[Besides the Reuters byline and the UN spokeperson, this report was posted on the East Timor International Support Center website (www.easttimor.com) which is a very pro- East Timor independence group. Of course, it could still be wrong . . . ]
U.N. Sees No Evidence Of Mass Murder In East Timor
14/10/99
Reuters
DILI - The United Nations said Wednesday it had uncovered no evidence
to support allegations that pro-Jakarta militia engaged in mass murder
in East Timor.
"We've heard horrendous stories for which so far there's not a shred
of evidence," Michel Barton, spokesman for the U.N. Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) in Dili told Reuters.
"There's no evidence so far of very large massacres. There have been
murders. There have been terrible things that have happened here.
"But we don't believe that people in their thousands have been killed
and their bodies buried or thrown in the sea. If this had been the case
we would have found evidence of this by now and none has been found."
Miltia groups rampaged through East Timor last month, destroying
virtually every city, town and hamlet after the population voted
overwhelmingly in favor of independence in a U.N.-supervised
referendum.
About 400,000 of East Timor's 890,000 people remain unaccounted for.
Aid officials say some are dead but the vast majority remain in hiding
in the hills, awaiting assurances that it's safe to return to their
homes.
A U.N.-mandated international military force, known as INTERFET,
continued its deployment among the western regencies of East Timor
Wednesday with an air mobile operation in the Bobinaru region.
INTERFET troops have been pouring into those areas along the border
with West Timor for the past week, hoping to stamp out the last
militia activity and secure the region for badly needed humanitarian
assistance.
The United States began resupplying INTERFET troops in the east around
Los Palos Wednesday using CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters based on the
USS Belleau Wood, which is anchored in waters just off the capital,
Dili.
Washington has limited U.S. involvement here primarily to logistics,
communications and intelligence support.
The U.N. force and Indonesian military officials are still sorting
through conflicting versions of a shoot-out involving their forces in
the hamlet of Motaain straddling the border between East and West
Timor last Sunday.
An INTERFET spokesman said Wednesday the multinational force
commander, Australian Major General Peter Cosgrove, would respond
favorably to any constructive suggestions by Indonesian armed forces
commander General Wiranto on how to avoid future clashes along the
border.
"Commander (of) INTERFET is open to any suggestions from General
Wiranto," said Colonel Mark Kelly.
"He respects General Wiranto. He certainly respects solutions and
options
that he has presented. We will have to look at those closely."
Kelly said media reports that the Indonesian army was disarming
militia forces in West Timor, if true, also would be welcome.