02 September 1999
State Department Report, September 2, 1999
(East Timor, Congo) (380)
State Department Acting Spokesman Philip Reeker briefed.
U.S. PRESSING INDONESIA TO RESTORE ORDER IN EAST TIMOR
The United States is "pressing the government of Indonesia to make
good on their assurances and restore order in East Timor," Reeker
said.
In the two days since the region's August 30 referendum on
independence, rioting anti-independence militias have killed one
person and injured many more.
Reeker said the United States is urging the Indonesian Government to
take immediate action to disarm and disband the militias and arrest
those responsible for the violence and destruction.
He noted that the Indonesian government has made international
commitments to be responsible for the security of East Timor, but he
sidestepped questions as to whether the United States would support
international intervention.
If the results of the elections show that East Timorese want
independence from Indonesia, rather than autonomy within it, security
will still remain in the hands of the Indonesian government "until the
separation of East Timor from Indonesia and until the UN is ready to
assume that responsibility," Reeker said.
The UN presence in East Timor during the transition period, "would
logically include a security force of some kind," Reeker said, but he
did not provide further details.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
