• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DATE=5/10/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-249195
TITLE=U-N / TIMOR (L - ONLY)
BYLINE=MAX RUSTON
DATELINE=UNITED NATIONS
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  THE UNITED NATIONS SAYS IT IS PREPARING TO DEPLOY MORE 
THAN 600 STAFF IN EAST TIMOR BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT MONTH TO 
ASSIST WITH THE TERRITORY'S UPCOMING AUTONOMY POLL.  MORE FROM 
OUR U-N CORRESPONDENT MAX RUSTON.
TEXT:  THE DIRECTOR OF THE U-N ASIA-PACIFIC DIVISION, FRANCESC 
VENDRELL, SAYS PLANNING IS WELL UNDERWAY FOR THE POLL, WHICH WAS 
FORMALLY AGREED TO LAST WEEK BY INDONESIA AND PORTUGAL.  HE SAYS 
ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS IS TO DEPLOY ABOUT 600 U-N STAFF IN THE 
FORMER PORTUGUESE COLONY, WHICH WAS INVADED BY INDONESIA IN 1975.
                      /// VENDRELL ACT ///
         THAT WOULD CONSIST OF APPROXIMATELY 600 INTERNATIONAL 
         STAFF, 400 OF WHICH WOULD IN ALL LIKELIHOOD BE 
         REGISTRATION AND POLLING OFFICERS, TWO PER POLLING 
         STATION.  PLUS ABOUT 15 TO 18 CORE STAFF INCLUDING 
         POLITICAL CIVILIAN ADVISORS TO THE MISSION.  THE HEAD OF
         MISSION SHOULD HOPEFULLY BE DEPLOYED AROUND THE 20TH OF 
         MAY.  AND AN UNDETERMINED NUMBER OF CIVILIAN POLICE 
         SHOULD BE THERE BY THE MIDDLE OF JUNE AS WELL.
                         /// END ACT ///
MR. VENDRELL SAYS THE EXACT NUMBER OF CIVILIAN POLICE ADVISORS IS
STILL BEING WORKED OUT IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE INDONESIAN 
GOVERNMENT.
UNDER THE AGREEMENT SIGNED BY PORTUGAL AND INDONESIA, EAST 
TIMOR'S 800 THOUSAND RESIDENTS WILL VOTE AUGUST EIGHTH ON A 
PROPOSED PLAN THAT WOULD GIVE THE TERRITORY WIDE-RANGING AUTONOMY
UNDER INDONESIAN RULE.
REJECTION OF THAT PROPOSAL, WHICH DIPLOMATS SAY IS LIKELY, WILL 
BE SEEN AS A VOTE IN FAVOR OF INDEPENDENCE FOR THE TERRITORY.  
INDONESIA WAS LONG OPPOSED TO EAST TIMOR'S INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT 
BUT ALTERED ITS POLICY EARLY THIS YEAR AND SAID IT WOULD ALLOW 
IT.
SEPARATIST GROUPS IN EAST TIMOR SAY THE U-N PRESENCE DURING THE 
POLL IS CRUCIAL, AS THEY EXPECT PRO-JAKARTA GROUPS -- OPPOSED TO 
INDEPENDENCE -- TO USE VIOLENCE TO UPSET THE VOTE.  THE UNITED 
NATIONS HAS REJECTED CALLS BY SEPARATIST LEADERS FOR DEPLOYMENT 
OF A U-N PEACEKEEPING FORCE.  IT HAS OFFERED TO SEND CIVILIAN 
POLICE ADVISORS INSTEAD.  THE ADVISORS WILL WORK WITH AND MONITOR
LOCAL SECURITY FORCES.  DIPLOMATS ESTIMATE THERE WILL BE 
APPROXIMATELY ONE U-N POLICE ADVISOR FOR EVERY 10 INDONESIAN 
SECURITY OFFICERS.   (SIGNED)
NEB/UN/MPR/LSF
10-May-99 2:32 PM EDT (1832 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.