UN officials in Jakarta to discuss recent incursions into East Timor
8 March 2000 -- Top United Nations military and political officials from the UN mission in East Timor are en route to Jakarta today to discuss with the Government of Indonesia the recent violence by armed militia along the border dividing the island.
In the meeting to be held tomorrow, the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) said it would seek action by Indonesia to stop the recent unlawful incursions into East Timor.
During the discussions between UNTAET Force Commander Lt. General Jaime de los Santos, Peter Galbraith, the director of the mission's political affairs office, Indonesian Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab and Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono, the UN will stress that it is Indonesia's responsibility to halt the attacks.
In a statement issued today, UNTAET has reported that the violence by militia along the border between East and West Timor has intensified over the past 10 days, with a new incident yesterday some six kilometres west of Atsabe, in the same area where three farmers had been attacked by militia last weekend.
In yesterday's incident, an UNTAET observation helicopter spotted in Ermera District three burning huts and a group of 15 men carrying machetes and spears leaving the site. Later, the peacekeepers saw two more burning huts and at least two men running away from the scene. According to the local population, the men were militia.
UN peacekeepers believe that the militia group that attacked the farmers in Atsabe on 5 March and exchanged fire with UN troops the next day are still in the area. The threat level in Ermera District has been raised from medium to high, and from low to medium in Ainaro District (Sector Central), UNTAET said.
