---------------------------------------------------------- FREE for JOIN Indonesia Daily News Online via EMAIL: go to: http://www.indo-news.com/subscribe.html - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ++ Pemilu Online: http://www.indo-news.com/pemilu/ ++ ---------------------------------------------------------- Antara, June 22, 1999 Indonesian Government Regrets UN Civilian Police's Illegal Search for Weapons Jakarta, June 21 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has expressed regret that two members of the United Nations (UN) civilian police illegally searched the homes of residents of Maubara district for homemade and traditional weapons last Saturday. This is a violation of the tripartite agreement signed by Indonesia, Portugal and the UN on May 5, spokesman of the Indonesian Task Force for the Implementation of the Direct Ballot in East Timor (P3TT), Dino Patti Djalal,told ANTARA Monday. "The UN civilian police are supposed to advice the Indonesian police. They do not have the authority to search the homes of villagers," Dino said. "They should be profesional in conducting their duties because I have also been told by the Indonesian police than they were not carrying search warrants," he said. Dino, who was contacted by phone from Jakarta, said such a search is "100 percent" the authority of the Indonesian police. The UN is to deploy 280 members of the UN civilian police to advise the Indonesian police in an effort to ensure a smooth direct ballot in East Timor. A total of 41 of the 280 UN civilian plice have arrived since the past few days until Monday. Protest The Forum for Unity, Democracy and Justice (FPDK) meanwhile also protested the incident. FPDK spokesman, Florencio Mario Vieira, said in a press statement entitled "The Abuse of Pro Integration Community by UNAMET" that the illegal search took place on Saturday (June 19) at 5 p.m. He said a team of the United Nations Assessment Mission in East Timor (UNAMET), consisting of three women and two men, went to Maubara, illegaly searching the homes of the villagers for traditional weapons. "In searching the homes of Lolomeli, (a widow of 54 years) and Calistro (a farmer of 35 years old), located in Vila, Vaviquina village in Maubara district, the UNAMET team displayed uncivilized behavior by searching and displacing all the articles found in these homes as well as clothing in luggage, and threw rice and other food stocks to the ground and then left these homes without any effort to put articles in their original place," he said in the statement. "We strongly protest UNAMET for the action of its officials which violate the Tripartite Agreement where the conduct of all forms of search and investigation is the jurisdiction of the Indonesian police," he said. "UNAMET's action goes beyond its authority as a neutral institution in the efforts to settle the East Timor conflict but in the implementation of its job has unfortunately sided with certain groups so as to sharpen the conflict between the two groups and created mistrust amongst the pro-integration groups," he added. Vieira likewise expressed regret over the UNAMET's lack of action on a series of bloody incidents which he said were instigated by pro-independence supporters. He said UNAMET spokesman, David Wimhurst, has one-sidely blamed the pro-integration group and government apparatus, either the armed forces or the police, without evaluating the problem objectively. "UNAMET has not protested acts of violence commited by Falintil (armed wing of the Resistance Council of East Timor) and its supporters, such as (the) hostage-taking of member of Besi Merah Putih (red and White Iron) and a member of police of Liquisa, " he said. He also alleged that the UNAMET has never condemned the "brutal and sadistic murder of Muhammad Ali alias Domingus, a member of (the pro-integration group) Aitarak, whose body was seen by UNAMET, and acts of violence by anti-integration people against three Aitarak members which was also confirmed by UNAMET". "(We) request the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and his Special Representative Ambassador Jamsheed Marker to replace David Wimhurst as the spokesman for UNAMET and also to replace all of UNAMET's translators who are recruited only from the anti- integration elements," Vieira said in the statement. "If the UNAMET views that the pro-integration supporters are not part of the solution to the East Timor conflict, the FPDK and pro- integration supporters will reconsider its pledge to cooperate with UNAMET to support its mission in East Timor," he warned. (T.NN-03/16:27/int-cl/17:09/ril/18:06/TB06) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 25 Jun 1999 jam 07:07:11 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
