TIMOR TODAY 17/09/99

TIMOR TODAY 17/09/99

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PHOTOS

a) Ships in support of an international peackekeeping force for East Timor are moored at Darwin Harbor in Australia. From left to right: New Zealand's HMNZS Te Kaha, Australia's HMAS Adelaide, British HMS Glasgow and Australia high speed troop carrier HMAS Jarvis Bay (behind). (AP Photo/Brian Cassey)

NEWS

1) A risky road ahead for UN peacekeepers in East Timor 17/09/99 (ETISC) DARWIN - An Australian- led United Nations multinational force to be sent, within the next 48 hours, to East Timor where thousands have been killed over the past weeks face a risky road ahead and even possible death. This warning was issued by a special adviser to Indonesian President BJ Habibie today.

2) Australia worried about covert militia operations 17/09/99 (AFP) DARWIN, Australia - Australia’s most senior military official Thursday expressed concern about covert actions by Indonesian special forces in East Timor and urged them to cooperate with the multinational peacekeeping force.

3) Belo’s aide implicates top general 17/09/99 (Sydney Morning Herald) An assistant to East Timor’s spiritual leader, Bishop Carlos Belo, claimed yesterday that he saw the Indonesian intelligence official Major-General Syafrie Syamsuddin direct the separation of boys and men from refugees forced from Bishop Belo’s home 11 days ago.

4) Indonesians block food for starving. 17/09/99 (Sydney Morning Herald) Tortuous negotiations with Indonesia over security last night looked set to delay Australia’s distribution of desperately needed food to thousands of starving East Timorese refugees until after the peacekeeping force arrives.

5) Interview: Orders to Kill 17/09/99 (Expresso) In April this year, 54-year-old Tomas Goncalves left his family behind in East Timor and became a refugee in Macao. Until 1998, he had been council administrator in Ermera, as well as being the leader of the Rai Lakan militia. Now, he is denouncing the Indonesian military’s programme of killings. Before deserting, he took part in the planning.

6) Belo’s aide implicates top general 17/09/99 (Sydney Morning Herald) An assistant to East Timor’s spiritual leader, Bishop Carlos Belo, claimed yesterday that he saw the Indonesian intelligence official Major-General Syafrie Syamsuddin direct the separation of boys and men from refugees forced from Bishop Belo’s home 11 days ago.

7) Reaction to cancellation of Indon – Australia defence agreement 17/09/99 (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Indonesia has cancelled its Security Agreement with Australia in relation to Australia’s outspoken stance over East Timor. Ginny Stein reports on Jakarta’s mood swing against Australia.

HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES

8) Executions, death lists & bombing campaign 17/09/99 (ETHRC) The East Timor Human Rights Centre has confirmed the existence of an Indonesian military Intel death list, targeting East Timorese non-government organisations (NGOs), church leaders, members of the National Council of Timorese Resistance (CNRT) and foreigners.

9) Militias - the fall guys? 17/09/99 (ETHRC) The ETHRC condemns any plans to summarily execute militia members and leaders. There has already been a systematic destruction of records detailing the violence of the past 24 years. The Indonesian military must not be permitted to destroy further evidence of their systematic planning for the current gross human rights violations against the East Timorese people.

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