East Timor:
Vote postponed, killings continue
by Peter Mac Although talks between supporters and opponents of independence for East Timor have commenced, progress towards a free and fair referendum has stalled for the time being. The latest killings have forced the United Nations to postpone the ballot on independence for several weeks. There is no possibility of holding a fair election with the country currently flooded with Indonesian troops and armed anti-independence militia groups and without adequate UN police and observers. Since the signing of the May 5 referendum agreement between Indonesia and Portugal, there have been reports of hundreds of deaths, disappearances, torture and injuries inflicted on pro-independence East Timorese by the local militia groups and their supporters, the Indonesian military. This week there has been confirmation of previous accusations that an Indonesian Cabinet Minister executed five Australian-based journalists covering the 1975 invasion of East Timor by Indonesia. A former Timorese militia commander, Carlos Santos, has stated that he watched a group of soldiers led by Information Minister Yunus Yosphia (then known as Major Andreas) massacre the unarmed journalists in the village of Balibo shortly after the invasion commenced. Santos asserts that Yosphia later swore all participants in and witnesses to the execution to secrecy. Despite previous denials of involvement, Mr Yosphia has now admitted to leading the attack on Balibo, although he still denies any direct involvement in the execution itself. An Australian Government enquiry into the 1975 killings named Yosphia as the man most likely to have led the massacre. The Australian Government has condemned the latest killings of pro- independence supporters in East Timor, but is continuing to provide military assistance to Indonesia. The United States Senate has passed a resolution calling for a ban on further US arms shipments and military assistance for Indonesia unless it ceases supporting attacks on the East Timorese people by military and militia forces. The resolution notes that "the arming of anti-independence militias by members of the Indonesian military for the purpose of sabotaging the August 8th ballot has resulted in hundreds of civilians killed, injured or disappeared in separate attacks by those militias who continue to act without restraint." The Senate resolution calls on the US President, top Government officials and directors of financial institutions to pressure the Indonesian Government for the following: * the disarming and disbanding of the anti-independence militia groups; * the granting of full access to East Timor by international human rights monitors, humanitarian organisations and the press; and * the unimpeded and secure return of exiled East Timorese to participate in the vote. The US Congress has a similar resolution before it. However, despite these developments, arms shipments and military assistance for Indonesia have continued unabated. Talks between representatives of pro-and anti-independence groups have continued in Dili this week. The pro-independence group includes Jose Ramos Horta, just returned from exile in Australia, and resistance leader Xanana Gusmao, who was granted release from house arrest to participate in the talks. Despite the talks, there has been no indication of a lessening of the violence in East Timor against supporters of independence for the former Portugese colony.