| Subject: STT: Local residents report military
movements to newspaper Date: Sun, 01 Aug 1999 11:21:42 -0400 From: "John M. Miller" <fbp@igc.apc.org> BBC Summary of World Broadcasts July 28, 1999, Wednesday Local residents report military movements to newspaper Source: 'Suara Timtim', Dili, in Indonesian 26 Jul 99 p 6 Excerpts from report by 'Suara Timtim' on 26th July Dili: In June and July this year, the editors of 'Suara Timor Timur' [' Voice of East Timor'] have received dozens of letters of protest from residents of Baucau and Manatuto claiming that they have seen very large numbers of TNI [Indonesian Military Forces] (Rajawali IV/Garuda I units) and marines in the Baucau and Manatuto districts. From their observations, the Rajawali VI unit and two companies of marines are stationed throughout Baucau and Manatuto. In the dozens of letters, local residents said that they wanted the public to know that there were still large numbers of TNI soldiers in the area. Generally, they wanted to inform the public and the international community that, in accordance with the 5th May agreement signed in New York by the Indonesian and Portuguese governments and the UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, the Indonesian police were responsible for security in East Timor during the referendum process. The letter-writers wanted the Rajawali IV/Garuda I troops and the two companies of marines immediately withdrawn from Baucau and Manatuto, because the community rejected the military presence. "We don't want them to be always lying to the people, as broadcast on TVRI Dili [Indonesian government television] that troops have been withdrawn from East Timor. The reality on the ground is that the troops that should have gone home are still in East Timor," Nuno Magno explained. The letters all said that the TNI leadership in East Timor should carry out an evacuation... East Timor was not like other regions, and the tripartite agreement stated that the Indonesian police were responsible for guaranteeing security in East Timor. "The police should be allowed to get on with the job of security, because TNI was not given the task. TNI was not mentioned at that time," the letters said. Back to July Menu |