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LUSA: DAVID XIMENES DENIES THREATENING PLEBISCITE BOYC
13 MAI 99 - 21:08
East Timor: Leading Resistance Figure Denies Threatening Plebiscite
Boycott
Jakarta, May 13 (Lusa) - A leading member of the East Timor
resistance has denied threatening a boycott of the August 8
autonomy-or-independence plebiscite in East Timor.
David Ximenes told Lusa Thursday that an Australian radio
station had misinterpreted statements he made Wednesday during a
meeting with UN officials in Dili. "I didn't mention a boycott, nor
did I say I would call for one or suggest one", Ximenes declared.
"I told them we were disappointed that the UN had accepted
that Indonesia be resonsible for security during the vote process.
They clarified the matter, though I cannot comment on the details",
he stated.
Ximenes added that 12 members of the pro-Indonesia Besi Merah
Putih militia reportedly died in a road accident near Liqui�a
Thursday. He also mentioned reports that in Baucau, Timor's second
city, members of the Indonesian military's Battalion 745, composed
mainly of Timorese and Balinese, skirmished Thursday with Indonesian
Army commando units.
There is little information, though early reports speak of
seven wounded, four "745s" and three commandos, Ximenes said.
"Apparently the "745" men occupied the Baucau hospital and threatened
to attack the commando unit if they didn't surrender", he added.
Ximenes has been living under police protection since
pro-Indonesian militias rampaged against independence supporters in
Dili April 17-18, killing dozens of people. -Lusa-
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