Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring August 15, 2000, Tuesday

East Timor: Leader urges UN force to chase militiamen to "their lair"

RDP Antena 1 radio, Lisbon, in Portuguese 1800 gmt 15 Aug 00

Text of report by Portuguese radio on 15th August

From East Timor come contradictory reports of an incident this morning. The National Council of the Timorese Resistance CNRT says clashes between pro-Indonesian militiamen and East Timorese resulted in one dead and three wounded. However the international force, more specifically a Portuguese UN unit, says it went to the area in question but saw nothing enabling it to confirm any clashes.

CNRT Vice-President and Nobel peace laureate Ramos Horta told us he stood by the CNRT's account but added that he does not think the attacks are being carried out by pro-Indonesia Timorese but by Indonesian troops posing as militiamen:

Horta: I have my doubts about their being militiamen. I have said as much, quite emphatically, to the UN personnel. These attacks, and especially the killing of the New Zealand soldier, seem to be the work of the Indonesian special forces.

However I believe that with a greater effort from the peace-keeping forces, a more aggressive attitude, a willingness to pursue the militiamen to their actual lair, wherever it may be, combined with strong diplomatic pressure on Jakarta, we can bring to an end this situation of tension and disquiet along the border.

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