Precedence: bulk 'It will be like the holocaust' By JOHN MARTINKUS in the UN compound Dili: Fears of genocide grip the UNAMET mission in Dili where some 2000 desperate East Timorese refugees will be abandoned later today when United Nations workers flee the devastated province. Without UN protection, the refugees forced to stay in the overcrowded compound will be at the mercy of the Indonesian military and militias who have taken such a terrible revenge since the historic vote for independence nine days ago. "It will be like the holocaust. They will simply kill all of us here as soon as you leave," said a student leader who last night was trying to organise a breakout. Meanwhile, embarrassed foreign journalists don't know what to do besides giving away company flak jackets, car keys and whatever food we have left. This morning we will move out of the compound to the airport in an operation guaranteed security by the same Indonesian military that has for the past five days burnt and looted this town, shooting dead the inhabitants or forcing them at gunpoint to other parts of the country. The initial anger and despair in the compound has now been replaced by a stubborn refusal to wait until the Indonesians escort us out of this place. Journalists argue with each other about what to do, while those Timorese who are employed by the UN and therefore have permission to leave, try to say their goodbyes to compatriots who must stay. "If we stay, they will kill us all, but when we leave, they will kill them," said Liam Phelan, who is filing for The Australian newspaper. The fateful announcement yesterday that the UN would abandon the mission released a wave of emotion with westerners and East Timorese reduced to tears as they tried to comfort one another. Every day, the militias had edged closer and closer to the mission, burning houses and shooting at the compound. "We have called their bluff; they haven't killed any of us and they wouldn't dare," argued some journalists who refused to accept that the UN would leave. It had only agreed to do so on condition that UN local staff and their families were allowed to go with them. But no-one seems to be convinced the Indonesian military will allow that to happen. Last night, UN staff drew up a petition expressing their heartbreak over the forced evacuation and abandonment of the East Timorese. It is a sad irony that the compound remains littered with posters, printed by UNAMET, that declare in Teten, the local language: "The UN will stay after the ballot." Yet even now, many of the East Timorese remain touchingly concerned for our safety. "You have to go. You'll be killed if you don't," they say. Not surprisingly, the UN staff are in a dreadful quandary. For the past three months they have told local workers and East Timorese not to be afraid to vote honestly and to ignore intimidation by the pro-Indonesian militia. Vote the way you feel, they said. Now, having have defied Indonesian-sponsored intimidation, the people are to be abandoned.The Indonesians have destroyed their town and killed their countrymen and women. "How dare you gamble with our lives like this," said one man, consumed by anger. "You have gambled and lost and now we will die." Meanwhile, Indonesian troops stroll casually around the compound but with their machine guns constantly trained on the refugees. One foreigner was unable to contain his frustration. He yelled at the troops, swearing at them until he was shut up by UN civilian police. "They don't care, tomorrow is open season on these people," said one Swiss UN worker. "This is like Srebrenica all over again when we helped separate the men who were to be killed by the Serbs and the women who were to be raped by them after we left." Now he was crying. - AAP ---------- SiaR WEBSITE: http://apchr.murdoch.edu.au/minihub/siarlist/maillist.html
