DATE=9/24/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=TIMOR - PENTAGON - L
NUMBER=2-254304
BYLINE=JIM RANDLE
DATELINE=PENTAGON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Defense Secretary William Cohen heads to
Indonesia next week to urge the military and
government there to restrain violence in the troubled
territory of East Timor, and to cooperate with the U-N
peacekeeping mission that is now moving into place.
The Australian-led force is beginning to calm the
deadly strife in the East Timor capital, Dili. V-O-
A's Jim Randle reports from the Pentagon.
TEXT: Top Pentagon officials say Defense Secretary
William Cohen will press Indonesian President B-J
Habibie and military chief, General Wiranto, for
democratic and military reforms following the violence
in East Timor. Mr. Cohen is also set to meet with
several Indonesian opposition leaders, though Pentagon
officials declined to say which ones.
Washington suspended all military programs with
Jakarta September 9th after Indonesian soldiers failed
to stop rampaging militias that killed pro-
independence civilians in the former Portuguese colony
of East Timor. It is still not clear how many
people died in the pro-Indonesia revenge attacks. But
human rights groups accuse Indonesia's military of
supporting and sometimes participating in the
violence.
This week an Australian-led peacekeeping force began
operating in East Timor. The commander of all U-S
forces in the Pacific, Admiral Dennis Blair, says the
foreign troops are beginning to stop the bloodshed.
/// ADM DENNIS BLAIR ///
It has restored a measure of order, in Dili,
although the job is not yet compete. The job of
establishing a secure environment takes time and
its working on it. The trend is positive. It
is moving quickly into the next step, which is
providing humanitarian assistance the many
refugees and displaced persons in the East Timor
area.
/// END ACT ///
Feeding those hungry people is the job of relief
worker Phil Maher (prono: mar) who says there is a
serious food shortage in East Timor because persistent
violence has blocked all but a trickle of food aid to
Dili.
/// MAHER ACT ///
It is very hard for us to get out into the
countryside to distribute food, when we are
having to dodge bullets. To do a proper
distribution, you need a certain level of
security, or at the very least you need to have
a security force with you, to help protect your
self, your staff as well as your goods.
/// END ACT ///
In a V-O-A interview from Dili, Mr. Maher said the
peacekeeping forces used helicopters and armored
personnel carriers in a large, coordinated operation
to seek out and arrest militia leaders for the first
time Friday.
U-S officials say Defense Secretary William Cohen's
trip to Indonesia will not take him to East Timor
because the peacekeeping force has enough to do
without guarding high level visitors.
/// REST OPT ///
Mr. Cohen's eight-day journey will also take him to
Australia, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines.
On the stop in Manila he will discuss a new agreement
that allows U-S forces to train in that nation. He
will also commend Thai officials for making a major
contribution to the East Timor peacekeeping force.
(Signed).
NEB/JR/ENE/JO
24-Sep-1999 16:36 PM EDT (24-Sep-1999 2036 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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