U.N. to abandon compound in East Timor

Refugee crisis worsens; talks under way in Jakarta

September 8, 1999
Web posted at: 8:19 HKT (1219 GMT)

DILI, East Timor (CNN) -- The United Nations said Wednesday that it would evacuate the last of its personnel from East Timor's shattered capital Dili, where pro-Indonesia militias have waged a campaign of terror following an overwhelming vote for independence.

U.N. spokesman Brian Kelly said 206 international staffers and 167 East Timorese working for the world body and embers of their families would be flown out starting at 10 a.m. Thursday local time (0200 GMT).

Hundreds of East Timorese have taken refuge at the besieged compound since pro-Jakarta militias backed by the army and police began a bloody rampage in the wake of last week's vote to seek independence from Indonesia.

The militias cut the compound's water and power supply and prevented U.N. staffers from bringing in badly needed food and medical supplies. Meanwhile, Dili continued to burn Wednesday in the latest wave of militia violence, as emergency talks got under way in Jakarta with U.N. representatives.

Reports of sniper fire and looting filtered out of Dili, despite Jakarta's declaration of martial law. The army was under orders to shoot on sight anyone who broke East Timor's new curfew.

"There are almost no local people around at all, buildings are burning and there are troops around and there are militia still running around, but there are no local people," said Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer in Canberra.

Thousands of refugees were streaming across the border to West Timor, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

"The situation is alarming...there are food shortages and access to water is also very difficult," an ICRC spokeswomen told Reuters.

Indonesian President B.J. Habibie canceled plans to attend next week's meeting of Pacific Rim leaders in New Zealand, as he continued to deal with the crisis.

The United Nations estimates that up to a third of the East Timor population have been forced out of the territory in a deliberate attempt by the militias to wreck last week's referendum, which overwhelmingly favored independence from Indonesia.

The crisis is expected to be discussed when leaders of the countries belonging to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum meet Sunday and Monday.

"The agenda of the APEC meeting is important but not so strategic that the president must attend," Indonesian State Secretary Muladi said.

In Jakarta, a five-member U.N. delegation began talks Wednesday with Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas in hopes of restoring law and order in the violence-racked province.

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan told Indonesia Tuesday that it had 48 hours to end the rampage in East Timor or "the international community will have to consider what other measures it can take to assist the Indonesian government in meeting that obligation."

The Indonesia military on Wednesday called the 48-hour deadline unrealistic. Government officials also rejected the early deployment of international peacekeepers.

"Indonesia will try its best to overcome the situation there and still rejects the presence of (foreign) security forces, until phase three," Muladi told reporters.

Phase three refers to the ratification of the referendum results by Indonesia's highest legislative body, which meets in October.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin on Wednesday also dismissed the idea of an intervention force, insisting that the crisis can be resolved by dialogue.

"I think that the Security Council will find a solution," Jiang told reporters after meeting with Australian Prime Minister John Howard in Canberra.

"These hotspots should be resolved through peaceful negotiations and dialogue."

Earlier Wednesday, Australian Defense Minister John Moore said his country was prepared to lead any peacekeeping mission.

"The secretary general has asked us to lead and we've indicated that we are quite prepared to make a substantial commitment to it -- at least 2,000 at the initial stage rising to over 4,000 in the full component," Moore said on BBC radio.

"We think an adequate component for this operation would be something of the order of 6,000 to 7,000."

Siege conditions around the U.N. compound in Dili eased Wednesday morning after an Indonesian army officer pledged to protect the compound from anti-independence militias.

Despite the increased military presence, gunfire continued to ring out around the compound, where as many as 2,500 frightened residents have sought refuge.

U.N. spokesman David Wimhurst said he had not heard from staff members there since Tuesday night.

"Our communications have been cut off. We no longer have any satellite communications. They no longer have any (telephone) landlines," he said.

There were also reports of mass killings by militias.

The United Nations said it was investigating reports that 100 people had been massacred by militias in a church in Suai.

"We have unconfirmed reports that there was a large number of people killed, we heard up to 100 people killed around the church in Suai, but we have not been able to confirm that, we will keep working on it," Wimhurst said.

Jakarta Bureau Chief Maria Ressa, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.