DATE=9/11/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=EAST TIMOR (L)
NUMBER=2-253738
BYLINE=KYLE KING
DATELINE=JAKARTA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Indonesia's top military leader has --
for the first time -- left open the possibility
of an accelerated international peacekeeping
mission to the embattled territory of East
Timor. General Wiranto made the comments to a U-
N Security Council delegation assessing the
situation in East Timor - which has been
engulfed in violence since residents voted for
independence from Indonesia almost two weeks
ago. V-O-A's Kyle King has this report from
Jakarta.
Text: The five-man Security Council team flew
into East Timor to get a first hand look at the
destruction caused by rampaging mobs of pro-
Jakarta militias.
At the besieged U-N compound where about one
thousand pro-independence supporters have taken
refuge, the Security Council team listened as
refugees told how they feared for their lives.
The refugees have been holed up in the compound
since last week, when pro-Jakarta militiamen
began roaming through the streets of Dili,
burning and looting buildings and killing
independence supporters.
U-N officials told the delegation that more than
100-thousand are living in the hills of East
Timor and are in urgent need of humanitarian
assistance.
The commander of Indonesia's armed forces,
General Wiranto, traveled with the five U-N
ambassadors. They say he was unable to explain
why Indonesian troops failed to halt the
violence that erupted after the August 30th
independence vote.
In a telephone interview with CNN, the General
said an accelerated deployment of peacekeeping
troops to the province must be considered as an
option. Indonesia has until now rejected the
idea.
The U-N delegation is due to meet with
Indonesian President B-J Habibi on Sunday before
flying back to New York to report to U-N
Secretary General Kofi Annan.
As the U-N considers its next step, several
countries have pledged to contribute troops to
an international peacekeeping force if Indonesia
would consent.
Meanwhile in the Indonesian capital, hundreds of
angry demonstrators gathered outside the
Australian embassy to protest what they call
foreign interference in East Timor. The
demonstrators want the province to remain part
of Indonesia. (signed)
NEB/KBK/JO
11-Sep-1999 10:54 AM EDT (11-Sep-1999 1454 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
