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DATE=10/12/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=INDONESIA / AUSTRALIA / TIMOR (L)
NUMBER=2-254900
BYLINE=COLIN LOVETT
DATELINE=JAKARTA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO:  Indonesian Military Chief General Wiranto has 
visited the area along the East and West Timor border 
where Australian led peacekeeping forces clashed with 
Indonesian troops last Sunday.  As V-O-A's Colin 
Lovett reports from Jakarta, the incident has further 
strained ties between Jakarta and Canberra.
Text:  General Wiranto went to view the site of 
Sunday's clash and to hear Indonesian soldiers' views 
on the incident.  A military spokesman says about 500 
additional Indonesian soldiers will be deployed to the 
border in the wake of the clash, which Jakarta has 
blamed on Australian peacekeeping troops.
But General Wiranto is quoted by the Reuter News 
Agency as telling reporters he will suggest joint 
border patrols with the multinational peacekeeping 
forces, to prevent future clashes.
A spokesman for the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, 
Sulaiman Abdulmanan, says Indonesian police fired 
first on Sunday, but only warning shots aimed at 
alerting the Australian soldiers to stay away from the 
border.  He also rejected assertions by the Australian 
led-peacekeeping force that Indonesian soldiers and 
pro-Indonesia militia members may have been involved 
in the battle.
            // SULAIMAN ACT // 
      So I have to deny this, it is not the militia.  
      It was an Indonesian police force on the border.  
            // END ACT //
Australia and Indonesia also disagree on where the 
incident took place.  Jakarta says its troops were in 
West Timor, while the Australian-led peacekeeping 
force says the fighting took place in East Timor.  
Both sides say they are planning a full investigation.
Meanwhile, a committee in Indonesia's highest 
legislative body, the People's Consultative Assembly, 
has begun debate on whether to grant East Timor 
independence.  Some assembly members have cast doubt 
on the New York agreement that set up the framework 
for East Timor's August 30th referendum that resulted 
in a vote for independence.
Indonesia's foreign ministry spokesman Mr. Sulaiman 
says the New York agreement was legal and the 
government of President B-J Habibie will seek 
ratification of the August referendum.
            // SULAIMAN ACT //
      The government is working very hard to lobby the 
      Assembly, because we want to fulfill this 
      agreement.  It is an international agreement, so 
      we have to fulfill this agreement.
            // END ACT //
He adds that the government hopes the assembly will 
vote unanimously in favor of ratification, despite 
strong criticism by some members of Mr. Habibie's 
decision to allow the referendum to take place.  It is 
not clear when the full assembly will vote on the 
matter.   (SIGNED)
NEB/CBL/FC/RAE
12-Oct-1999 07:50 AM EDT (12-Oct-1999 1150 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.