April 23, 1999
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| April 23, 1999 | atimes.com | |
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| Southeast Asia Ceasefire as UN talks resume By Farhan Haq UNITED NATIONS - The tense mood hanging over theEast Timor talks lifted Wednesday as UN, Indonesian and Portugueseofficials began three days of meetings on the future of theIndonesian-occupied territory. Diplomats met at the United Nations to resume talks on apossible autonomy plan for East Timor and UN Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan praised the signing of a ceasefire by East Timor'swarring factions. The ceasefire was signed by pro-Indonesian paramilitary leaderJoao da Silva Tavares and pro-independence leader Leandro Isacc. It was witnessed by Gen. Wiranto, head ofIndonesia's armed forces, and by Nobel laureate Bishop CarlosXimenes Belo. ''We think it is a positive step,'' said Portuguese diplomatFernando Neves. ''It makes more clear that the Indonesian armedforces are responsible for maintaining security in theterritory." ''I am glad that [the cease-fire pact] happened because thegovernment has made an attempt all along to push for this type ofagreement,'' declared Indonesian envoy Nugrohu Wisnumurti. Annan added that it was of ''paramount importance'' that thepro- and anti-independence factions in East Timor abide by thecease fire. UN officials have been planning for a vote on EastTimor's status as early as July, plans that could be scuttled ifviolence worsened in East Timor. UN envoy Jamsheed Marker acknowledged last week that therecent spate of killings in Dili, Liquica and other Timoresetowns was ''disturbing.'' But he asserted, ''I have no intentionof recommending to the secretary-general that we back off." Some of the violence, he added, was a settling of scores, ''thisalways happens in situations like this." He added that ''we'll have to have a UN presence there as soonas possible'' to ensure that conditions for a vote on East Timor'sstatus can be established. (The Pacific island state was in theprocess of winning independence from Portugal in 1975 whenIndonesia invaded, annexing East Timor the next year.) Supporters of East Timor's independence insisted that a UNpeacekeeping force or diplomatic mission was necessary to keep thepeace, following a spate of attacks which have killed dozens ofpeople, including 25 people in Liquica and 13 pro-independenceTimorese in Dili last Saturday. ''Indonesia must allow the immediate deployment of UN personnelto protect human rights and monitor Indonesian troop withdrawalsand the disbanding of the militias,'' said John Miller, spokesmanof the U.S.-based East Timor Action Network. The recent upsurge in violence came just weeks after Indonesiaannounced it would be willing to accept East Timor's independenceif the UN-brokered autonomy plan were rejected by the province'svoters. Miller called the recent killings a ''terror campaign'' that was''clearly designed to derail any prospect of a UN-organized voteby the East Timorese on their political future." One European diplomat, who spoke to IPS on condition ofanonymity, agreed. ''How many killings can the peace process takebefore it collapses?'' he asked. He said that the weekend attacks in Dili had resulted in thedeath of the son of one pro-independence leader, and had involvedthe participation of the province's Indonesia-appointed governor,Abilio Soares. The jailed leader of the pro-independence National Council ofTimorese Resistance, Xanana Gusmao, recently ended his side'ssupport for a ceasefire, citing the rise in pro-Indonesiaparamilitary violence in East Timor. Gusmao, who remains in house arrest in Jakarta, did not attendthe Wednesday signing but last week pledged ''total cooperation''with Bishop Belo's efforts to maintain a peaceful dialogue amongall Timorese factions. Observeres believed there was little hope that the paramilitaryviolence would cease entirely, with the United Nations now movingtoward devising a summer vote on East Timor's status. Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas and his Portuguesecounterpart, Jaime Gama, were expected to agree by Friday on anautonomy plan for East Timor that would grant the state'sresidents control over all but military, foreign and financialaffairs. Gusmao and many Timorese believe that the autonomy plan would berejected in a fair vote. Marker said last week that the United Nations had not decidedhow a vote on Timor's status will be conducted, but asserted thatUN officials will determine the appropriate methodology. Annan had indicated that balloting may be held in staggered votesin East Timor as well as centers of the Timorese diaspora,including Macau, Australia, Portugal and the United States. The presence of UN peacekeepers for any vote remains unlikely,with the UN Security Council unwilling to deploy troops in anyhostile situation and Jakarta wary of allowing an armed UNpresence. But diplomats here believe an observer mission could besent to East Timor in advance of voting. (Inter Press Service) | |||||||||
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