Indonesia Arming Timor Death Squads, Army Admits

by Jeff Elliott

One Timorese human rights group estimates that in the last two months alone, 21 people have been killed, an equal number have been tortured or have disappeared, and more than 7 thousand have been forced to leave their homes following the rise in armed violence.

General Wiranto, commander of Indonesia's armed forces, denied in January that the military was arming civilian militias. But on Feb. 5 -- after the BBC quoted a paramilitary leader as saying that he received Chinese-made rifles from the Indonesian army -- a spokesman admitted to the BBC that arms had been loaned "merely for protecting people against rebellion in East Timor" and "they are not supposed to use those weapons to kill civilians." Claiming that there was still no proof that they were used to murder, the General added: "If that is what is happening, we should apologize for that, that is very unfortunate."

Since then, the Indonesian army has also admitted it is actively recruting and training civilians for paramilitary duty. Paid $24 per month, about 1,000 have been recruited to fight "anti- integration groups," Indonesia's catch-all name for East Timorese who don't want to be ruled by Indonesia.

Constancio Pinto, UN spokesman for the National Council, contended that Jakarta has distributed some 10,000 guns to its supporters in East Timor in recent days. "Indonesia in fact is trying to create another civil war," he said.

Joao Carrascalao, president of the Union of Democratic Timorese, warned that the situation is explosive. "What is going to happen is a massacre of the civilian population again," he argued. "We urge the United Nations to send observers to East Timor, and that is a matter of urgency."

In late January, Indonesia offered East Timor its independence, but with strings attached. Talks are underway at the United Nations that could pave the way for East Timor's eventual independence.

The threat of violence loomed even as Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas and his Portuguese counterpart met last week to discuss the latest autonomy plan with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Under the plan, Indonesia would still control foreign affairs, defense, and some banking.

Yet Timorese leaders are aware of the need to maintain peace between the pro- and anti-independence elements as the UN process pushes ahead. Jose Ramos Horta, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and longtime pro-independence activist, pleaded for all Timorese to respond with calm and tolerance as the current talks on autonomy and possible independence unfold.

"In the event of Indonesia wishing to leave without taking responsibility for a transition period, the East Timorese people need not panic," Ramos Horta said Feb. 5. "We can invite the United Nations to take responsibility for a period, which could be a minimum of three years, and may be extended according to need."

Any plan to deploy UN peacekeepers or observers, however, depends on Jakarta's acceptance. The current Indonesian government last month indicated for the first time that it might consider independence for East Timor if autonomy is unacceptable -- but it has yet to bring up any referendum on Timor's status, let alone any long-term UN presence.

Add to that the gangs of violent youth, which is believed by most East Timorese to be part of a last desperate campaign of Indonesia's military elite to hold on to military control by terrorism.

One recent report in the Sydney [Australia] Morning Herald described 4,500 terrified people crowded into a Catholic church and school to hide from the miltias. A few days before, a father and son and a pregnant woman were reportedly shot in that village as they fled their houses.

Gil Da Costa, a representative of a Catholic relief group told the newspaper that Indonesian military authorities were not protecting people returning to their villages. This adds to fears that independence from Indonesia would cause the collapse of basic services and create anarchy.