Wiranto signals change in stance on UN troops
12 September 1999 - 00:27
JAKARTA (JP): In an apparent shift in position, the Indonesian
Military said on Saturday it might consider inviting an international
peacekeeping force to help restore order in East Timor, admitting that
some of its troops encountered "psychological constraints" to quell
rampaging pro- Jakarta militias.
"The offer of an international peacekeeping force must be
considered as an option for the government, and I will report this to
the President," Minister of Defense and Security Gen. Wiranto told CNN
in an interview during a visit to violence-torn Dili with a
five-member UN Security Council mission.
Wiranto denied allegations that the military was aiding the
militias, which have been on a rampage since last week when it was
announced that the majority of East Timorese voted for independence in
a UN-sponsored ballot. Wiranto also said that troops on the ground
might find it hard to act against the militias because of their close
ties.
"For over 20 years they have worked hand- in-hand with the people
... I can understand if it's hard for them to shoot their own people,"
he added.
A member of the UN Security Council mission, Sir Jeremy
Greenstock, told CNN from Dili that it was apparent that Wiranto's
shift in stance was because he realized the military had failed to
maintain security in East Timor.
"He's unable to explain even to himself why there has been such a
failure, because he realizes that his local commanders haven't done
their job," Greenstock, the British ambassador to the UN, said.