Indonesia plays delaying game with East Timor
By Jon Land
United Nations-sponsored talks between Indonesia and Portugal on the future of East Timor, which took place March 9-11, resulted in Indonesia agreeing to allow some form of direct ballot on whether the East Timorese people reject or accept the Habibie government's offer of autonomy. The process will be formalised at UN talks expected to begin on April 21.
While the outcome represents an advance, there remain many concerns over Indonesian delaying tactics and deteriorating conditions within East Timor.
Close international supporters of Indonesia, such as Australia and the United States, are applauding the Habibie regime's preparedness to allow East Timor to be free whilst remaining largely silent on the terror campaign being waged by the pro-integration paramilitaries armed and funded by the Indonesian military.
Before the latest round of UN talks, Indonesian foreign minister Ali Alatas again ruled out a referendum on self-determination.
Alatas also announced, just prior to leaving for the talks, that the autonomy proposal had been referred for revision to a special committee headed by the minister for political affairs and security, General Feisal Tanjung, an influential minister under Suharto. An article in the British Financial Times on March 9 reported that this move was viewed by diplomats as a "victory for hard-liners" opposed to an independent East Timor.
It was originally intended that this round of talks would discuss the Indonesian autonomy proposal and the mechanism by which the proposal would be accepted or rejected by the East Timorese. Indirect voting options proposed by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan were rejected by Alatas.
Surprisingly, an agreement was reached on a direct ballot. Annan told reporters on March 11: "A method of direct ballot will be used to ask the people of East Timor whether they accept or reject the autonomy proposal". He added, however, that the "specific modalities" had not been finalised.
In an interview on SBS television on March 13, Annan said that the consultation process would take place whether or not Indonesian troops remain in East Timor.
"We will be vigilant to ensure that there is no hanky-panky and that the kind of security we are looking for is assured by the authorities", Annan stated. "They have given us indications that they will work very closely with us on that."
UN personnel are expected to arrive in East Timor in April to begin preparations for the ballot.
United Nations special envoy Jamsheed Marker told Portuguese radio RDP Antena 1 on March 13: "There is no intention at present to send a UN security force. We believe that the leaders there are wise, as the secretary-general has said he is persuaded, and he will support all the reconciliation processes that are taking place there."
This establishes the scenario whereby the ballot will occur in the midst of heightened violence and terror instigated by the Indonesian military and the paramilitary groups it controls.
Resistance leader Jose Ramos Horta expressed reservations about the outcome of the UN talks in an interview with Portuguese Radio Renascenca on March 12: "The question is how is it possible to carry out an open and democratic direct consultation when the Indonesian army is still on the ground, when the military intelligence services are still fuelling violence in Timor, when Indonesian foreign minister Ali Alatas says that Xanana Gusmao will not be freed before such a consultation, when there are no signs of how the population will be registered, and the consultation is to be held in July".
Horta went further at a press conference in Hong Kong on March 18: "I will publicly oppose it, denounce it, if the UN, the international community, wants to impose a vote on the future of the country with Indonesian troops on the ground".
A Four Corners report televised on March 15 revealed further evidence of the Indonesian military undermining progress towards independence. Impoverished East Timorese are being bribed and forced to join paramilitary gangs controlled by landowners. They are provided with arms and money by the Indonesian military. section of the Indonesian military is supporting the paramilitaries.
Though western powers have called for a reduction of the violence in East Timor, they have all stressed maintaining the closest possible ties with the Habibie regime and the Indonesian military, in the interest of "stability". Australia, Britain and the United States have all acted to improve military links with Indonesia in recent months.
Britain, which is Indonesia's main provider of arms, is expected to deliver the first of a batch of 16 Hawk jets in April. They are likely to be deployed at the Supadia airbase in Pontianak, to assist with the "protection" of the Natuna gas fields in the South China Sea, where British companies have significant interests.
High level meetings held from March 9 to 11 between 20 Australian defence chiefs and 50 of their Indonesian counterparts discussed areas of "mutual interest".
This meeting followed the visit of US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who praised the Habibie government for its reforms and the "blooming democracy" in Indonesia. Albright met with Indonesian defence minister General Wiranto; it is believed the possibility of renewing suspended military aid programs was discussed.
Under these circumstances, there are likely to be further attempts by sections of the Indonesian military and the Habibie cabinet to derail independence for East Timor.