Precedence: bulk
Briefing Summary for Thursday, 23 September 1999
Transcript of opening remarks of the press conference by Mr. Ian
Martin, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for East Timor
Ian Martin: I am glad to have the opportunity to be meeting with you
right after returning from Dili and just before going to New York to attend
negotiations regarding the future and development of the United Nations
presence in East Timor.
First, we want to share with you the statement issued by the
Secretary-General regarding the death of Mr. Sander Thoenes. The
Secretary-General says:
".....Mr. Thoenes died in the act of seeking the truth about the
calamity that has been inflicted on East Timor. As other journalists in
East Timor -- and in too many other parts of the world -- continue to do he
faced danger from those who wish to hide the truth of the existence of
their crimes. It is largely thanks to the courage and determination of men
and women like him that these horrors and their perpetrators are brought to
the attention of the world's conscience. Without their commitment to tell a
story like that of East Timor as urgently and as clearly as possible the
mission of the United Nations would be infinitely more difficult..."
Regarding the increasing tempo of UNAMET's activities, I want to make
absolutely clear to anyone who doesn't understand it UNAMET never left East
Timor. We had a team of ten UNAMET personnel headed by our Chief Military
Liaison Officer, Brigadier Rezaqul Haider of Bangladesh, who remained after
we closed the United Nations compound. They have been operating from the
Australian Consulate that was made available to us. That is where we have
continued to function from with a slowly increasing number of personnel
since UNAMET and UN humanitarian personnel are sharing very limited
accommodation. We have been constrained in how rapidly we could return
people to Dili and East Timor.
There is also good news regarding the preparation of the UNAMET
compound for us to resume activity from there. The security at the compound
has been taken over by the British and Gerkah contingent with INTERFET. Not
only are they providing security there but they are giving us a great deal
of assistance in clearing up the compound with the assistance of the UK
government's department for international development. We anticipate that
quite rapidly we should be able to function again from the UNAMET compound.
At the same time, emergency accommodation, both for office and living
accommodation, is being prepared for the UN and other humanitarian agencies
on the school compound that is next door to the main UNAMET compound.
During the period I was in Dili, we were able to visit Dare with
INTERFET and have discussions with the internally displaced people there
and leading CNRT representatives who are there regarding the humanitarian
needs at the agencies are now moving to address as rapidly as possible. We
also had discussions about their return to Dili, since the estimated 37,000
people who are in and around Dare are overwhelmingly from Dili itself. We
are seeing increasing numbers of people coming back to Dili. The majority
of them want their return to be managed in a way that is agreed with
INTERFET when INTERFET says that security conditions are right for a major
return.
I also had the opportunity yesterday to go to Waimori, the principal
FALINTIL cantonment, to resume our face to face contacts with Commander
Taur Matan Ruak. We never have been out of contact with him and have
maintained telephone contact with him throughout. Yesterday was the first
time for some time that we have been able to go in by helicopter and meet
him and his colleagues again to discuss the humanitarian needs of people in
and around Waimori and to gain information FALINTIL has gathered regarding
humanitarian priorities. Mr. Ross Mountain, the Humanitarian Co-ordinator,
and other representatives of the humanitarian agencies all closely
discussed this with them. We also took offices from INTERFET to open
liaison between INTERFET and FALINTIL.
Those first two visits out of Dili itself have been valuable and today
I believe Brigadier Rezaqul will be travelling to Baucau where, as you know,
INTERFET has also now established a presence.
I can't tell you exactly what the pace will be by which UNAMET will
return to Dili and be deployed to other parts of East Timor because clearly
it does depend upon the ongoing security assessment as well as the
practicalities of living accommodation and office space. Certainly we are
well on our way to the increased functioning of UNAMET. It is a priority
for us to enable INTERFET to benefit from the experience of our military
liaison officers and other staff who came to know the regions of East Timor
rather intensively in recent months. It is also our priority to facilitate
as much as possible the work of the UN humanitarian agencies and to get
UNAMET itself back on the ground to pursue its role of implementing the
outcome of the popular consultation.
In the meantime, of course, discussions will be taking place in New
York looking ahead to the planning for a UN operation on a greater scale at
the point at which the UN assumes fuller responsibilities for transitional
administration in East Timor.###
TAMBAHAN:
Briefing Summary for Wednesday, 22 September 1999
An inter-agency mission left for Dili at noon today on a World Food
Programme chartered passenger aircraft. (Agencies include UNICEF, UNHCR,
WFP, WHO, OCHA, MSF, CARE, Interaction, IOM, UNDP, CIDA, Caritas and World
Vision). The delegation will meet with the donor mission (see below) to
present a preliminary appeal for East Timor. They are expected to return
later today along with Mr. Kevin Kennedy, the Director of the Emergency
Liaison branch in OCHA. (A press conference on humanitarian issues is
scheduled to take place at the airport today between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m.).
An 18-person donor mission arrives in Dili today. The mission includes
Ms. Julia Taft, United States Assistant Secretary of State for Humanitarian
Affairs, the Indonesian Minister for Social Services, the Australian
Minister for Development and Cooperation, the European Union's Counsellor
for Development, the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Thai Deputy
Permanent Secretary, the British Head of the Department of Conflict and
Humanitarian Affairs and Japanese ministers.
Mr. Ian Martin is expected to meet with the donor mission before
returning to Darwin later today.
The UN Permanent Representatives from Indonesia and Portugal will be
holding talks on Thursday and Friday this week at UN Headquarters in New
York. The Secretary-General will be hosting a meeting between the Foreign
Ministers of Indonesia and Portugal on 28 September.
Three planes carrying humanitarian daily rations (HDRs) will be going
to three areas in the eastern region of East Timor (Baguia, Umori, and
Lura).
To date, the World Food Programme has made five airdrops delivering
over 50 metric tons of food.
The WFP has launched a major logistical humanitarian appeal for $8
million for a six-month period. So far, Japan has donated one million
dollars, which will be used to purchase trucks. Norway, Switzerland and the
United Kingdom have also donated trucks and personnel. Negotiations are
underway withAustralia, Norway and Denmark who are committed to donating
money and personnel to WFP needs.
A WFP chartered ship is leaving for Darwin from Brunei today carrying
approximately 2,600 metric tonnes of food. In addition, two Sikorsky
helicopters are due to arrive in Darwin today for WFP use.###
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