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21 March 2000

U.S. Calls on Indonesian Military to End Support for Timor Militias

(Soderberg says Jakarta must honor its pledges now) (470)
By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent
United Nations -- At a United Nations Security Council meeting March
21 on the situation in East Timor, U.S. Ambassador Nancy Soderberg
called on the Indonesian Government to ensure an end to all militia
activity along East Timor's border by disarming and disbanding militia
groups that have been attacking both UN personnel and East Timor
civilians.
"The Indonesian military as an institution has done little to address
the recent militia attacks against United Nations personnel and East
Timor civilians," she said, and "we're deeply disturbed by the reports
... of the Indonesian military's continued support for the militias
operating in West Timor refugee camps and along the East-West border."
The United States has repeatedly urged the Indonesian Government to
disarm and disband the militia groups, Soderberg said.
"We have been given assurances that these steps would be taken yet we
have yet to see decisive action occurring," she continued.
Soderberg insisted that "Indonesia must disarm and disband the hard
core militia and move them, especially their leaders, away from East
Timor."
The Indonesian government "must also reassign remaining East Timorese
members of the Indonesian army to other parts of Indonesia and end any
military collaboration with the militias," she said.
Calling the situation in East Timor "unacceptable," Soderberg said the
Security Council should hold another session soon to address the
matter.
Soderberg said she did find positive news coming out of East Timor,
however, saying the United States welcomes the news of a recent
increase in the numbers of East Timorese returning.
The U.N. reports that more than 153,000 East Timorese refugees have
returned and have been reintegrated into their original communities
without incident. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has
estimated that about half of the total remaining refugees of 100,000
wish to return to East Timor.
The ambassador said that the United States has provided over $20
million in 1999 for a wide range of humanitarian and refugee needs. In
2000, the U.S. intends to contribute an additional $49 million in
multilateral and bilateral humanitarian assistance including aid to
East Timorese refugees still in the camps in East Timor. It is also
contributing a total of $4.9 million to the UNTAET Trust Fund and the
World Bank's Reconstruction Trust Fund.
She urged Indonesia to hold to its stated deadlines for ending support
to the East Timorese refugees currently in West Timor, and to close
the refugee camps in West Timor by the end of June.
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
usinfo.state.gov)