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Security Council members, Annan say Indonesia must work to stop militia in East Timor
11 August -- Following a briefing on recent militia attacks in East Timor, members of the Security Council today called on the Government of Indonesia to take measures to stop those responsible for the violence.

 Council President Agam Hasmy of Malaysia said the members called on the Government of Indonesia to "take effective measures to end cross-border incursions from West Timor, to disband and disarm the militia, and bring to justice those militia members guilty of crimes." He was addressing reporters at United Nations Headquarters in New York, following a closed-door briefing on two clashes between unidentified armed personnel and UN patrols which occurred yesterday afternoon near the village of Holibo in Suai District, some 30 kilometres from the border with West Timor.

 Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a statement today issued by his spokesman, also voiced his concern over the increase in activities by armed personnel, and said he expects the Government of Indonesia to take effective measures to prevent any infiltration into East Timor.

 The head of the UN mission in East Timor, Sergio Vieira de Mello, said today that it appears that "there are a few groups of fairly well-trained and well-coordinated militia operating in the district of Suai and Covalima, possibly having entered also the Ainaro district." He was speaking at a memorial service at Dili airport for the Nepalese peacekeeper killed in yesterday's clash. 

Four Nepalese soldiers and one civilian were wounded in the fighting, and one soldier, 26-year old Private Devi Ram Yaishi, later died. Mr. Yaishi's body was flown to Darwin, Australia, en route back to Nepal. Two of the other soldiers and the civilian wounded in the attack are in stable condition, while the third surviving soldier was slightly injured and has returned to his unit.

 The Council extended condolences to the family of the deceased, and to the Kingdom of Nepal, as did Mr. Annan in his statement.

 Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today that tensions remain high along the West Timor border. "We do not see a resumption of our repatriation operations in the next several days," UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond told reporters in Geneva.

 Mr. Redmond said that several dozen former militia gathered today in front of the UNHCR office in the border town of Atambua "taunting staff members and threatening to attack the premises." After several tense hours, Indonesian soldiers were called and the situation was brought under control.