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DATE=9/4/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=TIMOR / INDEPENDENCE / L-O
NUMBER=2-253448
BYLINE=PATRICIA NUNAN
DATELINE=DILI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO:  The United Nations in East Timor announced 
Saturday the East Timorese people have voted, 
overwhelmingly, for independence from Indonesia.  In 
the U-N / sponsored autonomy referendum held on 
Monday, 78-point-five percent of the votes were 
against an offer of wide-ranging autonomy for East 
Timor, proposed by the Indonesian government.  As 
Patricia Nunan reports from the East Timorese capital, 
Dili, so far, reaction to the ballot has been subdued.
TEXT:  The head of the U-N mission in East Timor - Ian 
Martin - announced more that 340 thousand of East 
Timor's 450 thousand voters cast their ballots against 
the Indonesian government's offer for special autonomy 
for the territory.
            // MARTIN ACTUALITY //
The people of East Timor have thus rejected the 
proposed special autonomy and expressed their wish to 
be in the process toward independence.
            // END ACTUALITY //
For East Timor's independence leaders, like Leander 
Isaacs, the meaning of the results is simple.
            // ISAACS ACTUALITY, in Timorese //
Victoria, victoria, victoria
            // END ACTUALITY //
He said, "It's victory, victory, victory for the 
people of East Timor."
Almost 99 percent of registered voters turned out to 
cast their ballots in the U-N / sponsored referendum, 
Monday.  The ballot was designed to let the East 
Timorese people decide whether to accept or reject an 
offer of autonomy proposed by the Indonesian 
government.
The deal would have allowed East Timor some special 
rights for remaining a part of Indonesia.  A vote 
against autonomy was considered a de facto vote in 
favor of independence.
The United Nations says four of its staff members in 
East Timor have been killed and six others are 
unaccounted for in the days of violence that rocked 
the territory after Monday's ballot.
Militia groups, which are fighting to keep East Timor 
a part of Indonesia, are now in control of at least 
two towns.
Several hundred people have taken shelter at the U-N 
headquarters here in Dili and in local churches, 
because they fear the reaction of the militia groups 
to the results of the balloting.
            // LANGUAGE ACTUALITY, IN AND UNDER //
One woman said,  "We are very happy today.  But, we 
can't stay at home because (the) militias said - if 
the ballot was for independence, they would burn 
everything down."
The Indonesian government said it deployed at least 14 
hundred troops to East Timor to help to maintain calm.  
But, some militia members can be seen driving around 
the capital, passing through military lines.
Human rights officials want the United Nations to 
deploy peacekeepers to East Timor to help prevent 
large-scale reprisals from the militia groups.  
(signed).
NEB /  wd-t / wd  
04-Sep-1999 05:27 AM LOC (04-Sep-1999 0927 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.