DATE=10/11/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=TIMOR - CLASH (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-254865
BYLINE=GARY THOMAS
DATELINE=DILI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Officials of the multinational peacekeeping
force in East Timor say they are still trying to sort
out the facts, after Sunday's incident in which they
say Australian peacekeepers came under fire from pro-
Jakarta militia members. VOA Correspondent Gary Thomas
reports from East Timor, Australian military officials
want to know if Indonesian troops participated in the
attack.
TEXT: Officials of the International Force for East
Timor - INTERFET - are awaiting an explanation from
Indonesian officers about Sunday's brief skirmish
along the border dividing East and West Timor.
Australian troops based in East Timor came under fire
while on patrol in the border area.
INTERFET spokesman Colonel Mark Kelly says pro-Jakarta
militiamen fired first and the peacekeepers returned
fire. Two militia members may have been injured, but
that remains unconfirmed.
The controversy is over the issue of whether troops of
the Indonesian army - called T-N-I - and the National
Police - known as POLRI - participated in the attack.
If so, it would be the first such clash between the
peacekeepers and the Indonesian army. Colonel Kelly
says Indonesian army and police officers were
accompanying the militiamen. One news report quotes
an Indonesian officer as saying his troops did, in
fact, fire on the INTERFET soldiers, because they had
crossed the border into West Timor.
But Colonel Kelly says Indonesian officers have
confirmed that the INTERFET troops were on the East
Timor side of the line.
/// KELLY ACT ///
The T-N-I officer on the ground confirmed that the
firing started from the Indonesian side. T-N-I and
POLRI were seen to be in the company of the militia
group that commenced the engagement. They have also
confirmed that it was in the East Timor area. We need
them to confirm who fired at INTERFET soldiers, we are
waiting for that report. We will see what follow-up
action is required once we have seen that.
/// END ACT ///
The incident was quickly defused. After a few minutes
of firing, Australian troops were able to negotiate
amicably with the Indonesian troops. Still, says
Colonel Kelly, the INTERFET troops will be taking
greater precautions while operating near the border
area.
East Timor voted overwhelmingly in August for
independence from Indonesia. The vote set off a
campaign of terror by the militias opposed to breaking
from Indonesia and sparked the creation of the
Australian-led peacekeeping force. (SIGNED)
NEB/GPT/FC/PLM
11-Oct-1999 03:06 AM EDT (11-Oct-1999 0706 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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