Timor votes overwhelmingly for independence
The BBC reports that the official UN count of ballots in the historic Monday vote is in, and the people of East Timor have voted more than 3 to 1 for independence from Indonesia.

UN Secretary General said 99 percent of the eligible population voted, and of those, 78.5 voted against autonomy within Indonesia.

CNRT: Indonesia planned post-ballot slaughter

(From a media release sent to Mother Jones today via email):

Statement by:
Mr. Joao Carrascalao
Head of CNRT in Australia (National Council for Timorese Resistance)
President, UDT (Timorese Democratic Union).

Militia killings and beatings virtually at the gate of the United Nations compound in Dili, the attacks on and threats against media, and the state of siege being imposed on the whole of East Timor by the militias, are part of Indonesia's long-planned post-ballot action should it fail to disrupt the ballot itself.

The situation in East Timor is neither anarchy nor civil war, as it has been described by some journalists.

It is carefully controlled and directed by Jakarta with the aim of creating an appearance civil war which in fact will be a slaughter of innocent pro-independence East Timorese and one more move towards allowing Indonesia to retain possession of East Timor.

The only way this can be prevented is by a show of great strength, and a show of force on the ground, from the United Nations and the nation-activists on the East Timor issue -- Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

We call on the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, and the heads of government of Portugal, Australia, New Zealand and the United States, to advise President Habibie, his Foreign Minister, Ali Alatas, and his Defence Minister, General Wiranto, that the shadow play must end now, today.

We warned ... that the Indonesian police and the army would be useless, even worse than useless. They are demonstrating that daily.

We warned that Kopassus and army personnel with specific orders to disrupt the ballot, attack United Nations personnel, and wreak havoc on pro-independence East Timorese, had been infiltrated into the police and had taken direct control of the militia.

The United Nations, through being forewarned and planning astutely, was able to thwart those moves before and during the ballot, although they came perilously close to disaster at Gleno, as any of the UN personnel there will testify, having faced the guns of the police.

I would suggest that an attack on the United Nations site(s) where counting of the ballot is taking place is not out of the question, possibly with fire being used to destroy ballot papers and records.

I wish to emphasize that the violence in East Timor now is neither a civil war nor anarchy.

It is the planned continuation of the 24-year-long reign of terror of Indonesia over the East Timorese. Some East Timorese are involved, but many of the militia are West Timorese and other Indonesians, and the militia is led on the ground and directed at all levels by the Indonesian army.

Vote result due within hours; "Civil war" illusion
The United Nations is expected to announce the final tally of the vote on East Timor independence later today. Australian troops are readying themselves in case they are called upon to intervene in the violence-wracked province after the results are revealed.

This story in the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, however, contains a common error being committed by Western media in the wake of militia violence: It says the troops would be sent in to "help Indonesia prevent a civil war." Although most members of the pro-Indonesia militias are East Timorese, they have been trained, armed, and incented by the Indonesian military for many years, expressly to give the international community the false impression that the East Timorese people are split on the subject of independence. The "civil war" excuse has been used to procure weapons from Western nations for use in oppressing and abusing the East Timorese for 24 years.

20 dead as militias take over Maliana
The AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING COMPANY reports that at least 20 people have been killed in the town of Maliana, near the capital of Dili, in militias violence over the past 24 hours. The militias have apparently burned most of the town to the ground, and thousands of civilians have fled. UNAMET has apparently abandoned its compound in the town, and all of its Maliana staff have fled to Dili.

Another 15 civilians are reported to have been killed by militias in Holoaruo, where 25 houses have been burnt down. A "highly placed" UN official said the town of Gleno, where UN election observers were briefly held hostage on Monday and two were killed by militia members, has devolved into utter chaos. Reports indicate that most of the entire Ermera district in western East Timor is under militia control and aflame.

_
Sept. 2

UN, Portugal unhappy with handling of Timor vote
Makarim Wibisono, the head of Indonesia's mission to the United Nations, had to face "stern criticism" (read: the shit hit the fan) from the US and Britain at a special session of the Security Council today, reports THE AGE. The Council apparently ordered the Indonesian government to take steps to prevent the kind of violence and lawlessness that has descended on East Timor since the independence vote last Monday. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has called for more meetings with the Indonesian and Portuguese foreign ministers to discuss the situation, and the arrests of those responsible for the violence.

Meanwhile, Portugal -- East Timor's UN-recognized administrator -- is especially pissed. The country's UN ambassador urged the Security Council to consider deploying a UN force if Indonesia cannot, or will not, maintain order. Indonesia, on the other hand, maintained that they feared that Portugal may try to resume control over East Timor if the outcome of the vote rejected autonomy.

US may send troops after all
After another day of violence in East timor, the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD reports that US Assistant Secretary of State Stanley Roth indicated the US may support sending peacekeepers to East Timor, with or without Jakarta's approval. "Either they're going to have to produce, or the international community will have to consider additional steps," he warned.

UN plans evacuation
Aware that unarmed observers are doing little to stem the flood of violence after Monday's vote, the UN has begun to make plans to evacuate thousands of UN oberservers, according to the SYNDEY MORNING HERALD. Though many believed that the presense of foreign journalists and an international UN force would deter militias from inducing the bloodbath they had threatened, it now seems that journalists and the UN are in fact the targets of recent attacks.

Adding to interested parties' fear, an Indonesian military officer said civil war is inevitable after the results of the vote are announced.

Both sides doubting vote was fair
Non-governmental organizations in East Timor are calling the voting process surrounding the East Timor referendum on independence unfair, because intimidation by militias may have frightened East Timorese into changing their votes.

The pro-Jakarta observers in the territory and throughout Indonesia are also saying that the referendum results will be "garbage" because the United Nations is openly biased toward independence for East Timor rather than autonomy within Indonesia. Earlier reports have indicated that Indonesian election observers had left East Timor even before the balloting had ended Monday, apparently because they felt the process was biased.

The pro-Jakarta Front for East Timor Autonomy released a statement today saying the vote was riddled with "thousands of irregularities," and therefore invalid.

Indonesia says UN force may be permitted
REUTERS reports that Indonesian authorities have hinted that they will allow an armed United Nations force to enter East Timor to quell the violence there, which has been escalating since the referendum on the territory's independence referendum Monday.

Brig. Gen. Sudrajat, Indonesia's top military officer, said that the UN will be allowed to enter the territory only after the vote has been counted and announced, and presuming the majority has voted for independence. The final tally is expected to be made public on Sept. 7.

The announcement is not much of a concession on Indonesia's part, given that under the May 5 agreement signed by Portugal and Indonesia and the UN, a vote for independence would mandate that the UN take over nearly all administrative duties in the territory from Indonesia until a democratically approved East Timorese government was implemented.

_
Sept. 1

Indo Navy mobilizes off East Timor
According to a report from the Indonesian news agency Jawa Pos (as translated from Indonesian to English by the Indonesian human-rights group TAPOL), the Indonesian Navy has mobilized several warships off the coast of East Timor to "protect the Indonesian people there," according to Admiral Achmad Sutjipto, chief of staff of the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL). When asked if the warships were deployed in preparation for possible deployment of peacekeeping troops from Australia, the admiral declined to answer.

Death and chaos at UN compound
Members of pro-Indonesia militias hacked to death a man believed to be an independence supporter in front of the United Nations compound Wednesday, according to the ASSOCIATED PRESS. The attack came as part of a violent clash in which hundreds of militiamen fired on independence supporters, who fought back by throwing rocks. About 150 independence supporters, journalists, and UN officials retreated to the UN compound for safety. One AP report said at least five people were killed in the violence.

The melee took place as UN officials began to count ballots from Monday's election. To help quell the violence, Jakarta reported that it would send 300 more police officers on Thursday.

SYDNEY MORNING HERALD reporter Hamish McDonald writes a terrifying account of being chased and shot at by militiamen before he and WASHINGTON POST reporter Keith Richburg found shelter at the UNAMET headquarters.

Unrest continues in Aceh
Bowing to public pressure, Indonesian military head General Wiranto announced that the plan to reinstate the Iskander Muda Military command in the province of Aceh has been "postponed indefinitely," reports THE JAKARTA POST. Military operations in Aceh between 1989 and 1998 left hundreds of people dead or "disappeared" and thousands wounded. Student demonstrators in front of Aceh's legislature building and in East Java called for the end to a military presence in Aceh and justice for the victims of the 1989-1998 operations. No clashes were reported between the students and security forces.

Meanwhile, "unidentified groups" have burned down 110 schools in Aceh since last year, including four elementary schools on Monday, according to the POST.

British government takes heat for arming Indonesia
British-made Hawk aircraft were "used to intimidate separatists during the run-up to East Timor's independence referendum" on two occassions, reports THE INDEPENDENT (UK). Under Britain's previous government, British Aerospace had sold 140 of the jets to Indonesia, although only 50 have been delivered. Some members of Parliament and peace activists have called on the government to change its policy towards Indonesia, reflecting concern over the use of the planes -- which were sold under the condition that they not be used for "internal repression." (The United States also sold weapons to Indonesia with the same precondition; evidence shows that those US-supplied weapons have been used in East Timor dating back to the invasion in 1975.) The British government has also faced criticism for inviting an Indonesian delegation to next month's Defense System Equipment International exhibition in Surrey.

Nana Sutresla, the Indonesian ambassador in London, maintained that the planes were providing general security in the region, and had been sent there following reports of an "illegal over-fly by unidentified planes." The Liberal Democrats' foreign affairs spokesman, Menzies Campbell, disagreed. He suggested revoking the export license for the remaining Hawks, saying that the Indonesian government had committed a "flagrant contravention of the purported conditions of sale."

_
Aug. 31

Three UN staffers killed in Ermera siege
One day after an unexpectedly calm and peaceful ballot on independence, East Timor again erupted in violence today with the deaths of three UN staffers, according to ITN news.

According to Australia's former deputy prime minister, the murders occurred after polling stations closed in the town of Gleno in the Ermera district, where militias are now essentially holding the entire town hostage, including several UN and Australian police officers. According to reports, paramilitary soldiers -- accompanied by Indonesian soldiers, according to a report from AGENCE FRENCH PRESS -- were not allowing anyone into or out of the town, including members of UNAMET who planned to withdraw the remainder of their staff in Gleno.

Some UNAMET staff and observers from the charity OXFAM were later evacuated by helicopter, along with the full ballot boxes. The rest were set free early Wednesday morning, according to the Australian NINE NEWS NETWORK.

Militias block Timor exits
THE NINE NEWS NETWORK in Australia reports that all exit points in East Timor, including the airport and shipping docks, have been blocked by paramilitary groups. On Monday, militia leader Eurico Guterres had said that the militias would block all East Timorese "political leaders" from leaving the country, but the new blockade appears to be preventing any civilians from leaving the territory. It is unclear whether UN officials are permitted to come and go.

However, the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD reports that the border between West Timor appears to be open to pro-Indonesia militia members and Indonesian civilians who are afraid for their lives if East Timor is made independent. According to a UN police officer, 30-40 busloads have been crossing the border filled with people and their belongings every day. In one town, a third of the population has fled in the past two weeks. As a result of the exodus, many shops and houses remain boarded up and empty.

Indonesian leaders split on honoring vote
Several key pro-integration figures in Indonesia called Monday's vote on East Timor fair, soothing fears that the Indonesian military and pro-integration militias would refuse to accept the vote's likely pro-independence outcome. But some, especially members of paramilitary groups, have said that the UN staff and even the process itself was biased toward independence, and have suggested that the balloting was tampered with in order to ensure a vote against integration with Indonesia.The United Front for East Timor Autonomy (UNIF), an umbrella group of pro-Indonesian forces, pulled out of negotiations over a commission that would determine East Timor's transition to independence or autonomy.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas, however, has publicly declared that he will honor the vote and believes it was fair, as has Armed Forces chief Gen. Wiranto, who has overseen much of Indonesia's brutal rule of the province, according to LUSA.

Why US peacekeepers won't go to ET
While UN monitors and civilians continue to fall in violent episodes surrounding the independence referendum in East Timor, senior officials in Washington say they won't participate in any peacekeeping efforts if the Indonesian government doesn't want them there, according to THE AUSTRALIAN.

The official, who went unidentified in the article, also said that besides the case of East Timor, "the United States has a very clear policy aim of preserving the territorial integrity of Indonesia." Aceh and Irian Jaya, for example, shouldn't look to the US government for support (as if East Timor ever could).

Gusmão explains military's investment in ET
In an interview with the FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW, independence leader Xanana Gusmão offered his thoughts on why the Indonesian military seems unwilling to abide by Jakarta's political move toward divesting from East Timor. Gusmão said the military is having difficulty changing its mentality from a political force to a purely tactical one. Also, many of the military's top officers also feel strongly that setting East Timor free sets a bad precedent in a country trying desperately to hold itself together.

Aussie "60 Minutes" crew ejected from ET for provoking militia
A film crew from the Australian television program "60 Minutes" was deported from East Timor for allegedly provoking pro-integration militias into attacking them during balloting on Monday, according to THE AUSTRALIAN.

Journalist Richard Carleton had been asking East Timorese who were queued to vote whether they would vote for independence. A local pro-integration member of the Besi Merah Putih militia became angry and began threatening the crowd (militias have previously told East Timorese that if they vote for independence, they will be killed). When Carleton asked him to stop, the crowd laughed at the militiaman. The man and several of his armed cohorts surrounded Carleton's car and began smashing it. Indonesian police intervened to prevent further violence.

Carleton denied that he provoked the militia, but admitted that he and his crew had deceptively and illegally entered the country on tourist visas. Officials in Australia and East Timor called carleton's actions provocative, irresponsible, and unprofessional.

_
Aug. 30

UN hails vote, mourns murdered official
The result of the historic vote will remain unknown for another two weeks, but the relative calm and remarkable turnout at the polls was a pleasant surprise for the UN monitors in East Timor, according to the BBC. UNAMET estimated voter turnout, despite ongoing threats of violence, at about 95 percent.

So determined were the Timorese to have their say at last, that many struggled to the polls, enduring heat and even injury. One man hopped a kilometer on one leg, because the other was badly infected, reports the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. Another, shot by the Indonesian police on Thursday, was carried to the polls on a stretcher.

The Timorese began walking to the 200 voting locations before dawn and forming long lines to ensure they would get a chance to cast their ballots. In fact, over half of registered voters had already arrived when polls opened at 6:30 a.m. Even notorious paramilitary leader Eurico Guterres, who made fiery threats last week, set a peaceful note, promising to work with independence forces.

But celebrations were tempered by news that a local elections monitor for UNAMET, Joel Lopez Gomes, was stabbed to death by members of pro-integration militia in the Ermera district on Monday.

Self-righteous West exacerbating East Timor's crisis
The acerbic editorial from Phillip Bowring of the INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE rightly points out the West's two faces on foreign conflicts, including East Timor.

Bringing full irony to bear, Bowring smartly analyzes the two modern global imperatives at work here: imperialism (which created the Dutch East Indies before it was "decolonized" as Indonesia); and rabid nationalism, which the West now seems to regard as admirable for its straining toward independence -- as if independence and democracy were the same thing.

"Petty nationalism, whether in southeastern Europe or Southeast Asia, just might be viable if it were accompanied by efforts to achieve cultural homogeneity (Serbia just for the Serbs, for example)," Bowring writes. "In most cases, the only way to get there is through 'ethnic cleansing.' This is what Balkan history has been about since the break-up of Yugoslavia."

CNRT leader says vote will help free Irian Jaya, Aceh
As National Council for Timorese Resistance (CNRT) official Manuel Carrascalao cast his vote Monday, he boasted that East Timor's independence would help the independence movements in the discontented Indonesian provinces of Irian Jaya and Aceh, according to the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD.

"It is not just Aceh and Irian Jaya we will support but all parts of Indonesia that have suffered," said Carrascalao, whose son was on of more than 100 East Timorese killed by a pro-Indonesian militia in April. Speculation has been widespread that if East Timor broke away from Indonesia, it would lead the whole country to dissolve.

Even as East Timorese were voting, 500 students in Aceh conducted a march demanding an independence referendum of their own, reports the JAKARTA POST. However, Indonesian President B.J. Habibie -- even as he reinforced his commitment to a safe vote in East Timor -- said Aceh could not expect a vote soon, or even in the next 10 years.

Feeling on vote mixed in Indonesia

Feelings in Indonesia about East Timorese independence are decidedly mixed. Interviewing ordinary citizens in Jakarta, TIMOR TODAY found that some Indonesians consider East Timor a drain on Indonesian resources and support its independence movement, while others call President B.J. Habibie weak for allowing a referendum. Of those who support independence, some pointed out that Jakarta spends a lot of money and military power on East Timor, and others expressed sympathy for the human rights of East Timorese. Of those who oppose it, one person feared that allowing East Timor to have independence would spark independence movements in other provinces, while another claimed the move would be disrespectful of the memories of Indonesian military officers who died in the struggle over the province.

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