UN Secretary-General Urges Immediate Action to Control Violence in East Timor

Strategic Insights -

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has expressed deep concern over the escalating violence in East Timor, urging the Indonesian government to take immediate measures to control the situation. Annan's remarks came after an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, which dispatched a fact-finding mission to Indonesia to evaluate the situation and potential deployment of a peacekeeping force. The situation in East Timor is described as "urgent and worrying," with hundreds of people dead and thousands displaced.

Key Takeaways:

  • The UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has called for immediate action to control violence in East Timor, citing a "possibility of accelerating the transition to a provisional government."
  • Annan has been in contact with Indonesian President B.J. Habibie, and they have agreed on the need for further measures to restore law and order in East Timor.
  • The UN Security Council has strongly condemned attacks by pro-Indonesian militias, which have left hundreds of people dead and forced the evacuation of thousands of people from the territory.
  • A five-member UN team, led by Namibian Ambassador Martin Andjaba, has been dispatched to Indonesia to evaluate the situation and potential deployment of a peacekeeping force.
  • The team is unlikely to visit East Timor due to the escalating violence, and a decision to send peacekeeping troops ahead of schedule will depend on how the situation evolves over the next 24 to 48 hours.
  • Australia has been pushing for a coalition of countries to send troops to East Timor to restore law and order, but has met with resistance from some Security Council members.
  • A US State Department official has hinted that Washington would support an armed force in East Timor if Jakarta were to invite such a presence.

Statistics:

  • 78% of East Timorese voters opted for independence in the U.N-supervised referendum held last week.
  • At least 100 people have died in the past two days due to militia violence.
  • Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate from East Timor due to the violence.

Sources:

  • UPI (Sept. 6)
  • COMTEX (http://www.comtexnews.com)