TIMOR TODAY 11 MAY 2000

NEWS

1) East Timor's Falintil fighters to work with UN 11/05/00 (Sydney Morning Herald) DILI - In a groundbreaking decision, East Timor independence fighters will work alongside United Nations peacekeepers as liaison officers, a senior UN military official said yesterday.

2) Indonesia says Timor trials to start soon 11/05/00 (Reuters) JAKARTA - Indonesia could begin the trials of senior soldiers over last year's atrocities in East Timor in two months, Attorney-General Marzuki Darusman said on Wednesday.

3) Get proof before you accuse TNI, says General Prabowo 11/05/00 (Straits Times) INDONESIAN soldiers are certainly capable of fomenting unrest in the country, but get proof first before hurling accusations at them, retired Lt-General Prabowo Subianto, said yesterday.

4) Former militias form party to contest first East Timor election 11/05/00 (Antara) KUPANG - The Timorese People's Party (PPT) intends to soon register itself with UNTAET [UN Transitional Authority in East Timor ] and become one of the political parties to contest the first East Timor elections, expected to be held at the beginning of 2001.

5) Tool drive to help East Timorese 11/05/00 (Canberra Times) Uniting Church Minister David Thiem is hammering home the message that East Timor needs tools. The Reserve Naval chaplain has launched 'Tools for Timor ' that will see donated hand tools delivered to the East Timorese by the Australian Defence forces.

6) Indonesia- Australia ties after the fray 11/05/00 (Jakarta Post) JAKARTA - Relations between Australia and Indonesia plunged after the East Timorese atrocities caused by the prointegration militia and supported by the Indonesian Military. Intervention by the Australian Army prevented them from causing greater damage; the latter was possible with the support of the UN Security Council and the consent of the Indonesian government.

7) Prabowo defends his record 10/05/00 (Kyodo News) JAKARTA - Prabowo Subianto, the former Indonesian general discharged almost two years ago over a Jakarta riot, said Tuesday he has not yet had any "direct" offer from President Abdurrahman Wahid to become his military adviser, but "as a soldier" is ready to serve.

8) Militia leader urges Timor refugees to return home. 10/05/00 (AP) GENEVA - A prominent pro-Jakarta militia leader has told East Timorese refugees in West Timor they are free to return home, and the first group in weeks has left hardline camps there, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said Tuesday.

9) Howard wants meeting with Wahid before tripartite talks 10/05/00 (Dow Jones Newswires) CANBERRA - Australia's Prime Minister John Howard said Tuesday he wants to meet Indonesia's President Abdurrahman Wahid before any tripartite meeting with East Timor independence leader Xanana Gusmao.

PRESS RELEASES

10) New Zealand company maps Timor. 11/05/00 (NZAM) NEW ZEALAND - For five weeks in April and May 2000 New Zealand Aerial Mapping Ltd. had an aircraft and pilot operating in East Timor. The high-resolution aerial photographs taken during this time will be vital to delineate borders and assist in the rebuilding of the infrastructure of this new country.

REPORTS

11) Explosion in Suai 11/05/00 (UNTAET) DILI - Eleven people, including one Peacekeeper from the New Zealand Battalion and four children, were injured on Monday in an explosion accident on the outskirts of Suai, in the district of Covalima.

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