East Timor information from three sources

I received this from one of my Asia lists.  While compilation of
editorials is long, the analyses before & after are interesting,
especially if juxtaposed with Chomsky's statement on the issue.
tom  hall

********

>From: CSEAS <cseas@hawaii.edu>
>Subject: East Timor information from three sources
>Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1999 17:10:35 -1000
>
>
>(1) From Robin Tatu, UHM History Dept.
>
>NORTHEAST ASIA PEACE AND SECURITY NETWORK
>*****   SPECIAL REPORT   *****
>
>Tuesday, September 7, 1999, from Berkeley, California, USA
>
>The United States Information Agency (USIA) distributed the
>following digest of international media reports on the violence
>in East Timor.  The digest includes items on PRC-Taiwan tensions,
>the expected DPRK missile test, and other regional security
>issues.  The digest is comprised of an overall summary followed
>by summaries of selected items.
>
>*****
>
>EAST TIMOR:  'A NIGHTMARE THAT CANNOT BE IGNORED'
>
>The weekend's events in the East Timorese capital of Dili and
>elsewhere in the province--where bands of armed, pro-Jakarta
>militias have rampaged for four straight days following the
>announcement Friday of last week's referendum on autonomy--
>provoked an outpouring of editorials from nearly all quarters of
>the globe.  Indonesian opinion aside, editorialists in all
>regions placed the blame for the killings of pro-independence
>Timorese firmly on the Indonesian government, which, they held,
>had done nothing to "rein in" the militias.  In debating what
>steps to take next, the overwhelming majority of commentators
>favored the deployment, "sooner, rather than later," of an armed
>UN peacekeeping force to East Timor.  A few, including writers in
>Hong Kong, New Zealand and Thailand, also advocated the
>suspension of World Bank and IMF assistance to Jakarta in order
>to force the Indonesian government "to honor its many pledges to
>maintain order and let East Timor have the freedom it chooses."
>A number of dailies--mostly in Europe--drew parallels between
>East Timor and Kosovo, and feared that the intervention of UN or
>other peacekeeping forces might be too late to prevent "genocide
>behind closed doors" and a spiraling civil war on the island.
>Following are highlights in the commentary:
>
>VIEWS FROM INDONESIA:  Nearly all major Indonesian dailies
>weighed in with their opinions on East Timor.  A fair number
>reacted defensively to the "outside world's" insistence that the
>Indonesian government should live up to its commitments to
>maintain security in East Timor.  Leading, independent Kompas, on
>the other hand, noted grudgingly that, "however galling such a
>blase stance may be," the Indonesian government should "do its
>best" to restore order in the territory, adding: "We should not
>forget that it was we who opened [the door]" to independence for
>East Timor.  In contrast, independent Media Indonesia, pro-
>government, Islamic-oriented Pelita and Muslim intellectual
>Republika, railed against "foreign interference" and criticism,
>and judged that such forces were intent on "thwarting" Indonesian
>President Habibie.  The leading, independent Jakarta Post stood
>alone in congratulating the East Timorese for their "courage" and
>"perseverance," and observed that "a free...and democratic East
>Timor" could make "a valuable contribution to the progress of the
>[Asia-Pacific] region."
>
>SUPPORT FOR UN INTERVENTION:  Arguing that if the international
>community delays too long, the "brutal cleansing of East Timor
>will have finished," editorial upon editorial called for the
>deployment of an armed UN peacekeeping force to maintain order in
>the province.  As one German paper put it:  "The determined and
>cruel way that the armed militia is slaughtering supporters of
>independence in East Timor shows that they are in a hurry to
>resolve the conflict on their terms before the UN or other
>international organizations can respond."  Dailies in Australia
>likewise stressed that "every hour of delay...is being measured
>in innocent lives," and urged the "immediate" stationing in East
>Timor of a "multinational security force...with or without the
>facade of a joint operation" with Indonesian security forces.
>Observers in Brussels and Bangkok lamented the "lack of U.S.
>leadership" on East Timor, but another Bangkok writer would not
>rule out the intervention of a U.S. "rapid deployment force" in
>East Timor.
>
>EDITOR:  Kathleen J. Brahney
>
>EDITOR'S NOTE:  This survey is based on 57 reports from 22
>countries, August 4 - 7.  The following editorial excerpts are
>grouped by region; editorials from each country are listed from
>the most recent date.
>
>EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC
>
>INDONESIA:  "Order, Security In East Timor Are Our
>Responsibilities"
>
>Leading independent Kompas insisted (9/7): "The UN, its branches,
>and certain countries have little interest in learning the
>details of the complicated situation [in East Timor].  The
>outside world's only interest is that Indonesia be responsible
>for security and order there.  No matter how galling such a blase
>stance may be, we cannot ignore the perceptions of the UN and
>other countries.  We must treat them seriously....  We must do
>our best to restore order and security in East Timor.  We have to
>lead the transition to independence that the East Timorese have
>chosen.  We should not forget that it was we who opened [the
>door] for that option."
>
>"Dili Burning, Let Us Reflect"
>
>Nationalistic Merdeka asked (9/7): "What is happening now that
>the United States and its lackey, Australia, are leaving?  'New
>colonial imperialist' forces conspire to destroy Indonesia's
>unity.  Now East Timor, with a population of less than a million
>people, has been liberated by the UN.  What is so sad is that no
>sooner had the pro-independence victory been announced than Dili
>was afire.  Hundreds died."
>
>"East Timor Free, Complications Await"
>
>Independent Media Indonesia stressed (9/6):  "History will note
>that East Timor is now free.  However, Indonesia is yet to be
>free from many questions.  It would be better to share such
>questions with international institutions.  Enjoying the fruits
>[in East Timor] also means the UN must deal with their [sticky]
>juices."
>
>"East Timor Opts For Independence"
>
>Financial-oriented Bisnis Indonesia had this view (9/6):  "There
>is no sense crying over spilled milk.  Whatever the Jakarta
>political process holds, we call on the East Timorese to exercise
>restraint, disarm, and begin a peaceful new life.  Both the
>government and the UN are responsible for maintaining security to
>prevent helpless civilians from continuously becoming victims of
>violence."
>
>"Aftermath Of East Timor Referendum"
>
>Ruling Golkar Party's Suara Karya maintained (9/6):  "To carry
>out the difficult responsibility [of maintaining security in East
>Timor], it is important [that Indonesia] cooperate with all
>parties, including the UN and foreign countries, to avoid
>exacerbating the situation."
>
>"The Nation Of 'Timor Leste' (East Timor)"
>
>Independent afternoon Berita Buana pointed out (9/6):  "[Pro-
>autonomy] militias increasingly control the eastern part of East
>Timor, raising the prospect of a civil war.  The many calls to
>deploy peacekeeping forces to [East Timor] are thus no surprise.
>But UN spokesman Joachim Huetter has confirmed that there is no
>such UN plan at this point."
>
>"Outcome Of East Timor Referendum"
>
>Pro-government, Islamic-oriented Pelita told its readers (9/6):
>"Sadness is perhaps the proper expression for our reaction to the
>poll giving pro-independence factions victory [in East Timor].
>So be it....  The 'defeat' of Indonesia, and particularly the
>pro-autonomy group, is due more to negative press and foreign
>interference--including by UNAMET personnel.  The foreign--and
>some local--media stressed Indonesia's mistakes rather than its
>positive accomplishments.  All this has compounded foreign
>countries' reasons for pressuring Indonesia.  Yet, we must remain
>committed to accepting the poll results....  Many difficult times
>still await us.  It is not only Indonesia, but all countries that
>have contributed to the state of affairs in East Timor--namely
>Portugal, the UN, Australia and the United States--that have an
>obligation to ensure security there."
>
>"Land Of East Timor Released"
>
>Armed Forces' daily ABRI underscored (9/6):  "Most Indonesians
>are disappointed with the poll results....  Perhaps, however, it
>is the best start for the East Timorese and the best choice for
>Indonesia.  As a country that values human rights and democracy,
>Indonesia can proclaim its superiority before the world.  We did
>not give mere lip service to releasing East Timor.  We did it.
>The United States and Europe, while claiming to be champions of
>democracy, always apply a double standard toward other
>countries."
>
>"New History Of East Timor"
>
>Muslim intellectual Republika asserted (9/6):  "It is ironic that
>advanced countries are now lining up to threaten Indonesia, which
>they regard as incapable of providing security in East Timor and
>in violation of human rights, among other things.  Indonesian
>politicians are awakening after a 'long sleep' during the New
>Order era.  The success of the pro-independence groups provides
>additional ammunition to heighten their barrage toward the
>government.  East Timor is a 'capital infusion' for thwarting
>Habibie, who had initiated a rational international diplomatic
>policy in the reform era."
>
>"Birth Of A Nation"
>
>The leading, independent, English-language Jakarta Post indicated
>(9/6): "Jakarta should realize that even the impression that it
>is assisting the militia or any other group of troublemakers for
>that matter, will hurt its reputation and credibility in the eyes
>of the world with possibly serious consequences for the country.
>As for the people of East Timor and their leaders, who have
>through all these years inspired courage and confidence in their
>fellow countrymen by their perseverance and integrity, our
>sincere congratulations are due.  Whatever Indonesians may feel
>about an independent East Timor, for this country and for this
>region as a whole, the best bet for securing stability and
>prosperity is by helping the elected leaders of the newly
>independent nation to ensure that peace and order are restored
>and maintained.  There can be little doubt that a free, peaceful
>and democratic East Timor can make a valuable contribution to the
>progress of this region."
>
>"East Timor And Our Cruel Illusions"
>
>An editorial in the government-oriented Indonesian Observer
>declared (9/6): "Most refused to accept [the referendum] as the
>genuine wish of the majority of East Timorese, who turned out in
>droves last Monday to make their wish known to the world.  They
>still maintain that the referendum result was the result of an
>international conspiracy against Indonesia....  Indonesia now
>stands accused of dragging its feet when it comes to putting an
>end to the violence and rampage perpetrated by the men of the
>United Front for the Autonomy of East Timor.  This is very bad
>for Indonesia's international reputation."
>
>AUSTRALIA:  "Race Against Genocide"
>
>The liberal Sydney Morning Herald ran (9/7) this front-page
>comment by foreign editor Hamish Macdonald (9/7):   "Every hour
>of delay by Prime Minister John Howard and other responsible
>leaders on the Indonesian military's outrage in East Timor is now
>being measured in innocent lives.  Jakarta should be told it must
>agree immediately to a multinational security force entering Dili
>and securing the streets, with or without the facade of a joint
>operation with the TNI [Indonesian army.]"
>
>"A Time To Show Leadership"
>
>The populist Daily Telegraph judged (9/7):  "It is Australia's
>responsibility to show leadership in the region and do everything
>in its power to stop the killing and allow a progression to full
>independence.  There should be an immediate review of the defense
>and security agreement between Australia and Indonesia which puts
>us in the hypocritical position of training Indonesian military
>that can be deployed in East Timor.  No more sitting on our
>hands:  We abandoned the Timorese once.  Let us not fail them
>now."
>
>"Australia's Choices"
>
>The liberal Melbourne Age featured this op-ed piece (9/7):  "The
>people of East Timor have decided emphatically.  And for that
>decision they are in mortal danger.  Now we must respond on their
>behalf.  Either we lead the push for an immediate peacekeeping
>presence or we risk abandoning the Timorese for a second time."
>
>"Indonesia's East Timor Obligations"
>
>The Brisbane Courier Mail (9/4) had this editorial view, "The
>most pressing need in East Timor is for order to be restored and
>this must begin with the disarming of the pro-Jakarta militia and
>any independence agitators who have been forced to strike back
>against violence.  U.S. Secretary of State Albright and the UN
>leadership have led the international outrage at Indonesia's
>refusal to deal with the street violence--and to stand idly by in
>some instances."
>
>JAPAN:  "Jakarta Must Honor Its Pledge"
>
>An editorial in liberal Mainichi asked (9/7):  "What has the
>Indonesian government done to stop violence of militias against
>pro-independence groups and normalize the situation in East
>Timor?...  President Habibie must immediately order the military
>and police to suppress the militias and normalize the situation
>in Dili.  Jakarta will have to ask the UN to intervene if its
>military cannot restore peace and order."
>
>"Indonesia Must Stop Bloodshed"
>
>Liberal Asahi editorialized (9/7):  "Whether or not Jakarta can
>stop bloodshed would have a profound effect politically and
>diplomatically on its future.  President Habibie and other
>Indonesian leaders will have to take all necessary measures as
>soon as possible to normalize the situation."
>
>HONG KONG:  "Why We Must Act To Prevent New Kosovo"
>
>The independent Hong Kong Standard indicated (9/7): "It is both
>fallacious and facetious for the Indonesian government and,
>especially, its military to keep saying they cannot control the
>militias now rampaging through East Timor.  The truth is that the
>militias are under the control of the armed forces and, in the
>nature of Indonesian culture, will obey if ordered to lay down
>their arms....
>
>"There are ways of getting Indonesia to do what is necessary.
>Withholding IMF funds is one way; Jakarta desperately needs
>financial help.  Threatening to try the leaders for genocide is
>another....  The situation calls for tough measures.  East Timor
>must not be allowed to become another Kosovo."
>
>"Price Of Freedom"
>
>The independent South China Morning Post's editorial stressed
>(9/7):  "Just what motivates the Indonesian government in the
>face of escalating violence in East Timor remains uncertain.  But
>the time has come for others to increase pressure on Jakarta to
>take, for a change, some honest and effective action....  The
>status quo is intolerable.  Other nations are reluctant to
>dispatch their own peacekeepers without an invitation from
>Jakarta.  But they should seek that permission actively and be
>ready to follow through.  Meanwhile, they should tell Jakarta
>that World Bank and other loans are blocked until the government
>honors its many pledges to maintain order and let East Timor have
>the freedom it chose."
>
>"From East Timor See The Double Standard Of The West"
>
>The centrist Hong Kong Daily News commented in its editorial
>(9/7): "Long before the voting, the pro-independence group and
>its opponents in East Timor have showed their determination to
>fight if they lose.  How could the UN not know about it?  In
>other words, the 'upheaval after voting' in East Timor is due to
>the poor deployment of the UN.  The UN cannot shun its
>responsibility....  Indonesia always relies on U.S. support.  In
>order to repay, Indonesia has made its effort in mopping-up
>communists starting from the era of Suharto up till now.  For
>this reason, when Indonesia invaded East Timor in 1975, the
>United States did not make any noise.  Indonesia is an 'ally' of
>the United States to contain China in the past and at present.
> >From the East Timor incident, we can see the ugly face of the
>international politics.  The West has adopted a double standard
>to humanitarian issues."
>
>NEW ZEALAND:  "East Timor Waits"
>
>The top-circulation, moderate New Zealand Herald argued (9/7):
>"Certainly nothing Indonesian leaders are hearing from regional
>capitals will convince them that words of condemnation are likely
>to be backed by action....  An international peace-enforcement
>force, whether we like it or not is what the East Timorese people
>need--not in a month or two, but right now."
>
>"Indonesia's Shame"
>
>Wellington's leading, conservative Dominion said (9/7):   "Mr.
>Habibie's government is seriously undermining Indonesia's
>reputation.  Financial pressures must be added to diplomatic
>effort to head off a developing disaster.  New Zealand
>must...express to Indonesia in the strongest possible terms our
>revulsion over events in East Timor and our dismay over
>Indonesia's indifference."
>
>"Last Chance For Diplomacy"
>
>The South Island's largest circulation, moderate Press indicated
>(9/7): "APEC is a forum to tell Indonesia plainly that its
>permissive pussyfooting in East Timor cannot go on....  None of
>Mr Habibie's problems are an excuse to treat him lightly over
>East Timor.  APEC's members must make clear to him that his
>government's prevarication cannot continue....  If Indonesia
>again refuses to rein in East Timor's rogue elements, the
>international community will have a license to act."
>
>PHILIPPINES:  "UN Force Too Little, Too Late"
>
>Publisher Max Soliven wrote in his column in the third leading
>Philippine Star (9/5):  "The Indonesian government, in a reversal
>of policy, is making noises about permitting UN peacekeeping
>forces to land in Dili, the capital of East Timor, to help
>enforce peace and order.  That offer sounds to me as phony as the
>prospect of a solid gold [Indonesian] rupiah.  If and when the UN
>manages to assemble, equip and dispatch a peacekeeping unit, it
>will be a case of too little, too late.
>
>"Indonesia Must Control Post-Election Turmoil" Rene Espina wrote
>in his column in the largest-circulation Manila Bulletin (9/5):
>"No one would ever believe that [Indonesia] could not stop nor
>disarm most of the pro-Indonesia militias that it created.  Since
>Indonesia is already in the middle of the process of giving East
>Timor independence, they might as well do a good job of it."
>
>SINGAPORE:  "East Timor Needs UN Force--Now"
>
>The pro-government Business Times told its readers (9/7):
>"Jakarta should order its ineffective security forces to leave
>East Timor and invite a UN-backed presence to take up the
>responsibility of maintaining order until the country's highest
>legislative body officially accepts the results of the ballot in
>November....  It is time for President Habibie to show leadership
>on this issue and use all his political influence to fight those
>who seem bent on destroying Indonesia's reputation as a mature
>and responsible regional power."
>
>SOUTH KOREA:  "East Timor's Future"
>
>Readers of conservative Chosun Ilbo saw this editorial (9/6):
>"Security is the most urgent issue facing East Timor, and we
>believe that a UN peacekeeping force is the answer for this.  The
>force needs to be sent there to secure and maintain security at
>least until East Timor gets full independence....   Indonesia's
>role continues to be critical.  So are the roles of the United
>States and other neighboring nations, including New Zealand and
>Australia."
>
>THAILAND:  "UN Must Hurry"
>
>The lead editorial of popular Siam Rath declared (9/7):  "We urge
>the UN Security Council to convene an urgent meeting to reach a
>resolution calling for an immediate deployment of peacekeeping
>troops in East Timor, and the sooner the better."
>
>"Don't Leave Timorese To Mercy Of Militias"
>
>The lead editorial of the independent, English language Nation
>urged (9/6): "Clearly, the UN and the global community can, and
>must, do more.  In this it will have to do without the United
>States.  Given the absence of U.S. leadership, other countries
>must lead.  Here, perhaps Australia can redeem itself."
>
>"A Kosovo In Indonesia"
>
>Pichian Kurathong made these points in elite Matichon (9/4):
>"Don't think an intervention in East Timor by a foreign force is
>far-fetched.  So long as the United States maintains its rapid
>deployment forces in the Pacific, it can always interfere by
>citing the catch-all justification of 'humanitarian reasons.'
>The best way out is for Indonesia to effectively rein in its
>militias and honor the results of the referendum."
>
>"Indonesia Must Be Held Responsible"
>
>The independent, English-language Nation featured this lead
>editorial (9/4):  "Indonesia still has time to demonstrate its
>goodwill.  Its future and its economic recovery could be put in
>jeopardy if the killings continue.  At the very least, the $43
>billion IMF-led rescue program could be further delayed.  It
>would be wise for Jakarta to ensure that the verdict of East
>Timor's voters is respected.  Then and only then will the
>international community come to grips with the huge dilemma that
>the world's fourth-largest country has encountered.  The incoming
>government should not fear that East Timor's independence will
>lead to the destruction of Indonesia's unitary state.  Rather the
>instability and continued bloodshed in East Timor will encourage
>separatist groups in other regions in Aceh or Irian Jaya to go
>their separate ways."
>
>    EUROPE
>
>PORTUGAL:  "No More Time For Timor"
>
>In an editorial in centrist Diario de Noticias, Francisco
>Azevdedo e Silva contended (9/7):  "U.S. Secretary of State
>Madeleine Albright declared yesterday that Indonesia has two
>choices in East Timor:  either put an end to the violence or
>request assistance of the international community.  But if
>Albright waits as long to act on this as it took to bring on this
>public pressure on the government of Indonesia...the brutal
>cleansing of Timor will have finished.  There is a time for
>diplomacy, but it does no good after the moment has arrived in
>which all can see that it will be too late.  Albright knows the
>cunning of the Indonesian clock, and that every minute of
>negotiation is a crime."
>
>"Inferno"
>
>Columnist Jorge Morais emphasized in mass-circulation 24 Horas
>(9/7):  "To imagine the bishop of Dili, in a state of shock,
>having witnessed the serene diocesan headquarters pillaged and
>burned, and the dead bodies of those who had taken refuge there--
>this should be enough to shake up any responsible statesman and
>make him obtain, from the UN, an immediate intervention on the
>island.  But now we see, however, how the Clintons of the world
>are more concerned with businesses that give them the money to
>buy cigars."
>
>"Can UNAMET Withdraw?"
>
>In centrist Diario de Noticias Luis Delgado averred (9/7):  "This
>is total madness: it is inconceivable, inhuman, disgraceful.  If
>UNAMET pulls out of Timor...then the UN, the Security Council and
>the secretary general should close up shop...and crawl into a
>hole.  Don't these gentlemen have any shame?...  Who was it that
>asked the Timorese to vote?  Who was it that guaranteed the
>Timorese they were assuming responsibility for the transition?...
>If UNAMET withdraws...then the Secretariat General is ripping up
>the New York accord and assuming responsibility for the genocide
>in Timor."
>
>BRITAIN:  "Indonesia's Shame"
>
>The conservative Times' editorial concluded (9/7):  "Jakarta
>should abide by the logic of its own stated position.  If, as
>Indonesia's police chief blithely claims, the situation in East
>Timor is indeed out of Jakarta's control, and if Indonesia's
>20,000 troops in East Timor really cannot be made to do what they
>pledged when the UN-sponsored referendum was planned in May, then
>Indonesia should gladly accept foreign help to ensure that East
>Timor gets its independence."
>
>"Jakarta Discredited"
>
>The liberal Guardian maintained (9/7):  "The choice for the
>international community is becoming increasingly stark.  Either
>summon up the collective will to intervene with an armed, UN-
>mandated peacekeeping force, or be content to witness the
>throttling at birth of the world's newest, democratic nation
>state."
>
>"Peak Of Horror Is Still To Come"
>
>According to an editorial in the centrist Independent (9/7):
>"When the UN pulls its last staffers out of Dili, it will
>represent a treacherous abandonment for the Timorese people.  The
>murders in East Timor are not just the work of mindless mobs.
>These are political killings, and must be acknowledged as such.
>If the Indonesian government wished to stop the massacres, it
>could do so at any time.  The television cameras which can bring
>the drama into our living rooms may be gone, but this is a
>nightmare that cannot be ignored."
>
>FRANCE:  "An Asian Kosovo"
>
>An editorial in left-of-center Le Monde asserted (9/7): "This
>tragedy has the makings of an 'Asian Kosovo,' with the UN
>paralyzed by a Chinese veto....  This is an emergency situation
>in which two countries bear a moral responsibility.  Portugal,
>which abandoned East Timor, and Australia, which recognized the
>annexation of the territory by Jakarta.  One would also be
>tempted to add the United States to the list, for its support of
>Soeharto....  It is up to these nations to create an intervention
>force to keep Indonesia from perpetrating new crimes against
>humanity."
>
>GERMANY:  "Indonesian Military Takes East Timor Hostage"
>
>Marita Tkalek pointed out in centrist Berliner Zeitung (9/7):
>"Not until November will Indonesia's expanded parliament meet to
>elect a new president, who will then form a new parliament.  Only
>then will it be possible to determine the consequences of the
>outcome of the referendum.  But that will be too late for the
>800,000 inhabitants of East Timor.  Their great hope is that a
>peacekeeping force will be deployed, and that the international
>community is ready and willing to show Indonesia, either by
>denying it love or money, that it will not accept the violence in
>East Timor."
>
>"Jakarta Refuses To Respect Referendum"
>
>Centrist Sueddeutsche Zeitung of Munich concluded (9/7):  "The
>result of the referendum on East Timor's independence should have
>been a reason for joy and hope....  It was the victory of normal
>people, of the disadvantaged, of those without rights--it was the
>stuff of democratic dreams.  But now it seems that the government
>in Jakarta--or the power apparatus there, or parts of it--refuses
>to respect the result of the referendum....  It is the
>responsibility of the international community to see that the
>reluctant Indonesians accept the clear will of the people of East
>Timor."
>
>"Slaughter In East Timor"
>
>Right-of-center Nuernberger Zeitung painted this scenario (9/7):
>"The determined and cruel way that the armed militia is
>slaughtering supporters of independence in East Timor shows that
>they are in a hurry to resolve the conflict on their terms before
>the UN or other international organizations can respond.  Their
>cynical reasoning is simple:  If they are unable to undo the
>referendum, then at least they can decimate the ranks of those
>who voted independence from Indonesia.  That is one way to
>correct the result of the referendum."
>
>  "Brutality In East Timor"
>
>Right-of-center Suedwest Presse of Ulm had this to say (9/7):
>"Is it now East Timor's turn?  In light of the brutal actions of
>the Indonesian terrorist gangs, the international community faces
>a familiar situation: Should the UN intervene militarily to
>prevent the expulsion and murder of the indigenous population, or
>should it close its eyes to it?  If the UN decides to sit and
>watch the murders, it will lose all respect.  Indonesia should be
>subjected to enormous pressure, and the population of East Timor
>should be protected, by UN troops if necessary."
>
>ITALY:  "Intervention?"
>
>Left-leaning, influential La Repubblica noted (9/7):  "Faced with
>the deterioration of the situation in East Timor, the United
>States is not ruling out an intervention by the international
>community.  Yesterday President Clinton called Australian Prime
>Minister Howard and reaffirmed his interest in Canberra's
>proposal to send soldiers to the island....  At least for the
>moment...the UN has decided to send only a high-level diplomatic
>delegation.... In the meantime, Portugal insists that a UN
>peacekeeping force intervene in East Timor....  The Holy See is
>not sitting still, either."
>
>"If The World Looks On"
>
>Pro-DS (leading government party) L'Unita front-paged this
>commentary (9/7) by Giandomenico Picco:  "The nation state has
>never been so challenged in the past ten years.  Now it's East
>Timor's turn....  When will the Indonesian government formally
>validate the vote for independence?  Or can we allow this
>experiment in democracy to be crushed in blood?  Whatever is
>chosen will have its cost."
>
>"An Ethnic Cleansing Against The Catholic People"
>
>Rome's conservative Il Tempo featured this front-page item (9/7)
>by Also Forbice:  "East Timor is now the Kosovo of Indonesia.  A
>country with a population of 800,000, with a Catholic majority,
>has been subjected for years to ferocious ethnic cleansing by
>terrible pro-Indonesian gangs....  Will the international
>community succeed in overcoming difficulties and diplomatic
>embarrassments and intervene along the Kosovo model?  It will not
>be an easy task, notwithstanding the fact that Secretary Albright
>talked about the need for the UN to intervene....  Anyway, we do
>hope that this time the pacifists at home will not spark a new
>anti-American campaign."
>
>SPAIN:  "Terror In East Timor"
>
>Barcelona's centrist La Vanguardia remarked (9/7):  "At this
>point, diplomatic efforts have as their principal objective
>putting pressure on the Indonesian government to accept an
>international peace force to curb the ongoing massacre.  But
>everything would seem to indicate that, in the end, it is the
>Indonesian army, which refuses to accept East Timor's
>independence, that is in control of the situation, and not the
>government in Jakarta."
>
>"Jakarta Cannot Be Trusted To Curb Violence"
>
>Liberal El Pais insisted (9/7):  "Jakarta cannot be trusted to
>curb the escalation of violence, nor will international pressure
>accomplish that end.  The UN Security Council's sending a mission
>of inquiry to Jakarta betrays division and fecklessness rather
>than a willingness to intervene on the UN's part.  In the name of
>human rights, and without the UN's agreement, the international
>community recently intervened in Kosovo.  There have been 200,000
>victims in East Timor since it was taken over by Indonesia 23
>years ago, but Timor is far, far away."
>
>  "East Timor:  Massacre With No Witnesses"
>
>Independent El Mundo judged (9/7):  "The ire of those opposed to
>independence is being directed at those who may be witnesses to
>their crimes.  Journalists and photographers have had to leave
>the country, thereby making impossible the presentation of
>graphic evidence of decapitated bodies lying in the streets and
>guaranteeing the impunity of the paramilitary murderers."
>
>BELGIUM:  "An Expected Bloodbath"
>
>Agnes Gorissen argued in independent Le Soir (9/7):  "Naivete,
>irresponsibility, hypocrisy?  Suddenly, the entire world is
>worried.  What is going on in East Timor is 'unacceptable' and
>'intolerable,' people say.  Jakarta had promised.  This is a
>belated concern faced with a bloodbath which was actually
>predictable since May 5, i.e., since the signing, under UN
>auspices, of an agreement between Indonesia and Portugal on a
>referendum for the self-determination of East Timor.  The former
>Portuguese colony's fate was sealed from the moment Lisbon
>accepted that the security of the ballot, of the territory, and
>of its inhabitants be trusted to Indonesia--the country which
>invaded East Timor in 1975, unilaterally annexed it the next
>year, and has ruled since then under the threat of its bayonets.
>To believe that this deal was going to work--that Jakarta's army
>was going to subdue its own accomplices--was a product of the
>wildest imagination....  Now, at last, the dispatching of a peace
>force is shaping up.  Not under the UN's aegis--the procedure is
>much too slow and the urgency too great.  It could be a force
>consisting of volunteers from a few countries, including
>neighboring Australia, with the UN blessing.  But how many dead,
>wounded, and displaced could we have avoided if we had drawn the
>lesson from the failures in Cambodia or in Rwanda, and if the
>international community had reacted, as NATO did it, although
>belatedly, in Kosovo?"
>
>"Five Years After Rwanda, Timor?"
>
>Asian affairs writer Philippe Paquet opined in conservative
>Catholic La Libre Belgique (9/7):  "Like in Rwanda in 1994, it is
>a genocide behind closed doors which is in the air in East Timor.
>Here as well, the tragedy was predictable--militias have been
>terrorizing the former Portuguese colony for months....  The
>UN...organized a referendum for self-determination for which the
>security conditions were so deplorable that it should have
>failed, had the people of Timor not been so courageous and so
>determined....  The Americans and their Atlantic Allies were
>severely blamed for having bypassed the UN during the Kosovo
>crisis.  But one can witness the same paralysis--or at least a
>similar pathetic passivity--of the UNSC today.  Australia and
>Europe claim that they are ready to intervene but that they do
>not have the authority to do so.  ASEAN...won't take the
>initiative either.  And as far as the United States is concerned,
>it seems to keep a very low profile for a country which trained
>the Indonesian generals.  In the meantime...the UN has put Timor
>to fire and the sword.  Without a prompt reaction, it will have
>the sad privilege of having created the conditions for another
>ethnic cleansing."
>
>CZECH REPUBLIC:  "Timor, A Hard Test For The World"
>
>Leading, right-of-center Mlada Fronta Dnes commented (9/7):  "It
>becomes more and more apparent that the difficult process of
>decolonization of the tormented East Timor will not be carried
>out as peacefully and reasonably as planned by the UN officials.
>The previous feeling of enthusiasm that citizens of a former
>Portuguese colony could, after 24 years of extraordinarily brutal
>Indonesian occupation, freely decide about their future, is now
>replaced by fear.  Fear of the spiraling spread of violence
>unleashed by the pro-Indonesian militia in the region, which
>could lead to genocide and protracted civil war.   The first few
>bloody days after the elections proved above all doubt that
>keeping the peace in Timor cannot be left in the hands of
>Indonesian politicians and army generals....
>
>  "A quick decision must be made on sending peacekeeping forces,
>even against the wishes of Indonesia.  Even then we cannot be
>sure that the forces will come in time, and that the world will
>not be facing another humanitarian catastrophe."
>
>NORWAY:  "Murder In East Timor"
>
>Independent Dagbladet held (9/7):  "While the UN and the
>international community are overburdened with Kosovo and the
>world's other regions of conflict, the process toward an
>independent East Timor has gone completely out of control....
>Right now there is little sense in discussing a UN force in East
>Timor.  It is Indonesia that in the first instance must stop the
>bloodbath, not least because the terror is a violent threat
>against the country's own move to a more democratic rule."
>
>"Planned Chaos In East Timor"
>
>Foreign affairs editor Erik Sagflaat commented in Social
>Democratic Dagsavisen Arbeiderbladet (9/7):  "The international
>community bears a great responsibility for what will happen in
>East Timor.  Indonesia must be made to realize that the price of
>continuing to let the militia play havoc freely will be very
>high.  If they understand that continued attacks will hit them
>hard economically, it may make the very money-conscious
>Indonesian officers think twice.  If it's still no use, it will
>be necessary for the UN Security Council to adopt sending an
>international force to East Timor to create the necessary
>security for the population."
>
>POLAND:  "Perfidious Scenario"
>
>Stanislaw Grzymski offered this commentary in the centrist
>Rzeczpospolita (9/7): "Almost 80 percent of the Timorese chose
>independence even though Jakarta had been sending warning signals
>to the pro-independence proponents:  If you want independence,
>then you will have it, but you will be totally dependent on
>yourselves, without cadres and financial means; we are washing
>our hands of it.  Despite this, the people of Timor gave a firm
>response:  yes to independence, no to autonomy.  But then another
>scenario was triggered, one that is perfidious and cruel.  After
>the events of Bosnia and Kosovo, decision-makers in Jakarta know
>that the United Nations is not very efficient and that there will
>be no NATO intervention.  Indonesia is obviously trying to keep
>East Timor.  The loyalists representing the Muslim migrants from
>the overpopulated Java are to do the dirty work.  The anti-
>independence militants, armed by the Indonesian Armed Forces, are
>using terror to force the native population, mostly Christians,
>to give in.  If the United Nations does not take decisive steps
>and do it immediately, we may be witnessing a great tragedy."
>
>  SOUTH ASIA
>
>INDIA:  "Breaking Free"
>
>The centrist Times of India opined (9/6):  "By overwhelmingly
>rejecting the Indonesian government's proposals for autonomy, the
>people of East Timor have taken a crucial step towards
>independence for their homeland....  Of course, the process from
>now on is not going to be particularly peaceful.  Armed militias
>with links to the Indonesian army have vowed to prevent East
>Timor from breaking free.  Presumably, the UN will have to deepen
>its involvement; an international peacekeeping force will most
>probably have to be deployed fairly rapidly, armed with an
>appropriate UNSC mandate....  Indonesia is currently undergoing a
>democratic transition but the quality and robustness of the final
>outcome is as yet unknown.  If it establishes a vibrant and
>pluralist democracy, the appeal of secessionism is bound to
>diminish.  But if it doesn't, there is bound to be more violence
>and instability in the future.  And more East Timors."
>
>  PAKISTAN:  "The Difference Between East Timor And Kashmir"
>
>An editorial in sensationalist, Urdu-language Ummat observed
>(9/7):  "Very few people know that the United States and the UN
>took special interest in the referendum in East Timor.  Why?
>Ninety percent of the...population of East Timor consists of
>Roman Catholics and the island is considered to be a poor state.
>This combination of poverty and the Christian religion offered a
>great charm to earn U.S. sympathy and interest--for the United
>States and other Christian countries it is attractive to have
>access to an independent state on the borders of the largest
>Islamic country of the world.  It removes hurdles and opens the
>path for pursuing the goals of the United States' New World
>Order.  The interest shown by the UN in East Timor has once again
>exposed the dual standards with which it treats the Muslim and
>the non-Muslim world."
>
>WESTERN HEMISPHERE
>
>CANADA:  "UN Stands Idle To Killing, Yet Again"
>
>Under the sub-heading, "Add East Timor to its record of
>significant failures," former Canadian Ambassador Graham N. Green
>observed in the conservative National Post (9/7):  "We may be
>witnessing the final demise of the United Nations Security
>Council.  For what else can you conclude after watching the
>Council's total and abject failure to deal effectively with the
>anarchy and murder that is consuming East Timor in the wake of
>that territory's overwhelming vote for independence?  If ever
>there was an example of the Council's complete emasculation, this
>must surely be it....  There have been other significant failures
>of the Security Council, including Somalia, Bosnia, Rwanda and
>Angola.  It was bypassed when NATO intervened in Kosovo.  It has
>stood on the sidelines while others have tried to settle various
>African conflicts.  It continues to have virtually no role in the
>search for peace in the Middle East.  And now its impotence over
>East Timor is plain for all to see.  If the Security Council will
>not take effective action to protect East Timor, what moral
>authority does it have left?"
>*******************************
>
>(2) From Bron Solyom, Hamilton Library
>
>Unmasking the interests behind the pro-Jakarta militias Status: RO
>Article for The Age
>Unmasking the interests behind the pro-Jakarta militias
>By George J. Aditjondro
>
> >Last Wednesday, 5 May, the autonomy proposal of Indonesia for East Timor
> >was signed in Jakarta and Lissabon. In three months time, the East
> >Timorese will cast their votes in a UN-supervised 'direct ballot' whether
> >to accept or reject that proposal. A rejection, will automatically return
> >control over the territory to Portugal, to continue the decolonisation
> >process aborted by the Indonesian invasion, more than 23 years ago.
>
> >Unfortunately, thousands of Indonesian troops and Indonesian-armed 
>militia
> >forces are currently roaming the streets in the towns and villages of 
>East
> >Timor, to force the people to accept that autonomy proposal, after 
>killing
> >hundreds of villagers and refugees in Alas, Liquica, Dili, and other
> >places during the last six months, and injuring hundreds others.
>
> >During the Bali summit with Acting President, B.J. Habibie, Prime 
>Minister
> >John Howard failed to emphasise to his counterpart the urgency to disarm
> >those thugs and to withdraw the Indonesian troops, to create the 
>necessary
> >conditions for the UN-supervised ballot. Or, for that matter, to 
>guarantee
> >the safety of the UN personnel on the ground, which will include at least
> >fifty Australian police agents.
>
> >On the subject of these militias, our media tend to provide an image, as
> >if the presence of these military-backed militias, simply reflect some
> >splits within the ranks of the Indonesian government. Namely, between the
> >good-willing Indonesian civilian president, Dr. B.J. Habibie, and the
> >difficult-to-read Indonesian armed forces commander, General Wiranto. Or,
> >deriving from Foreign Minister Alexander Downer's famous comment,
> >divisions between "rogue elements" among the Indonesian army in East
> >Timor, and General Wiranto who seems to be 100% behind the transitional
> >president.
>
> >This image is, I believe, very inaccurate. It completely overlooks the
> >economic interests of the Jakarta oligarchy on the island of Timor, which
> >cause this closely knit clique of former and active army generals and
> >their families to abuse the fears of a handful of East Timorese leaders,
> >who themselves have stuffed their pockets during their more than two
> >decades of collaboration with Jakarta. Let me now briefly outline those
> >business interests.
>
> >First of all, East Timor is the Indonesian "province" with the second
> >largest landholdings under control of the Soeharto family, namely 564,867
> >hectares. CNRT, the umbrella organisation of the East Timorese 
>resistance,
> >has made it clear, last March, that they plan to seize the millions of
> >dollars worth of these properties, after independence has been obtained
> >(Sydney Morning Herald, 30 March).
>
> >These landholdings stretch from the Western border to the Eastern tip of
> >East Timor, consisting of a 50,000 hectares timber plantation allocated 
>to
> >Bob Hasan, one of the Soeharto family's business operators, to tens of
> >thousands of hectares of sugarcane plantations awarded to the kids on the
> >Southern coast, stretching from Suai to Viqueque and to Los Palos in the
> >district of Lautem. In addition, the best marble deposits in Manatuto, 
>has
> >been awarded to Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, Soeharto's eldest daughter, who
> >also has a monopoly over coffee production and export from East Timor,
> >through a company of hers in Dili.
>
> >These Soeharto interests are closely intertwined with the business
> >interests of other generals who had served under Soeharto, both during 
>the
> >Seroja Operation to invade and annex East Timor, as well as in other
> >military operations. Batara Indra, an Indonesian conglomerate backed by
> >Ret. Generals Benny Moerdani and Dading Kalbuadi, the mastermind behind
> >the killings of Australian-based journalists in Balibo and Dili, controls
> >the sandalwood forests of East Timor, and the production of sandalwood 
>oil
> >for export to produce sandalwood perfumed soap in France and sandalwood
> >powder for incense sticks for export to East Asia. Batara Indra also
> >exports Buddhist statues to Taiwan and Catholic statues to Italy, made
> >from East Timorese sandalwood and marble.
>
> >Most of the hotels and the only cinema in Dili, are owned by Batara 
>Indra,
> >while all the large construction firms in Dili, which are involved in all
> >the large infrastructure projects, including building the irrigation
> >canals and ditches for Indonesian "transmigrants", either belong to Benny
> >Moerdani's Batara Indra Group, or to the Anak Liambau Group of the
> >Jakarta-appointed governor, Jose Abilio Osorio-Soares.
>
> >Supply of cement is now problem to all those contractors. Because two
> >companies close to the Soehartos are their main suppliers: the Djajanti
> >Group cement factory on the island of Seram, north of Timor, which is
> >headed by a son of Ret. General Try Sutrisno, Soeharto's former vice
> >president, and the cement factory near Kupang on West Timor, which is
> >owned by Ret. General Arnold Baramuli, whose son co-owns the alcohol
> >sticker company of Soeharto's grand-son, Ari Haryo Wibowo.
>
> >The governor's family is also closely intertwined with the Soeharto
> >family's businesses. Gil Alves, a brother-in-law of Governor Abilio,
> >operates the alcohol sticker monopoly of Ari Haryo Wibowo, also known as
> >Ari Sigit. In addition, as the chairperson of Yayasan Hati, a charity of
> >former East Timorese collaborators during the Seroja Operation, Gil Alves
> >is also involved in a drinking water company, Aquamor, and a textile
> >company, PT Dilitex, which are closely linked with Siti Hediati Haryadi,
> >Soeharto's middle daughter who is married to the sacked General Prabowo
> >Subianto.
>
> >Now, looking at the who-is-who of the pro-integration militia and their
> >leaders in East Timor, it is not difficult to find their links to the
> >Soeharto family, or, to their own land-grabbing practices in East Timor.
>
> >On top of the list is certainly Governor Abilio Osorio-Soares himself,
> >formerly a protegee of General Prabowo Subianto, when the latter was 
>still
> >the top person in the Indonesian army's special forces, Kopassus. Then 
>you
> >have Basilio Araujo, the spokeperson of the pro-integration forces, who
> >graduated from the U.K. and is the deputy head of the provincial
> >investment board (BKPMD), the body which makes the decision on who is
> >allowed to invest in what field and where in East Timor.
>
> >Next follows to former district heads in the border area, Joao Tavares,
> >who had been involved in the border raids under then Colonel Dading
> >Kalbuadi, and who as bupati (district head) of Maliana, took over many
> >landholdings vacated by East Timorese who fled to Australia and Portugal.
> >On the same level is Rui Lopes, the former district head of Covalima,
> >whose hobby, apart from collecting landholdings, is also to collect 
>horses
> >and cattle. On a visit of Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana to Suai, the capital of
> >Covalima, Rui Lopes took Mrs. Rukmana to see the old oil wells in Suai
> >Loro, south of the capital, near the coast and near one of Rui Lopes'
> >horse stables.
>
> >Even the current army commander of East Timor, Colonel Tono Suratman 
>(born
> >in 1952), smacks of Soeharto connections. His family are the co-owners of
> >a pearling company, PT Kima Surya Lestari Mutiara, with General Prabowo
> >Subianto's wife. This company has pearl diving operations offshore Flores
> >and Lombok, west of Timor. Due to its high-level connections, this
> >Suratman-Prabowo joint venture was allowed to operate within the
> >boundaries of the Komodo national park, without even paying any royalties
> >to the Nusa Tenggara Timur province.
>
> >Lest we forget, Francisco Lopes da Cruz, the head of the new "Timor
> >Lorosae Front" is also not free from Soeharto family connections. Two
> >years ago, together with another East Timorese collaborator, the
> >Lissabon-based former Fretilin leader, Abilio Araujo, he has been 
>promised
> >to become a shareholder of a new cement factory to be built in Los Palos,
> >using the electricity from a new hydropower plant to be built in the
> >vicinities. The Indonesian counterpart of this cement factory is Budi
> >Prakoso, whose brother, Setiawan Djody, was involved in Tommy Suharto's
> >Lamborghini deal. The patron of this proposed cement factory is Mrs.
> >Rukmana herself, Soeharto's former de facto foreign minister.
>
> >In other words, the entire top brass of the Indonesian army and civilian
> >bureaucracy in East Timor are closely interlinked with the former inner
> >circle of Soeharto, which has in turn be taken over by his successor,
> >Habibie. Even Wiranto is not free from Soeharto connections, since all 
>the
> >army charities which are now under his patronage, are co-shareholders of
> >many of the Soeharto family's timber concessions and telecommunication
> >companies.
>
> >One may ask, though, isn't East Timor such a small piece of the economic
> >pie, compared with all the other Indonesian provinces? The answer is yes,
> >because the Soeharto family still control nine million hectares of
> >landholdings all over Indonesia, as large as the island of Java. The
> >bottom-line is, that the landholdings in East Timor overlap with the 
>three
> >known oil wells from the Portuguese time, namely Suai Loro in Covalima,
> >Aliambata in Viqueque, and Pualaca in Manatuto. And between those three
> >wells lie vast untapped oil reserves as well.
>
> >The Soeharto family had also made their preparations to venture into the
> >Timor Sea reserves. Last year, a new oil company was set up in Perth,
> >called Genindo Western Petroleum Pty. Ltd., which is partly owned but
> >directed by Bambang Trihatmodjo, Soeharto's middle son. Bambang and his
> >younger brother Tommy also own two Singapore-based oil and gas tanker
> >fleets, who are plying the seas between Indonesia and Northeast Asia, and
> >who would eagerly be involved in a similar trade between the Timor Gap 
>and
> >those rich Asian customers. In addition, Bambang is also co-owner of PT
> >Elnusa, which is involved in building a base camp for the oil companies
> >and related petro-chemical industries on either West or East Timor.
>
> >Tommy, in addition to his tanker fleet, has his own aircharter company
> >which has been waiting to chip into the Timor Gap wealth, where three
> >wells -- Elang, Kakatua, and Kakatua North -- have already been producing
> >33,000 barrels of oil per day since July, last year. And many of the
> >Soeharto clan business partners in Indonesia's oil and gas fields, such 
>as
> >Mobil Oil, are also active in the Timor Sea, which could lead them into
> >further joint ventures in this part of the world.
>
> >This is why the Jakarta oligarchy -- with the strong support from their
> >East Timorese collaborators -- are so keen in undermining a free and fair
> >vote to determine East Timor's future political status.
>
> >After signing the autonomy package, the Habibie-Wiranto government has
> >received a further boost to support the militias, in a more official way.
> >Under the pretext of "socialising the autonomy package", the
> >Jakarta-appointed governor has already allocated Rp 6 billion (roughly A$
> >3000) for each district. Now, the Interior, Foreign Affairs, and Defense
> >Departments have received a further blessing from Habibie to allocate
> >funds to the pro-integration factions in East Timor, and turn a blind-eye
> >in how they are going to "socialise" that autonomy package.
>
> >Learning probably from Milosevic's stubborn tactic to partition Kosovo, I
> >believe that behind the militia tactics in East Timor there seems to hide
> >a strategy to partition East Timor into a western half which support
> >continued links with Indonesia and an eastern part that would be allowed
> >to become independent. A partition, that would roughly follow the lines 
>of
> >the 'oil-rich' and 'oil-poor' parts of East Timor.
>
> >Or, a strategy that would allow the entire territory to obtain its
> >political independence, as long as the landholdings of the Soeharto 
>family
> >and their East Timorese collaborators would be respected by an 
>independent
> >East Timor state, and not be seized by the new government or by those
> >properties rightful, traditional landowners.
>
> >So, without a strong UN peace keeping force, and without the disarming of
> >pro-Jakarta militias and the complete withdrawal of Indonesian troops, I
> >am afraid that one of those scenarios may be materialised.
>
> >Dr. George J. Aditjondro is a lecturer at the Department of Sociology and
> >Anthropology at the University of Newcastle. His new book, "Is Oil 
>Thicker
> >than Blood? A Study of Oil Companies Interests and Western Complicity in
> >Indonesia's Annexation of East Timor" is going to be published by Nova
> >Science in the USA, this month.
>************************************************************
>(3) From Paul Rausch, CKS
>
>From Allan Nairn.  His updates on the East Timor story can be found at
><http://www.pacifica.org/>http://www.pacifica.org/.
>
>
>While the Indonesian military's thugs continue their rampage in
>      East Timor, most foreign reporters have fled the country. As of
>      September 7, frequent Nation contributor and award-winning
>      journalist Allan Nairn was believed to be the only US reporter
>      still there. Nairn left the besieged UN compound and walked the
>      streets of Dili, where he hid in abandoned houses as he observed
>      troops and militia burning and looting. Nairn has been writing
>about the troubles there for years. In 1991, after being badly
>      beaten by Indonesian troops while witnessing the massacre of
>      several hundred East Timorese, he was declared a "threat to
>      national security" and banned from the country. He has entered
>      several times illegally since then. In his most recent Nation
>      dispatch from East Timor, on March 30, 1998, Nairn disclosed the
>      continuing US military training of Indonesian troops implicated in
>      the torture and killing of civilians. He filed this report by
>      satellite telephone to The Nation through Amy Goodman, host of
>      Pacifica Radio's Democracy Now!
>
>      --The Editors
>        ______________________________________________________________
>In The Nation, Sept. 99
>
>      Dili, East Timor
>
>      It is by now clear to most East Timorese and a few Westerners still
>      left here that the militias are a wing of the TNI/ABRI, the
>      Indonesian armed forces. Recently, for example, I was picked up by
>      militiamen who turned out to be working for a uniformed colonel of
>  the National Police. [Editors' note: The Indonesian government has
>      denied any connection between the militias and either the police or
>      the military.] But there is another important political fact that
>      is not known here or in the international community. Although the
>      US government has publicly reprimanded the Indonesian Army for the
>      militias, the US military has, behind the scenes and contrary to
>      Congressional intent, been backing the TNI.
>
>      US officials say that this past April, as militia terror escalated,
>      a top US officer was dispatched to give a message to Jakarta. Adm.
>      Dennis Blair, the US Commander in Chief of the Pacific, leader of
>      all US military forces in the Pacific region, was sent to meet with
>      General Wiranto, the Indonesian armed forces commander, on April 8.
>      Blair's mission, as one senior US official told me, was to tell
>      Wiranto that the time had come to shut the militia operation down.
>      The gravity of the meeting was heightened by the fact that two days
>      before, the militias had committed a horrific machete massacre at
>      the Catholic church in Liquiça, Timor. YAYASAN HAK, a Timorese
>      human rights group, estimated that many dozens of civilians were
>      murdered. Some of the victims' flesh was reportedly stuck to the
>  walls of the church and a pastor's house. But Admiral Blair, fully
>      briefed on Liquiça, quickly made clear at the meeting with Wiranto
>      that he was there to reassure the TNI chief. According to a
>      classified cable on the meeting, circulating at Pacific Command
>      headquarters in Hawaii, Blair, rather than telling Wiranto to shut
>      the militias down, instead offered him a series of promises of new
>      US assistance.
>
>      According to the cable, which was drafted by Col. Joseph Daves, US
>      military attaché in Jakarta, Admiral Blair "told the armed forces
>      chief that he looks forward to the time when [the army will] resume
>      its proper role as a leader in the region. He invited General
>      Wiranto to come to Hawaii as his guest in conjunction with the next
>      round of bilateral defense discussions in the July-August '99 time
>      frame. He said Pacific command is prepared to support a subject
>      matter expert exchange for doctrinal development. He expects that
>      approval will be granted to send a small team to provide technical
>      assistance to police and...selected TNI personnel on crowd control
>      measures."
>
>Admiral Blair at no point told Wiranto to stop the militia
>      operation, going the other way by inviting him to be his personal
>      guest in Hawaii. Blair told Wiranto that the United States would
>      initiate this new riot-control training for the Indonesian armed
>      forces. This was quite significant, because it would be the first
>      new US training program for the Indonesian military since 1992.
>      Although State Department officials had been assured in writing
>      that only police and no soldiers would be part of this training,
>      Blair told Wiranto that, yes, soldiers could be included. So
>      although Blair was sent in with the mission of telling Wiranto to
>      shut the militias down, he did the opposite.
>
>      Indonesian officers I spoke to said Wiranto was delighted by the
>      meeting. They took this as a green light to proceed with the
>      militia operation. The only reference in the classified cable to
>      the militias was the following: "Wiranto was emphatic: as long as
>      East Timor is an integral part of the territory of Indonesia, Armed
>      Forces have responsibility to maintain peace and stability in the
>      region. Wiranto said the military will take steps to disarm
>      FALINTIL pro-independence group concurrently with the WANRA militia
>  force. Admiral Blair reminded Wiranto that fairly or unfairly the
>      international community looks at East Timor as a barometer of
>      progress for Indonesian reform. Most importantly, the process of
>      change in East Timor could proceed peacefully, he said."
>
>      So that was it. No admonition. When Wiranto referred to disarming
>      the WANRA force, he was talking about another militia force,
>      different from the one that was staging attacks on Timorese
>      civilians. When word got back to the State Department that Blair
>      had said these things in a meeting, an "eyes only" cable was
>      dispatched from the State Department to Ambassador Stapleton Roy at
>      the embassy in Jakarta. The thrust of this cable was that what
>      Blair had done was unacceptable and that it must be reversed. As a
>      result of that cable from Washington to Roy, a corrective phone
>      call was arranged between General Wiranto and Admiral Blair. That
>      call took place on April 18.
>
>      I have the official report on that phone call, which was written by
>      Blair's aide, Lieut. Col. Tom Sidwell. According to the account of
>      the call and according to US military officials I spoke to, once
>again Blair failed to tell Wiranto to shut the militias down. In
>      fact, Blair instead permitted Wiranto to make, in essence, a
>      political speech saying the same thing he had said before. Here is
>      one passage from the account: "General Wiranto denies that TNI and
>      the police supported any one group during the incidents"--meaning
>      during the military attacks. "General Wiranto will go to East Timor
>      tomorrow to emphasize three things:...Timorese, especially the two
>      disputing groups, to solve the problem peacefully with dialogue; 2)
>      encourage the militia to disarm; 3) make the situation peaceful and
>      solve the problem." At no point did Blair demand that the militias
>      be shut down, and in fact this call was followed by escalating
>      militia violence and increases in concrete, new US military
>      assistance to Indonesia, including the sending in of a US Air Force
>      trainer just weeks ago to train the Indonesian Air Force.
>
>      Allan Nairn
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Center for Southeast Asian Studies
>1890 East-West Rd., Moore 416
>University of Hawaii
>Honolulu, HI 96822
>
>

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