when they grow up."
Mr Soares said he planned to bring more Timorese children to Java. "The plan has been delayed because I still need to obtain formal permission from the parents. I don't want to be accused of kidnapping other people's children. So many parents want me to bring their children to Java for study, but I do not have enough money to support them."
Mr. Soares said he obtained money to bring the 130 children to Java from the Indonesian Government-sponsored National Foster Parents' program (GNOTA). The program was launched by former president Suharto's daughter-in-law, Halimah Bambang Triatmodjo. Mr Soares is a nephew of the former Jakarta-appointed governor of East Timor, Abilio Soares, who faces charges over last year's violence and destruction. Abilio Soares' wife chairs the GNOTA program for East Timor.
Many pro-Indonesian Timorese groups have not given up hope of East Timor again becoming part of Indonesia. Militia leaders continue to demand that parts of East Timor be partitioned and returned to Indonesia so Timorese who voted against independence can live there. "There is a plan for East Timor to come back to Indonesia even if it takes 20 years or more," a source who knows Octavio Soares said. "The plan is to use these children to help that cause."
Francisco Tilman, 12, told The Age at Saint Thomas' orphanage 50 kilometres south of Semarang that he was unhappy and missed his family, especially his five-year-old sister Juleta. He never got the chance to say goodbye to her. "Octavio (Soares) got mad when I said I wanted to go home," Francisco said, looking away and fighting back tears. "I wrote a letter to my parents but they never replied."
Humanitarian workers believe many of the children's parents do not know where their children have been taken. Most of the letters the children have written to their parents have gone unanswered. Alda Pereira, 13, who is also at Saint Thomas' orphanage, said she greatly missed her family. "I can only see them after three years," she said. But Alda's father, Agabioto Dos Santos, pleaded in a June 16 letter for her to be brought home. "If the child does not want to stay there it is better to ask the orphanage to return her to her parents," Mr Dos Santos wrote in the letter that reached Alda. "Please, we want our child to come back to us."
Sister Maria Francine, a nun at St Thomas', said the children have had difficulty settling down. "When it was raining and there was thunder one of them yelled to the rest, `Get down.' They all dived under tables," she said. Some of the children were suffering malaria, tuberculosis and other illnesses when they arrived. "Many still talk in their sleep in their language (Tetum)," the nun said. "Often they yell and scream and fight each other." But last weekend, during a rare two-day stay at a church camp, the children of Saint Thomas' were worried about 13-year-old Paulina Soares. A friend from another orphanage told her that her father, a former East Timorese soldier, had died two months ago. She became hysterical and refused to eat. She stared sadly into space as other children tried to engage her in games and other activities.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, whose representatives have twice visited the children, revealed after being contacted by The Age on Monday that it wants to contact the parents and arrange for the families to be reunited. But the withdrawal of UN and other international aid workers from West Timor after the September 6 killing of three UN staff has frustrated the plan."The principle of family unity is central to this," said Peter Kessler, the UNHCR's spokesman in Dili. "The UNHCR will support efforts to reunite these children with their families in either West Timor or East Timor."
An unknown number of the children's families who were in West Timor have returned to UN-ruled East Timor. Six families have contacted the UNHCR in Dili and asked for their children to be brought from Java. The UN has confirmed they are among the 130 children in the Java orphanages. Mr Kessler said that because the UNHCR could not now work in West Timor, where 120,000 people in the camps are being held virtual hostage, Indonesian aid workers with access were being asked to try to track the families of the children. The UNHCR would also try to trace other parents who had returned to East Timor, Mr Kessler said.
Soni Qodri, a Jakarta-based humanitarian worker and investigator, told The Age that Indonesian non-government organisations believe up to 1000 children have been separated from their parents and brought from East and West Timor to various parts of Indonesia. "We fear many of them are being mistreated, such as being forced to work in sweatshop factories, plantations and prostitution but evidence is difficult to obtain," he said.
Two months ago Mr Qodri went to an orphanage in the East Java town of Situbondo where he heard East Timorese children had been taken. It was early morning when he arrived, Mr Qodri said, and no supervisors were about. He asked a boy about seven where he was from. He replied, "East Timor." But another boy, aged about 12, came up and punched the younger boy. "You are from Kupang," the older boy said, referring to the West Timor capital. The younger boy was then dragged indoors. Later, supervisors at the orphanage denied any Timorese children were there.
The UNHCR has been told the Jesuit Refugee Service has traced 16 East Timor children to an orphanage in the Indonesian province of Kalimantan. Mr Qodri said it was wrong for any children to be uprooted from their parents no matter what the circumstances. "The children have been taken from their families and culture and are under the influence of others," he said. "UN agencies and the Indonesian Government should immediately take steps to trace the parents and reunite these families. I am very concerned these children will fall victim to certain political groups."
END
E-mail Warned Of Killing Spree
By Michael Cameron, The Advertiser ~ Sept. 9
A UNITED Nations official e-mailed a message warning of threats of attacks from Indonesian militia just hours before he and two other aid workers were killed at Atambua in West Timor.
The UN Security Council released the harrowing note by Puerto Rican volunteer Carlos Caceres-Collazo to officials in New York yesterday. The other two men killed were Samson Aregahegn, of Ethiopia, and Pero Simundza, of Croatia.
In the e-mail, Mr Caceres-Collazo said he was in his office "when the news came out that a wave of violence would soon pound Atambua" in retaliation for the death of a senior member of a local militia.
"We sent most of the staff home, rushing to safety. The militias are on the way and I am sure they will do their best to demolish this office," he said. "The militia man killed was the head of one of the most notorious and criminal militia groups of East Timor.
"These guys act without thinking and can kill a human as easily and painlessly as I kill mosquitoes in my room."
The rampaging mob stormed the UN headquarters, hacking the victims to death with machetes and then dragged their bodies to the road and set them on fire.
Their actions had been prompted by the killing of Olivio Mendoza Maruk, a 45, the head of the Laksaur pro-Indonesia militia. His decapitated body was found near Atambua on Tuesday.
It is believed militia leader Eurico Gutteres orchestrated the attack. The massacre cast a sombre note over the first day of formal discussion by the participants in the UN's Millennium Summit in New York. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, opening the meeting of 150 world leaders, said he had taken up the matter with Indonesia "at the highest level". United States President Bill Clinton told the summit he was "deeply saddened to learn of the brutal murders".
"I urge the Indonesian authorities to put a stop to these abuses," he said.
Outside the General Assembly, Prime Minister John Howard said that "everybody was disturbed about what has happened". "An unjustified and unprovoked attack on humanitarian workers is always repellent and something that people naturally condemn very strongly," he said.
Faced with widespread condemnation, Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, who was at the summit, said he had ordered two battalions to West Timor.
Indonesia has a large contingent of soldiers in the territory but, according to witnesses, they refused to intervene as the angry crowd attacked the UN building.
The militia members are angry at UN involvement in the independence vote in neighboring East Timor a year ago.
Pressed by international troops, gangs fled to Indonesian-controlled West Timor from where they have launched border raids against UN troops and civilians.
END
Oxfam Staff Evacuated From West Timor, Programme In Aceh Suspended
Oxfam ~ September 9
Oxfam aid workers have fled for their lives from the militias which reportedly killed 4 UNHCR workers in Atambua, West Timor, today.
The four Oxfam staff were evacuated by the UN peacekeeping mission in East Timor, to a UN military base in East Timor. This comes only ten days after 3 Oxfam staff were severely assaulted by Indonesian police in the western Indonesian province of Aceh on Sunday 27 August.
Oxfam has protested to the Indonesian police and other authorities about the incident in Ladang Rimba, south Aceh, in which all 3 were beaten and received deep cuts on their feet and heads. One of the Oxfam workers had his index fingernail pulled out by police officers, cigarette burns on his back and injuries inside one ear. Oxfam operations in Aceh remain suspended, and will until Oxfam can be satisfied that the authorities can ensure adequate security.
These incidents, together with another attack on UNHCR staff in West Timor earlier in August, show that Indonesia's far-flung regions of conflict are not safe either for the civilians displaced by the violence, nor the aid workers seeking to bring relief to them.
Despite taking significant steps towards democracy, the Indonesian authorities are either unable to provide protection, or, as in the Aceh incident, responsible for violence themselves.
This latest violence in West Timor coincides with the UN Millennium Summit in New York, discussing issues from peacekeeping to arms control. While Oxfam is extremely grateful for the UN peacekeepers acting to evacuate its staff to East Timor today, the presence of the peacekeepers in East Timor for a year has done little to protect those who fled to West Timor.
In a major report for the Summit, Oxfam has called for international controls on the arms trade to prevent arms going to where they may violate human rights. British and EU arms to Indonesia - again possible since an embargo was lifted in January 2000 - are precisely what such international controls must prevent, so long as Indonesia's security forces are linked to the violence shown in recent incidents.
END
Statement On The International Workers Killed This Week in West Timor
by Xanana & Ramos-Horta, NCTR ~ Sept. 8
Statement by Xanana Gusmão, President, and José Ramos-Horta, Nobel Laureate and Vice President, National Council of Timorese Resistance/National Congress
We extend our deepest condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the international workers killed this week in West Timor and to the U.N. community of which they were a vital part.
The brutal attack on the UNHCR office is the result of bad faith on the part of the Indonesian military leadership.They cannot escape responsibility by blaming militia.It is not only the refugees but the people of West Timor who are held hostage by militia gangs supported by elements of the military.
During the course of the Millennium Summit, we have met with Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid to reiterate our full support for his efforts to bring democracy to his country. We call on him and the international community to forge a common front against impunity and organized crime in Indonesia and West Timor.
If Indonesia fails to deal with the violence against refugees and international staff, Indonesia must seek help from its ASEAN neighbors and international community to restore law and order in West Timor.
The U.N. Security Council must now consider establishing an international tribunal on East Timor to punish those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Only a tribunal will send a clear signal to the criminal elements who destroyed East Timor and continue to terrorize refugees, international staff and others that the world does not tolerate their impunity. At the same time we reiterate our continuing trust in the leadership of Indonesia's Attorney General Marzuki Darusman. We view a tribunal as complementary to his efforts.
Xanana Gusmão
José Ramos-Horta
National Council of Timorese Resistance/National Congress
New York, New York
8 September 2000
END
ETAN Calls UN Deaths in West Timor Preventable
ETAN ~ September 6, 2000
The East Timor Action Network/U.S. called today's brutal murder of U.N. personnel in West Timor tragically preventable." These killings never should have happened. They stem directly from the failure of Indonesian authorities to keep repeated promises to stop militia violence and protect humanitarian workers," said John M. Miller, spokesperson for ETAN.
"World leaders now in New York for the UN's Millennium Summit must be unequivocal in demanding that Indonesia meet its commitments to secure the border with East Timor, protect international humanitarian workers, meet international standards of human rights, and assure the safe return of some 100,000 refugees still trapped in West Timor," said Miller.
ETAN described the attack on the U.N. in West Timor as yet another of many recent egregious examples of an out-of-control military acting through militia proxies.
ETAN called on the U.S. and other governments to strengthen security in West and East Timor by publicly suspending all military assistance to the Indonesian military (TNI) and police until critical conditions are met, including safe return of East Timorese refugees, disarming and disbanding of militia groups, and arrest and extradition of militia leaders.
"A direct military role in the attack may never be confirmed, but the Indonesian military clearly created, armed and trained the militia groups. In the over 100 reported attacks on UN workers in West Timor since last September, Indonesian security forces have often stood by and allowed militia violence to continue unhindered. TNI must bear ultimate responsibility for these acts and omissions," said Miller.
ETAN also cited the disappearance of Acehnese human rights lawyer, Jafar Siddiq Hamzah. A U.S-resident, Hamzah's body is believed to be among five bodies recently found in Northern Sumatra near where he disappeared.
"An international tribunal to prosecute those responsible for violence in East Timor is necessary to realize justice for the East Timorese. It would have the added effect of helping to ensure security for the refugees and those working to assist them. Indonesia should arrest known militia leaders immediately place them under protective custody, and turn them over to U.N. authorities for prosecution," said Lynn Fredriksson, Washington Representative for ETAN.
"The U.S. and others would do well to side with the forces of democracy in both Indonesia and East Timor; support for an international tribunal ultimately translates into support for greater military and judicial reform," she said .
"Any form of U.S. assistance to the Indonesian military contributes to the unraveling of Indonesia's fragile democratization, betrays our commitment to genuine self-determination in East Timor, and violates the intent of Congress in withholding aid to human rights abusers," added Fredriksson. "The killing of human rights advocate Jafar Siddiq Hamzah and hundreds of others in Aceh, and the recent fatal attacks on international aid workers in West Timor require the U.S. to take unequivocal, decisive public action, before more lose their lives."
Four people, including at least three international staff, were killed at the UNHCR office in Atambua. Witnesses said the militia beat the foreign UN workers to death and burned their bodies.
An estimated 100,000 refugees remain in West Timor and elsewhere in Indonesia. UNHCR had suspended its operations in West Timor following an August 22 attack on three staff members severely beaten by suspected militia members. The agency resumed activities on August 29 after Indonesian authorities arrested two of the alleged assailants and promised to increase security for humanitarian workers.
For more information see http://www.etan.org/.
Or Contact: John M. Miller, (718)5967668; (917)690-4391 (mobile)
END
ETAN Calls Indonesian Suspect List "Inadequate and a Capitulation" Calls International Tribunal Only Option
ETAN ~ September 1, 2000
The East Timor Action Network/U.S. today condemned the Indonesian Attorney General's announcement that he plans to question only 19 suspects in last year's campaign of murder and destruction in East Timor.
"The list is wholly inadequate and a capitulation to the continued power of the Indonesian military. The Indonesians should turn over their files and suspects to U.N. prosecutors in East Timor and work with the U.N. to set up an international tribunal," said John M. Miller, spokesperson for ETAN.
"Indonesia's promises to hold those responsible for East Timor's destruction will at best be only partly kept. The list of names does not even cover all those fingered earlier this year by Indonesia's own human rights commission. This announcement -- combined with Indonesia's recent passage of a constitutional amendment foreclosing direct prosecution of past human rights abuses -- demonstrates that a tribunal is needed to provide genuine justice for the people of East Timor," said Miller.
"This list is far more than disappointing, it is an indication that the time has come for the U.N., the U.S. and other governments to call, unreservedly, for an international human rights tribunal," said Lynn Fredriksson, Washington Representative for ETAN.
"With Indonesian military-backed militia violence continuing unhindered in West Timor refugee camps and creating terror along East Timor's border, genuine human rights accountability is needed to deal with current problems, as well as to achieve justice and reconciliation for past violations," she added.
"The U.S. would do well to side with the forces of democracy in both Indonesia and East Timor; support for an international tribunal ultimately translates into support for greater military and judicial reform," said Fredriksson.
"The suspect list issued today by Indonesian investigators fits the pattern of the Suharto years of targeting lower-ranking officers while letting off their commanders and political leaders in Jakarta who plan the terror campaigns, provide the resources and issue the orders," said Miller.
Among those absent from the list are many militia leaders, including Eurico Guterres and Joao Tavares; General Wiranto, then commander of the Indonesian armed forces; and Indonesian cabinet officers who funded the militia, such as then foreign minister Ali Alatas and retired General Feisal Tanjung, the former coordinating minister for political affairs and security.
Also missing is former Army deputy chief of staff Lt. Gen. Johny Lumintang, who has been sued in U.S. courts for his role in the events surrounding last year's independence vote in East Timor. That lawsuit is based on the same legal grounds as the one filed yesterday against Chinese leader Li Peng over his role in the Tiananmen Square massacre.
For more information see http://www.etan.org/action/issues/h-rights.htm or Contact: John M. Miller, (718)596-7668; (917)690-4391 (mobile)
END
East Timor Federation Urges International Tribunal on Timor Vote Anniversary
Calls Case for Tribunal "Irrefutable"
ETAN/TOPAL ~ Aug. 30
August 30, 2000 -- Calling "the case for an international tribunal for East Timor &ldots; now irrefutable," the International Federation for East Timor (IFET) today urged UN Secretary General Kofi Annan immediately take steps to establish one.
In a letter delivered to the Secretary-General on the anniversary of East Timor's vote for independence, IFET wrote that the recent passage of a constitutional amendment introducing a non-retroactivity principle "confirms our prior assessment that the Indonesian judicial system cannot bring the perpetrators of the violence and destruction in East Timor to justice."
IFET warned that failure by the U.N. "to act decisively to end impunity for crimes committed in East Timor" encourages those responsible for the violence to "continue their reign of terror in the West Timor refugee camps and their attacks on civilians and UN peacekeepers across the border.... As long as the perpetrators of last year's mayhem enjoy impunity, there is no incentive for them to stop."
IFET reminded the Secretary-General that he and other U.N. officials have "repeatedly stated that you are holding the possibility of an international tribunal in abeyance to give the Indonesian justice system a chance to try the crimes." But IFET wrote, "little progress has been made in bringing justice to the people who suffered so much for expressing their desire for freedom. The arguments against allowing Indonesia to take responsibility for trying those responsible for the violence are overwhelming and we urge you to act immediately to set the international process in motion."
In the months leading up to last August 30 vote in East Timor, the International Federation for East Timor sent 140 non-partisan observers to East Timor to observe the U.N.-administered consultation process. IFET was formed in 1991 to support the self-determination process for East Timor at the United Nations. It now has 39 member groups from 23 countries.
A copy of today's and a previous letter can be found at http://www.etan.org/ifet.
August 30, 2000
Hon. Kofi Annan United Nations Secretary-General
UN Secretariat
New York, NY 10017
By fax to 212-963-2155
Dear Excellency:
Recent developments in East Timor and Indonesia have greatly increased both the urgency and the necessity of an international tribunal to bring those responsible for committing and ordering crimes against humanity in East Timor to justice.
As we wrote to you on 5 July, the International Federation for East Timor and many other people around the world believe that an international tribunal is essential to punish and deter past and future violence against the people of East Timor.
Militia forces are now escalating violence in East Timor, with no effective effort by the Indonesian military to stop them, and recently killed two UN peacekeepers. One of the most effective ways the UN can prevent more criminal militia activity is to make it clear both to the militias and to TNI officers who support or tolerate them that the international community will ensure they are held to account for their crimes. For as long as the perpetrators of last year's mayhem enjoy impunity, there is no incentive for them to stop. The recent enactment by Indonesia's People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) of a constitutional amendment, which introduces the principle of 'non-retroactivity' into Indonesian law without any exceptions, is a major setback. It effectively grants an amnesty to the Indonesian military officials who ordered others to commit crimes against humanity in East Timor and Indonesia.
Many UN officials, including yourself and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, have repeatedly stated that you are holding the possibility of an international tribunal in abeyance to give the Indonesian justice system a chance to try the crimes. More than four months have passed since the date by which Indonesia's Attorney General promised the international community trials would begin, and they are not on the horizon.
The MPR decision confirms our prior assessment that the Indonesian judicial system cannot bring the perpetrators of the violence and destruction in East Timor to justice. The case for an international tribunal for East Timor is now irrefutable. The MPR decision shows that the concerns expressed in our letter of 5 July about the lack of political will behind the Indonesian process were well-founded. The MPR's defiance of the international community and internationally-accepted legal principles is unacceptable and once again we call upon you to recommend to the Security Council that it uses its powers to establish an ad hoc international tribunal without delay.
As Secretary-General, you have a duty to act on the recommendations of the UN Commission of Inquiry report, which found evidence of 'a pattern of serious violations of fundamental human rights and humanitarian law&ldots;[including] violations of the right to life and to freedom from torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, [and] violence against women&ldots;' These are crimes of universal jurisdiction which must now be dealt with before an international tribunal as recommended by the Commission of Inquiry.
In your letter of 31 January accompanying the Commission of Inquiry report you said: '...the actions violating human and international humanitarian law were directed against a decision of the Security Council and were contrary to the agreements reached by Indonesia with the United Nations to carry out the decision of the Security Council. This fact reinforces the need to hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions... The International Commission of Inquiry found that the United Nations and the international community had a particular responsibility to the people of East Timor in connection with investigating the violations, establishing responsibilities, punishing those responsible and promoting reconciliation. I believe the United Nations has an important role to play in this process in order to help safeguard the rights of the people of East Timor, promote reconciliation, ensure future social and political stability and protect the integrity of Security Council actions.'
It appears that Indonesia sees the international community as impotent - all talk and no action. In a phrase, which is often applied to and used by UN missions in East Timor, "words are not enough". If you now fail to act decisively to end impunity for crimes committed in East Timor, those responsible for the violence will continue their reign of terror in the West Timor refugee camps and their attacks on civilians and UN peacekeepers across the border.
The effect of the MPR decision is that a new Article 28 (I) is added to the Constitution. It provides that '&ldots;the right not to be charged on the basis of retroactivity is a basic human right that may not be breached under any circumstances.'
The principle of 'non-retroactivity' is a fundamental human right, but under international law the principle does not apply in the case of acts or omissions which were crimes under international criminal law at the time they were committed (see Article 15 (2) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights). Critically, no similar proviso has been included in the constitutional amendment.
Offences under international criminal law, in particular crimes against humanity of the type committed in East Timor - murder, torture, deportation and sexual offences committed as part of a systematic attack against the civilian population - are not presently crimes under Indonesian law. The attempt (albeit flawed) to incorporate such crimes in the human rights courts bill now before the Indonesian Parliament will be ineffective in terms of past crimes. The draft provision in the bill, which would have allowed for an ad hoc court to be set up to try past 'gross violations of human rights', will have to be deleted in deference to the amended Constitution.
All that remains is the possibility of the perpetrators being tried under the ordinary Penal Code of Indonesia, which is wholly inadequate. As well as not including crimes against humanity, it does not allow for military leaders to be tried under the principle of command responsibility. Inevitably, lower-ranking soldiers and militia members would be targeted and higher-ranking military officers responsible for planning the violence would escape with impunity. Furthermore, the current procedural and institutional safeguards for the rights of defendants fall far short of accepted human rights standards.
We are particularly worried by the recent statement of the then Minister for Human Rights, Hasballah M Saad, that the recent joint civilian-military tribunal used in Aceh can be a precedent for trials of other past crimes against humanity. The Aceh tribunal was essentially a military court and, therefore, breached all known international standards concerning the need for independence and impartiality.
We are also concerned by the failure of an Indonesian court to try prominent militia leader Eurico Guterres for illegal possession of weapons because it was unable to decide if he was following military orders or acting on his own.
The other concerns expressed in our letter of 5 July - the flaws in the human rights courts bill and the considerable time it will take to ensure that the competence and integrity of the judiciary meets international standards - still apply.
Exactly a year has past since East Timor's momentous vote for independence, but little progress has been made in bringing justice to the people who suffered so much for expressing their desire for freedom. The arguments against allowing Indonesia to take responsibility for trying those responsible for the violence are overwhelming and we urge you to act immediately to set the international process in motion.
The upcoming Millennium Assembly provides an important opportunity for you and the United Nations to stand firmly for accountability and the rule of law with regard to Indonesian crimes in East Timor. We hope that you and the Security Council, as well as the General Assembly, will meet that responsibility and fulfill the obligation the UN incurred to the East Timorese people when it facilitated the consultation process in East Timor last year.
Sincerely,
Charles Scheiner United Nations Representative, International Federation for East Timor
cc: Foreign Ministers of Portugal and Indonesia
Ambassadors to the United Nations of the Security Council member states
International media
Contact: John M. Miller, ETAN, +1-718-596-7668; +1-917-690-4391 (US) Paul Barber, TAPOL, +44-1420-80153 (UK)
END
One Year Later, East Timor Still Needs Justice and Security
ETAN Encourages U.S. to Build on Commitment to Full Self-Determination
ETAN ~ August 29, 2000
The East Timor Action Network/U.S. (ETAN) today said that one year after last year's historic independence vote, East Timor still lacks justice and security.
"East Timor has begun to rebuild from last year's destruction, but much still needs to be done to assure justice and security for the world's newest country," said John M. Miller, spokesperson for the East Timor Action Network/U.S.
ETAN called on the U.S. and other nations to support an international tribunal to prosecute those responsible East Timor's destruction and to strengthen East Timor's security by refusing to reestablish any military assistance to the Indonesian military and police until certain conditions are met, including an end to their human rights abuses, disarming and disbanding militias and arresting their leaders, and respect for East Timor's territorial integrity. The Indonesian government must also bring its armed forces under civilian control.
"One year after the Indonesian military and its militias leveled East Timor, the government of Indonesia either can't or won't stop military support for militias violating East Timor's borders, attacking peacekeepers and UN relief personnel, and blocking the repatriation of more than 100,000 East Timorese refugees. Any form of U.S. assistance to the Indonesian military contributes to the unraveling of Indonesia's fragile democratization, betrays our commitment to genuine self-determination in East Timor, and violates the intent of Congress in withholding aid to human rights abusers," said Lynn Fredriksson, Washington Representative for ETAN.
"An international tribunal is the only way to be sure that the victims of military and militia violence in East Timor have their day in court. A tribunal will have the added benefits of discouraging continued rights violations throughout Indonesia and promoting reconciliation in East Timor," said Miller.
"The U.S., until recent years a major backer of Indonesia's invasion and occupation of East Timor, must provide substantial support for East Timor's development. The United States has a responsibility after arming and training East Timor's tormentors for so long," said John M. Miller.
"Now that East Timor is free, the U.S. must support a just and peaceful future for the world's newest nation. The East Timorese need a full range of aid -- from health care to educational scholarships -- the U.S. should continue to contribute what is most needed, as Congress and the administration did at the end of 1999," added Miller.
On August 30, 1999, the people of East Timor defying threats and violence turned out in record numbers to vote overwhelmingly for independence. Following the vote, Indonesian troops and their militia proxies destroyed some 70% of the country's infrastructure, killed more than one thousand people, and forced hundreds of thousands across the border into Indonesia. On September 9, the U.S. suspended military ties and threatened World Bank and IMF assistance to Indonesia. Soon after, the Indonesian military began to withdraw from East Timor and an international peacekeeping force entered. in November, the U.S. Congress restricted most military assistance to Indonesia until East Timorese refugees are returned, there is effective prosecution of military and militia members responsible for human rights atrocities in East Timor and Indonesia and other conditions regarding East Timor's security are met.
But, in July, the U.S. military began to re-engage with its Indonesian counterparts by conducting a joint exercise with Indonesian troops.
In recent months, Indonesian military-backed militias have stepped up their activities in East Timor, killing two U.N. peacekeepers and several East Timorese. Militia attacks on aid workers over the past week forced UNHCR to suspend its activities in refugee camps in West Timor where some 100,000 East Timorese remain virtual hostages.
Last week, in a set back to democratization, Indonesia amended its constitution, creating strong obstacles to prosecutions of past human rights abuses. Indonesian, East Timorese, and international organizations argue that an international tribunal is now the only option to bring military and militia leaders responsible for atrocities in East Timor to justice.
The human rights situation has severely deteriorated in Indonesia in recent months. In Aceh, the military regularly violates the humanitarian ceasefire. Disappearances of human rights activists have also increased. A U.S. resident, Jafar Siddiq Hamzah, president of the International Forum On Aceh, disappeared on August 5 in Medan and has not been heard from since. ETAN has expressed strong concerns about Hamzah's safety.
Last week in Papua people were shot for raising an independence flag. In a reprise of tactics used in East Timor, the Indonesian military has created militias which harass and terrorize the population. In the Moluccas, Indonesian soldiers have been observed fighting with militias on both sides of the conflict.
The Indonesia invaded neighboring East Timor on December 7, 1975, hours after a state visit to Jakarta by then President Gerald Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. According to human rights groups, one-third of the population -- more than 200,000 East Timorese -- was killed in subsequent years as the U.S. provided weapons and political support under both Democratic and Republican administrations.
For additional background, see ETAN's website www.etan.org.
Contact: John M. Miller, (718) 596-7688; (917) 690-4391; Karen Orenstein, (202) 544-6911
END
Genuine Self-Rule Elusive A Year After Independence
By Kafil Yamin
JAKARTA, Aug. 29 (IPS) -- One year after voting to end a quarter century of Indonesian rule, the East Timorese are realizing that building a nation can be as slow and circuitous as the struggle to win independence.
Although more than 80 percent of East Timor's population opted for independence on August 30, 1999, there is still a long way to go to achieve genuine autonomy, as the nation's resistance leader Xanana Gusmao put it.
The former Indonesian province still relies heavily on foreign assistance in many sectors, from economic and state administration to international relations.
Likewise, urgent problems have cropped up since East Timor was freed from Indonesia, which invaded and annexed it in 1976.
For instance, East Timor, the nation-in-waiting expected to be under United Nations administration until the end of 2001, has not decided on its own currency, national language or constitution.
After Tetun, the local language, leaders of the National Council of Timorese Resistance (CNRT), the umbrella group that led East Timor's campaign for self-rule, prefer Portuguese as a second official language.
Only 7 percent of the 800,000 Timorese understand Portuguese, and some younger Timorese, who mostly speak Indonesian, believe using the language of East Timor's colonizer will hinder their participation in national affairs.
Decisions about the form of government in East Timor and even its name are expected to be decided in August next year, when elections are held for a constituent assembly.
Meanwhile, even though the U.S. dollar has been the official currency, daily transactions still involve mainly the Indonesian rupiah and the Portuguese escudo.
More than 70 percent of East Timor's infrastructure remains heavily damaged from the Indonesian-led militia violence following last year's referendum, and needs time and funds for reconstruction. Many shops, banks and hotels remain in ruins.
In this territory with a per capita income of $431, 80 percent of the population is unemployed.
Despite the presence of many aid groups helping to distribute food, medicine and financial assistance, the situation remains critical. The nation has only 15 qualified doctors and a shortage of secondary school teachers.
Graffiti in the rubble of destroyed buildings is often derisive. "Emangya enak merdeka?" (How do you like being free?), someone wrote in Indonesian.
Apart from potential income from oil and gas, world-class coffee and rice and maize, the nascent country can count on much international goodwill.
The World Bank, the U.N., and donor countries have agreed to infuse $520 million during a two-year transition period. A number of foreign and local groups are distributing food and medicine, and reconstructing public facilities.
But some say there may be an extension of the United Nations interim administration operation known as UNTAET, and its armed force, INTERFET, because of the continued security threat posed by Indonesian militia groups.
At least two peacekeepers were killed recently in clashes with the Indonesian militiamen, the same groups who looted and burned East Timor after last year's vote.
On Aug. 22, three humanitarian workers of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) were attacked in Naen Refugee camps, West Timor, the Indonesian half of the island across the border from East Timor.
The incident occurred after the Indonesian military pledged to investigate the death of an INTERFET peacekeeper who was attacked by pro-Jakarta militia on the East Timor border.
Indonesia has promised to crack down on militia activity and their cross-border attacks. But the chief of the Udayana military command, Maj. Gen. Kiki Syahnakri, admits his forces cannot fully control the militias.
"We are overwhelmed. Our troops are not sufficient to close all access to East Timor along the border. TNI (the Indonesian military) could not deploy more troops here because they are needed in other parts of the country, which also face security disruption," he said.
Jakarta has postponed the announcement of 30 suspects in connection with last year's East Timor mayhem. The announcement was scheduled for Aug. 23, but was deferred following an amendment of the 1945 Constitution which provides protection against retroactive charges.
Meantime, some 120,000 East Timorese remain in the West Timor refugee camps, which sprouted up last year after up to one-fourth of East Timor's population fled violence by the militias. Militiamen continue to harass people there.
Indonesia has promised to close the camps, and Indonesian foreign ministry official Hassan Wirajuda conveyed this on Aug. 23 to UNTAET chief Sergio Vieira de Mello and CNRT vice president Jose Ramos Horta. But the promise remains unfulfilled.
Media reports said pro-Jakarta militias have built stone blocks in some vital access points to East Timor to try and halt the repatriation of refugees. The UNHCR has delayed the repatriation process for some time.
"It is really regrettable that the militias can move so freely there, evade the law and snub the authorities in Jakarta that has guarantees for humanitarian workers and refugees," complained Soren Petersen of UNHCR.
The militias have vowed to launch an all-out fight against UNTAET."We will never let the white foreigners rule our homeland. We know the Indonesian military is no longer on our side. But that won't make any difference for us," Lafaek, a pro-integration militia member, said in a phone interview from Kupang, West Timor.
"You will see more casualties in the future," he added.
Despite the bumpy road East Timor faces toward real independence, signs of the birth of the state are clearly visible.
Dili, the East Timor capital, is gradually coming to life. Power has been restored, drinking water is flowing again and local telephone systems have resumed operation. Some traders have reopened their damaged shops.
The traditional market in the eastern part of Dili is drawing more crowds buying vegetables, meat, fruit, clothes and other basic necessities.
Azina Gusmao, a trader in the market, says the key indicator of the economic recovery of East Timor -- the poorest among Indonesia's former provinces -- is the decline of prices of basic foods.
Dili's streets are also busier -- taxis and other public transport vehicles, mostly imported from Singapore and Australia, are running again.
While INTERFET regularly conducts weapons searches, the curfew has been lifted and more people venture out in the evenings.
But that is in the capital, which has received the most resources. In other towns and villages, electricity and telephones are not available and drinking water is a luxury.
Xanana says it is too early to judge the situation in Dili, and it should not be the sole indicator of the new state.
"East Timor is not a republic of restaurants," said Xanana, who had earlier quit as CNRT chief. He also gave up command of armed resistance force of East Timor, Falintil, on Aug. 20.
But news reports from Dili say he has been prevailed upon by supporters to stay on as head of the territory's main political grouping. Xanana is widely expected to be East Timor's first president.
"We don't have experience as a state. So it is normal if we still need help," Xanana said, adding that it will take years for the territory to fully recover its bearings.
END
Gusmao Steps Down As Head of Falintil Army
By Mark Dodd, The Age ~ August 21
AILEU, EAST TIMOR - East Timor independence leader Jose "Xanana" Gusmao has resigned as commander-in-chief of the Falintil guerrilla force in a moving ceremony hailed as a significant and symbolic step in the fledgling nation's transition to democracy.
Falintil also made history by becoming the world's only guerrilla army to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, donated yesterday by veteran independence advocate Jose Ramos Horta, who was awarded the prize in 1996 with co-recipient Bishop Carlos Belo for working to end Indonesian brutality in East Timor.
Mr Horta promised to spend his share of the $US800,000 ($A1.3million) prize money on micro-credits for East Timor's poor and he appealed to the foreign community to contribute. Mr Gusmao took the medal from Mr Horta and passed it to the new Falintil commander-in-chief, Taur Matan Ruak.
Standing before Falintil fighters assembled at Aileu, a mountain town 45 kilometres south of Dili, Mr Gusmao gave his last speech in uniform. It was a fitting farewell.
"I was your commander but I learnt from you how to make war. I learnt from you how to serve the national cause and I learnt from you forgiveness and the spirit of reconciliation," he said, his voice faltering with emotion.
He recalled bleak times in the past when he was captured by Indonesian forces in 1992 and how Falintil's total strength had dwindled to 150 armed rebels.
Mr Gusmao praised Taur Matan Ruak for rebuilding the force to more than 1500 men under arms. And in a jibe at the United Nations, he apologised for the poor living conditions of the troops at Aileu.
Mr Gusmao said Falintil needed new heroes to participate in the rebuilding of East Timor.
Earlier he inspected his men and attended a memorial mass held by Bishop Belo.
The UN's special representative in East Timor, Sergio Vieira de Mello, said the United Nations recognised Falintil as the legitimate founders of the country's new defence force.
"The Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, in a letter to the commander-in-chief, `Xanana' Gusmao, a few months ago, formally recognised the role of Falintil in the present, past and future of this country," he said in his speech.
Mr de Mello issued a blunt demand that pro-Indonesian militias stop their cross-border violence and warned that former militia leaders would face prosecution for war crimes.
Mr de Mello also hinted at increased cooperation between UN peacekeepers and Falintil. The Age has since learnt from a senior Falintil commander that a small force of fewer than 100 men will soon be sent to the western border to provide an intelligence and liaison role for the UN peacekeepers in their battle to stem increasing militia violence.
Mr de Mello hailed Mr Gusmao's decision to resign his military role as "confirmation that from today (Sunday) there is a separation of military and political power in East Timor - an affirmation of one of the basic principles of democracy".
END
Border Raids Have UN At Full Stretch
BY Mark Dodd and Joanna Jolly, The Age
SUAI & KUPANG, Friday 18 August 2000: Security on the East Timor border has been stepped up to a level not seen since the United Nations took over from the InterFET force in February.
The increased security demands are placing a strain on the peacekeeping force struggling to cope with militia incursions that have left some local people feeling afraid and vulnerable.
Up to 150 militia from Indonesian West Timor are believed to have crossed the border, and the UN fears they will target peacekeepers, rather than East Timorese.
A former militia leader in the West Timor capital, Kupang, said yesterday the militia would particularly target Australian and Portuguese troops.
The heightened tension comes before this month's anniversary of East Timor's independence vote and next month's anniversary of the arrival of international troops.
Fijian peacekeepers near Suai, close to the border, exchanged fire with four militiamen yesterday and were tracking them last night.
The Fijians had laid in wait for the militia along an infiltration route in rugged forested country 10 kilometres north-west of Suai.
No Fijian troops were injured during the brief exchange of fire, which occurred after the militia were ordered to drop their weapons. Armed with semi-automatic weapons and dressed in Indonesian military fatigues, the militia retreated into dense forest.
The firefight comes amid extreme security along the 172-kilometre border. About 1600 Australian, New Zealand, Fijian, Nepalese and Irish troops secure the border, a number UN commanders now regard as too low.
The militia attacks come as several countries are rotating their battalions out of East Timor. A Filipino contingent has been moved to Dili to allow more Portuguese to fan out into higher risk areas of southern Ainaro and Cassa.
Two peacekeepers, a Nepalese and New Zealander, have died in clashes with the militia in recent week, although UN officers say these were chance encounters rather than planned attacks.
Local people have reported numerous sightings of militia in the past two weeks. Small bands have penetrated as far as Ainaro district, despite a massive security operation by UN peacekeepers.
New Zealand battalion commander Lieutenant-Colonel Martin Dransfield said on Wednesday as many as 150 armed militia were believed to be in East Timor, and their intention was probably to try to kill UN peacekeepers, not locals.
Yesterday people in Holbolu hamlet, close to the site of last week's clash with Nepalese troops, said that militia had tried to come into town foraging for food.
The recent violence has left them scared and vulnerable.
"The PKF (UN peacekeeping force) have asked us not to leave the village because there are many militia in the area," said Jose de Jesus, a farmer. But he said he needed to walk into the hills to hunt and graze his cattle.
More than 100 people live in the village but already two families have moved to the safety of Suai, six kilometres away.
In Kupang, a former militia intelligence head, Elly Cater Ana, said the recent attacks on UN troops were carried out by militia and former Indonesian soldiers who have been hiding in the East Timor mountains for a year.
"I have heard that the groups in East Timor want to kill Australian and Portuguese soldiers, especially Australians as since they have been in East Timor they are not neutral," said Mr Ana, who says he no longer has any links to the militia.
END
Indonesia Promises To Shut Refugee Camps In West Timor
Associated Press ~ August 1
JAKARTA - Facing international pressure to stop escalating border violence, Indonesia promised Monday to close refugee camps in neighboring West Timor used by anti-independence militiamen to stage guerrilla incursions into East Timor.
Last week a militia gang crossed the border and killed one U.N. peacekeeper from New Zealand. Several other raids have been reported in recent days.
"We will close the camps on our side of the border soon," said Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab after a meeting with Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid.
Shihab said Wahid had agreed to shut the camps after calls from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and Japan at a regional foreign ministers meeting in Bangkok last week.
East Timor broke away from Indonesian rule last year after a U.N.-supervised ballot.
The result of the vote triggered a bloody backlash by anti-independence gangs who went on a rampage across the half-island territory.
The militiamen fled with hundreds of thousands of refugees into the makeshift camps in West Timor after international peacekeepers arrived in September to restore order.
Tens of thousands of refugees have since returned to East Timor, which is now under temporary U.N. administration.
However, the world body along with other foreign officials complain that the militiamen are using the camps as border incursion bases.
Shihab said Indonesia would soon ask refugees whether they want to stay in Indonesia or return to East Timor.
Those who opt to stay would be resettled on another island away from Timor, apparently to ease security concerns on the border.
END
Church In Atambua To Open Reconciliation Dialogue
NTT Ekspres ~ August 1
ATAMBUA - The Bishop of Atambua, who oversees the regions of TTU and Belu, will soon hold reconciliation dialogue for E. Timor youth, especially former members of the PPI (Integration Struggle Force).
This announcement was made by head of the Bishop’s Youth Committee, Pastor Maksi Bria in Atambua, Friday (28/7) in relation to the diocese plans to work with Catholic Relief Services in accompaniment of former PPI members. “We have already planned a reconciliation dialogue for former PPI members and there is a good likelihood the meeting will be held in Atambua with as many youth as possible attending from both Belu and TTU.”
It is hoped that in this meeting the youth can share their thoughts and express their aspirations to develop friendship and peace with youth in E. Timor. He admitted that if E. Timorese youth are now scattered throughout thousands of refugee tents in NTT they would need lots of time to return to the land of their birth in E. Timor. “But in this dialogue there is a good possibility they will give alternative suggestions, if they don’t return to E. Timor how they will continue to live as Indonesian citizens born in E. Timor,” he said. It is just possible that there will be political negotiation between former PPI youth and Falintil and CNRT youth on behalf of peace and reconciliation for all E. Timorese.
An integration youth leader, Agapito Pirres, supported the initiative for a reconciliation dialogue of E. Timor youth in Atambua: “We are very supportive of all efforts at reconciliation and peace for the people of E. Timor. We probably won’t go home to E. Timor but live in Indonesia, so what are the concrete steps so that relations between Indonesia and E. Timor can be improved in the future?” he said. He said that E. Timor youth in Indonesia hope that the church in NTT can be the go-between for pro-integrationists and the people of Timor Lorosae.
The source for all reconciliation is mutual respect for each sides decisions about citizenship, whether to be citizens of Indonesia or Timor Leste. “More than that, all future developments in Timor Leste must come within the parameters of Indonesian culture, not western culture like what is seen now, what more considering that President Gus Dur has already stressed that Indonesia can live without E. Timor, but E. Timor can’t live without Indonesia,” said Agapito Pirres.
A day earlier, Pedro Pereira and Apolinario da Silva, two E. Timor leaders, met with Atambua Bishop, Anton Pain Ratu, to discuss various reconciliation efforts. “We all realize how pressing reconciliation is for the people of E. Timor. Without it, the E. Timor problem won’t be resolved and political flames will continue to burn,” said Pereira. Ever since the arrival of refugees in NTT, the Catholic church in Atambua has wanted at some point for reconciliation to be discussed by all E. Timorese.
To realize this, the church has not only given humanitarian assistance but has had continuous contact with the two bishops in E. Timor so that as soon as possible they can find a way towards reconciliation dialogue. This approach was evident with the visit of Baucau Bishop, Mgr. Basilio do Nascimento in early June to several refugee tents in NTT. Bishop Pain Ratu and Catholic youth have also met with Vice President Megawati to discuss problems related to handling E. Timor refugees. According to Pereira, Bishop Belo has sent a letter to Bishop Pain Ratu and apparently he too wants to create a climate conducive to dialogue for reconciliation.
Refugees in NTT, who now number more than 100,000, hope that Bishop Pain Ratu can visit E. Timor on behalf of a reconciliation mission. Such a visit will enable the refugees to know directly the real condition of Timor Lorosae and know the expectations of the two E. Timor Bishops as well as pro-independence supporters for pro-integrationists. “As a church leader, I am making an effort to facilitate all the good desires of the E. Timorese refugees. Whatever the situation, the people of E. Timor are our own brothers and certainly desire to live as good neighbors in the future&ldots;. May the harmonious life that has been present in NTT among members of different religions not be marred by the destructive actions of refugees,” said Bishop Pain Ratu.
END
Australian Unions Criticises UN Over Asbestos Concerns
by Denis Peters and Linda McSweeny, AAP ~ August 1
CANBERRA, July 31 AAP - Australian unions and a prominent law firm have warned that workers rebuilding East Timor could be exposed to asbestos contamination.
Australia has long since cracked down on the handling of asbestos, which can lead to fatal disease later in life for workers, but there were warnings that much of the now banned material exists in East Timor.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) said the United Nations was failing to protect workers involved in reconstruction work from potential asbestos contamination.
Local and international aid and corporate workers and peacekeepers might already have been exposed to asbestos and other harmful substances, ACTU president Sharan Burrow said.
"We are totally supportive of the UN's role in the reconstruction of East Timor, " she said in a statement.
"But we are concerned that there may have been exposed workers involved in clean-up and construction operations to an unacceptably high risk of exposure to hazardous materials, including asbestos.
"This is an issue not only for local East Timorese workers but also the many Australians in East Timor working for aid agencies, serving as peacekeepers or working for companies who hold reconstruction contracts."
Law firm Slater and Gordon, which has conducted most asbestos litigation in Australia, warned Australian manufacturers of asbestos to act immediately to clean up the situation or face future liability.
It also warned that the UN interim administration in East Timor faced liability for the welfare of Australian and indigenous workers in the clean-up and reconstruction after last year's post-independence vote violence.
The ACTU said it had overwhelming evidence that much of the clean-up operations around Dili after last year's mayhem involved removing and disposing of debris that contained the toxic substance.
Asbestos in East Timor was likely to have come from Australian companies, Slater and Gordon's Ken Fowlie said.
"Australian manufacturers responsible for any asbestos debris in Timor have a duty to assist in its safe removal," he said.
"The asbestos now being uncovered in Timor, like that in Australia, was sold at a time when authorities knew of the health risks from this deadly product.
"We face a new wave of asbestos exposure for those helping with humanitarian and reconstruction work in Timor. "
Mr Fowlie said corporate Australia and the UN was taking on a potential liability unless they did all in their power to protect Australian and indigenous relief workers.
Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia president Robert Vojakovic warned the toll from asbestos in Australia was still rising.
"The authorities responsible for work in Timor must remember there is no safe level of asbestos exposure," he said.
END
New Zealand Foreign Minister Appalled By Bounty Report
AP ~ July 31
BANGKOK - New Zealand's foreign minister said Friday that he was appalled by a report that armed gangs operating from Indonesia are offeriang a bounty for the lives of Australian and New Zealand peacekeepers in East Timor.
Foreign Minister Phil Goff said that he had no independent confirmation of the report in the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.
"If it is correct, quite clearly that is totally unacceptable," Goff said.
"I regard it as appalling that a bounty...has been placed for the death of any New Zealand or Australian peacekeeper in East Timor," Goff said on the sidelines of a regional security meeting in Bangkok.
A New Zealand solider in the 8,500-strong U.N. peacekeeping force this week became its first member to be killed in a clash with armed gangs opposed to East Timorese independence.
The Herald quoted unidentified U.N. officers as alleging that a bounty of between 1.5 million and 2 million rupiah ($1=IDR8,913) may have been paid to members of the Laksaur militia believed responsible for the death of 24-year-old Pvt. Leonard Manning.
Manning's body was found with his ears cut off, and the Herald report said they were taken as a bounty trophy.
The U.N. received information on the bounty from militia sources in West Timor, the half of the island ruled by Indonesia, the newspaper said.
Peacekeeping forces led by Australia arrived in East Timor last September to restore order after the territory voted for independence from a quarter-century of brutal rule by Indonesia.
Goff is having talks Saturday with Indonesian Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab that would focus on tighter control over the border, repatriating refugees and shutting down the camps.
END
East Timorese Youths Rejected Foreign Military Bases
TEMPO Interaktif ~ July 31
LISBON - East Timorese youth rejected the foreign military base. It is one point of declaration of East Timorese Youth Congress that was held from July 10 to 15 in Dili, the capital of East Timor. They rejected a military base in East Timor because they are concerned on its negative impact, such as unstable situation in Southeast Asia and an acculturation with western culture. The congress also reflected youth’s contribution and participation in successfully liberating East Timor through a referendum. Therefore, the youth’s role is to develop the country.
The congress also declared statement about political, governmental and economy systems that support small industries and protect national entrepreneurs in entering international market. In terms of social and cultural fields, two national languages, namely Tetum and Portuguese, are declared. In one-decade ahead, Tetum will be stated national language.
The first youth congress since East Timor’s independence was initiated by Youth Presidium Loriko Assuwain, an organization established on April 1999. The Presidium protects all mass and political organizations of East Timorese Youth. The congress was also attended by other ten youth and students organization, such as Impettu, Renetil, Ojetil, Obslatil, and Fitun, and youth representatives from 13 districts in East Timor.
END
Timor Militia Bordering On Comeback
by Don Greenlees, The Australian ~ July 31
JAKARTA - The Harco Hotel in central Jakarta is a dreary resting place for people travelling on the cheap. For 100,000 rupiah ($20) a night, visitors are led down a narrow concrete passageway to a small cell. It's not a place to linger.
The hotel's coffee shop is no more inviting. It is dimly lit and the bare concrete floor is obviously awaiting decorative inspiration and the money to pay for it.
Sitting alone, bent over a table in the corner, is Cancio Lopes de Carvalho. Last year, on his frequent excursions to Jakarta from East Timor's capital, Dili, he was used to the comfort of expensive hotels paid for by the provincial government or the armed forces. On such visits, he was usually guarded by fit men with short-cropped hair. Lopes de Carvalho was an important man: the head of a notorious militia unit that went by the dramatic title of Mahidi, Life or Death Integration. Now his gestures and manner are less sweeping and he describes himself modestly as a "refugee".
At a recent meeting on a bright Jakarta morning, Lopes de Carvalho contemplated the sorry state of an armed movement that only a year ago believed it could dictate the fate of East Timor but today remains confined to the no-man's land of refugee camps across the border.
"Myself, a militia commander, I often feel why do I need to shout. The struggle for integration (with Indonesia) is over," he told The Australian.
"You cannot change the outcome because its already an international decision, the UN is in there. The problem now is the fate, the uncertain future of the . . . people living in the camps."
The militia, officially disbanded but in reality as active as ever, are a source of worry for the UN peacekeepers in East Timor and of irritation for the Indonesian Government.
This week's ambush by suspected militiamen, which claimed the life of New Zealand Private Leonard William Manning - the peacekeeping force's first combat fatality - was a reminder of the dangers posed by pro-Indonesia East Timorese.
It was the latest in a string of cross-border raids - any one of which could have claimed the lives of the Australian and New Zealand peacekeepers, who have the primary responsibility for protecting the border.
More of these raids can be expected in the months ahead as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees gradually clears the remaining 120,000 refugees from the camps, which by some estimates number up to 240.
But the truth is the pro-Indonesia East Timorese are a group running out of options and of influential friends.
Lieutenant-General (retir- ed) Hasnan Habib, who is on a panel of experts advising on prosecution over human rights abuses in East Timor, says the armed forces and Government have nothing to gain from aiding the militia, but have a lot to lose in hard-won international support.
"We have to do something serious about prosecuting human rights abuses," he says. "The President has made a commitment to (UN Secretary-General) Kofi Annan so that there is no need to establish an international tribunal."
Lopes de Carvalho, best known for signing a death threat against Australian diplomats and journalists last year, acknowledges he and his comrades cannot count on the same military connections they had a few months ago.
Asked whether he felt deserted by the Indonesian Army, he replied forcefully: "That's true! . . . It might be harsh, I'm only saying they no longer have any political or moral responsibility towards us."
Sympathy for the pro-Indonesia forces among the political and military elite in Jakarta has declined in direct proportion to the rise in worry over sectarian bloodshed in Maluku and separatism in Aceh and West Papua.
It leaves the militia one card left to play: the existence of a large number of refugees in the camps almost one year after East Timor voted for independence. The camps give the militia bargaining power with the pro-independence victors in East Timor, the UN and the Indonesian Government. If the return of the refugees can be reduced to a trickle, then the pro-Indonesia leadership can claim to represent a significant portion of the population and might be able to cut themselves a better deal.
"What's left in the camps are pure pro-integration people, militia and their families," says Lopes de Carvalho. "There are 140,000 people. If they don't return, that would mean the process of reconciliation has not been successful yet."
Not surprisingly, his assumptions on the numbers wishing to return differ drastically from those of the UNHCR and UN Transitional Administration in East Timor. Those agencies suggest that up to 80 per cent would ultimately like to return home. But the political calculation that the refugees represent bargaining power is absolutely right. It is one of the reasons behind the renewed intensity of disinformation and acts of intimidation in the camps that are hampering the repatriation program and forcing foreign aid workers on the defensive.
Another reason is that the camps remain the springboard for incursions into East Timor. The militia, and those East Timorese who were members of the Indonesian army and police, are not waging jungle-based guerilla war as did the Falintil resistance. They are coming from the camps and the towns. Remove the camps, says Australian Brigadier Duncan Lewis, and you substantially remove the risk of border incursions.
"The central issue is really the refugee camps," he says. "Until we get them away from the border, we will still have problems."
Essentially, the rational pro-Indonesia East Timorese leadership - a small proportion are so fanatical they cannot see what is in their own interests - hope to use the refugees and the border tensions to achieve reconciliation on their terms and keep alive sympathy in Indonesia.
This has a particular poignancy given the fact many have the threat of prosecution for human rights abuses hanging over their heads. The bottom line is that they want the wrongs they committed in the past forgotten.
Says Lopes de Carvalho, hopefully: "There's no hero, no villain, nothing like that. If we want to investigate the violations, I think, that from the pro-independence side they would have to admit honestly a