DATE=9/12/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=E.TIMOR PEACEKEEPERS (L)
NUMBER=2-253766
BYLINE=PATRICIA NUNAN
DATELINE=JAKARTA
INTERNET=YES
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Indonesian President B-J Habibi announced that
he would accept a U-N peacekeeping force in East
Timor. Mr. Habibi made his announcement eight-days
after pro-Indonesian militia groups began rampaging
through the territory, killing thousands and forcing
hundreds-of-thousands of people to flee. But as
Patricia Nunan reports from Jakarta, the government
has some hesitation about which countries should join
the peacekeeping force.
Text: Indonesian President B-J Habibi says the
suffering and unrest that has taken place in East
Timor prompted him and his cabinet to accept U-N
peacekeepers in the territory.
/// HABIBI ACT ///
A couple of minutes ago I called the U-N
Secretary General to inform him about our
readiness to accept international peacekeeping
forces, through the U-N, from friendly nations
to restore peace and security in east Timor, to
protect the people, and to implement the result
of the direct ballot of August 30th.
/// END ACT ///
Violence has rocked the territory of East Timor since
last Saturday, when the United Nations announced
results of an August 30th referendum. Almost 80-
percent of East Timorese voters decided the territory
should break free of Indonesian rule.
Pro-Indonesia militia groups opposed to East Timor's
independence are believed to have killed thousands of
people in a virtual takeover of the territory. An
estimated 200-thousand other people have fled the
territory, or are in hiding in East Timor's interior.
The Indonesian military declared martial law in the
territory Tuesday in an effort to restore calm. But
U-N officials say some Indonesian soldiers have
participated in the violence with the militia groups.
The president's reference to accepting forces from --
friendly -- nations may be a slight against regional
power Australia. Australia has been one of the
harshest critics of Indonesia's handling of the East
Timor crisis, and one of the first to call for U-N
intervention.
Last week, about 100 demonstrators stormed the
Australian embassy in Jakarta to protest what they
perceived to be Australian meddling in Indonesian
affairs.
Without referring to Australia directly, Presidential
Adviser Dewi Fortuna Anwar warned of a nationalistic
backlash against the United Nations if care is not
taken in selecting peacekeeping troops.
/// ANWAR ACT ///
As you know, Indonesian nationalism is very,
very strong, and it is very, very important that
we do not solve one problem and create another
problem. At this particular moment we have to
be very, very careful to avert any radical
nationalistic backlash against what is perceived
to be international pressure.
/// END ACT ///
The Indonesian government says it will let U-N
Secretary General Kofi Annan decide on a time-frame
for the deployment of peacekeeping troops. It also
alluded to a possible plan in which U-N peacekeepers
would work together with the Indonesian military in
East Timor, until the territory is officially declared
an independent nation in November. (SIGNED)
NEB/PN/RAE
12-Sep-1999 12:38 PM LOC (12-Sep-1999 1638 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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