DATE=9/14/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=EAST TIMOR EVACUATION Q&A
NUMBER=2-253844
BYLINE=VICTOR BEATTIE & RAFEAL EPSTEIN
DATELINE=DARWIN, AUSTRALIA
INTERNET=YES
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The United Nations closed its compound in the
strife-torn capital of East Timor Monday. Some 13
hundred East Timorese and most of the remaining U-N
staff were evacuated to Darwin, Australia. Victor
Beattie of VOA NEWS NOW in Washington spoke to Rafeal
Epstein, a journalist with the Australian Broadcast
Corporation in Darwin about the latest on the
situation.
TEXT:
Beattie: What is the situation with regard to the
evacuation as we speak?
Epstein: Well the Royal Australian Air Force calls
this an "air reach," there are at least four massive
Hercules transport planes undergoing at least 16
flights and they are going to bring out around 14-
hundred people from Dili. That includes over one
hundred U-N staff and 13 hundred refugees who were
sheltering in the compound.
That also means the U-N compound in Dili is now
closed. Twelve military liaisons though will stay on
in Dili and elsewhere.
Beattie: What was the reason for the decision?
Epstein: The U-N basically said security. There has
been very little they've been able to do in the past
10 days. They haven't been able to get out onto the
street to ascertain the situation, they haven't been
able to provide humanitarian assistance, they haven't
been able to gather information about what is going on
all around East Timor. All they were able to do was
to protect those refugees.
Once they secured President B-J Habibie's assurance
that those refugees would be able to come to
Australia, they decided to leave. There was little
they could do except to leave those 12 staff there as
a symbolic presence.
Beattie: Were there any direct threats to the U-N
staffers, now that an international peacekeeping force
had been prepared?
Epstein: That was the other major factor. They
didn't receive direct threats, but they certainly
feared retribution and recrimination ahead of the
peacekeeping force. They certainly thought they were
the prime targets as the only foreigners left in East
Timor for the militias to attack ahead of the
peacekeeping force. And that was one of the major
factors that made them decide to pull out.
Beattie: A U-N spokesman just indicated to me just a
few moments ago that they hope to go back soon.
Epstein: There is no doubt the UNAMET staff here in
Darwin, including Ian Martin and chief spokesman,
David Wimhurst are absolutely itching to get back in
there and complete what they call their mission. They
say they were asked to set up a fledgling democracy in
East Timor and they want to do more than create a
fledgling democracy, they want to nurture it and
ensure it remains.
Beattie: I imagine they will be allowed to go back in
once the international peacekeepers are on the ground.
Epstein: They certainly plan to, they are certainly
pushing for the peacekeeping force to happen as soon
as possible, and they are certainly making
preparations to go back once that the international
peacekeeping force has made it safe for them to do
that.
Beattie: Rafeal, this again points out the front line
approach that Australia is taking for this whole East
Timor situation. Is Australia going to be the leading
element in this peacekeeping force?
Epstein: Without a doubt. Prime Minister John Howard
has said Australia will command his force. Australia
will provide a large number of troops on the ground.
Australia is in charge of this operation. The Prime
Minister has certainly been at the forefront of the
APEC meeting in New Zealand, forming the alliance of
friendly countries. So Australia certainly sees
itself as playing a major role and Australia certainly
sees this as a major regional crisis, right on its
back door.
NEB/GC/PLM
14-Sep-1999 02:26 AM EDT (14-Sep-1999 0626 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
