Precedence: bulk 3 UN STAFF REPORTED KILLED IN EAST TIMOR 150 Held Hostage By Militia East Timor is dominating international TV and radio news today as it did yesterday, and making front page news in all major newspapers worldwide. East Timor is the top news story on BBC, NPR, ABC, CNN, and other networks, which are broadcasting live updates from Dili regularly. This is by far the most intense media focus on Indonesia since Suharto's resignation, which was the most extensive media coverage Indonesia had received in 30+ years. In many respects, the present level of coverage is comparable to that generated by Suharto's stepping down. ------ REUTERS, 4.58 a.m. ET (901 GMT) August 31, 1999 Three UN Staff Reported Killed In East Timor DILI, East Timor � Three U.N. staff were reported killed Tuesday in an East Timor town under siege by militiamen opposed to independence for the territory. U.N. staff told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio that more than 150 U.N. staff were under siege in the town of Gleno after 40 militiamen sealed the town with roadblocks. "I can confirm that three UNAMET local staff were killed overnight since the polling station closed,'' former Australian deputy prime minister Tim Fischer, an observer in East Timor, told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio. "The siege situation is at a standoff but still allowing helicopter access,'' Fischer said. A U.N. spokesman in Dili said he had no information on the reports of deaths. He gave no details on how the three U.N. staff were killed, but said: "It's a fluid situation. The situation has stabilized by degrees, but continues to unfold.'' "There is a very fearful situation,'' said Paul Toon, an Australian observer in Gleno. "There are roadblocks to the town, they are blocking the route to Dili.'' Dozens of black-shirted members of the pro-Indonesian Aitarak (Thorn) militia were on the streets of the capital Dili, and a handful were at the airport checking some East Timorese identities. A senior militia leader said they were there to prevent leaders of both sides from leaving. Two trucks filled with militia members, some carrying machetes and all dressed in black T-shirts with the Indonesian flag, drove around Dili Tuesday morning. Monday huge numbers of East Timorese turned out in a largely peaceful independence ballot despite threats of violence. A church official told Reuters: "There's no doubt. This is an overwhelming movement for independence.'' Pro-Indonesia groups denounced the referendum as "garbage'' and said it would fuel fresh violence in the troubled territory. The umbrella body representing opposition to independence for East Timor said it was ending co-operation with the United Nations until a number of queries had been addressed. "UNIF (United Front for East Timor Autonomy) decided to withdraw its participation temporarily from any further negotiations and arrangements in relation to the establishment of a consultative board, the counting of the ballot and further arrangements after the ballot,'' the group said in a statement. The U.N., which organized the poll, and Western governments hailed the massive turnout for Monday's vote on whether to break away from 23 years of often brutal Indonesian rule. "We had a massive (vote). That wouldn't happen if people wanted things to stay the way they are,'' said a human rights worker who monitored the vote. "A new country has been born.'' The Indonesian military, unhappy with Jakarta's change of policy to offer East Timor independence and fearing it would ignite rebellions elsewhere in the huge archipelago, is widely accused of backing the militias. "Now the people have expressed themselves so massively, even though we don't know the results of the expression, the time has come for reconciliation to begin, " U.N. spokesman David Wimhurst told a news conference. Almost every East Timorese who was registered to vote Monday did. The United Nations estimated about 99 percent of the more than 430,000 registered voters in East Timor cast their ballot, defying threats of bloodshed from pro-Jakarta militias. The United Front for East Timor Autonomy, which groups pro-Indonesia organizations, said the ballot had been biased. "Most of the pro-integration supporters have come to the conclusion that UNAMET is really encouraging and backing the people of East Timor to break East Timor away from Indonesia,'' the group said in a statement. "What outcome will one expect from all this garbage? Only God knows, but one thing is for sure, in computing terms it says: 'garbage in, garbage out','' said the statement, which was signed by United Front spokesman Basilio Araujo. The result of the vote is expected in a about a week but will still need the ratification of the People's Consultative Assembly in Jakarta which starts meeting in October. ----------- UPDATE: moments before sending this out, BBC radio featured a live report from Dili. Correspondent Jonathan Head described: "disorder and anarchy -- with militia on the move in Dili and elsewhere -- setting up roadblocks, taking over the airport, and threatening many with death -- one day after remarkably peaceful vote. Military and police are doing absolutely nothing to stop the violence, as they've done all along. Situation points up the major flaw in UN agreement, namely that responsibility for security is in the hands of those who support the pro-Indonesia militia, cause of the overwhelming majority of violence." *** ---------- SiaR WEBSITE: http://apchr.murdoch.edu.au/minihub/siarlist/maillist.html
