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EAST TIMOR:
Pacific Media Watch calls for UN action over journalists, poll
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Title -- 2323 EAST TIMOR: Pacific Media Watch calls for UN action over journalists, poll
Date -- 29 August 1999
Byline -- Media release
Origin -- Pacific Media
Watch
Source -- Pacific Media Watch, 29/8/99
Status -- Unabridged
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** PACIFIC ALERT **
PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH PROTESTS OVER VIOLENCE AGAINST JOURNALISTS
MEDIA RELEASE - 29th August 1999:
PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH
PO Box 9, Sydney 2038, Australia
PO Box 1168, Suva, Fiji
UN Peacekeeping Force needed in East Timor
Law and order vacuum obliges action
Pacific Media Watch calls upon the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to strengthen the United Nations Assistance Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) by initiating immediate action to insert a UN Peacekeeping Force into East Timor to maintain security for the ballot and following period.
In the interim period, the Secretary-General is requested to meet with President Habibe and General Wiranto to demand that the Indonesian police, in cooperation with UNAMET civilian police officers, immediately disarm all militia and paramilitary groups, arrest those acting unlawfully, and initiate legal action against them for their crimes, and to demand the immediate withdrawal of all Indonesian military personnel from East Timor.
The Indonesian government is in serious breach of international law in its failure to support the May 5 New York Agreement with Portugal and the UN to maintain law and order and allow a free vote in occupied East Timor.
The failure to crack down on the escalating violence by Indonesian military-backed pro-Jakarta militia against journalists and other media workers, election monitors, UN personnel, as well as the long-suffering East Timorese, is in itself also a breach of Indonesian law.
These factors testify that the civilian government headed by President Habibe has effectively abdicated control to the Indonesian military forces under the hand of General Wiranto. The manifest law and order vacuum under military direction is a serious breach of Indonesia's undertakings given to the UN.
'Pacific Media Watch', an independent non-profit organisation working for media freedom in the Pacific region, has highlighted these breaches by the Indonesian government to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and called upon him to protect international media workers and others by taking steps necessary to fill the law and order vacuum in East Timor by the insertion of a peace-keeping force.
Security for free and fair elections with the full participation of the 430,000 registered voters and covered by the world's media, has failed to be delivered by Indonesia.
Indonesia has used the exclusion of international media by violence and intimidation as well as the murder of any journalists who get in the way before. In 1975 it invaded East Timor and killed six Australian-based news workers. The Indonesian military blockaded Timor effectively keeping the international press out until 1989, and still maintains a blacklist of media workers banned from entering the occupied territory.
Peter Cronau
David Robie
Convenors
PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send messages regarding the law and order vacuum in East Timor, and the urgent need for a peacekeeping force to:
1. THE HONORABLE KOFI ANNAN
United Nations Secretary-General
New York, NY 10017
USA
Fax: +1 212 963 2155
2. HON. JOHN HOWARD MP
Prime Minister of Australia
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA
Fax: +61 2 6273 4100
3. PRESIDENT YUSUF HABIBIE
President of the Republic of Indonesia
Istana Negara
Gedung Binagraha
Jl. Veteran
Jakarta Pusat
INDONESIA
Fax: +62 21 345 7782
Telegram: President Habibie, Jakarta, Indonesia
E-mail: habibie@ristek.go.id
4. MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Ali Alatas S.H
Menteri Luar Negeri
Jl. Medan Taman Pejambon No. 6
Jakarta
INDONESIA
Faxes: +62 21 360 541 / 360 517 / 380 5511 / 345 7782 / 724 5354
5. MINISTER FOR DEFENCE FORCES
General Wiranto
Menteri Pertahanan Keamanan RI
Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat No 13-14
Jakarta 10110
INDONESIA
Telephone: +62 21 366 184 Fax: +62 21 3845 178
6. RESORT MILITARY COMMAND (KOREM)
Colonel Mohamed Noer Muis
Markas KOREM 164/Wiradharma
Dili
East Timor
Faxes: +62 390 21 624
Telegram: Colonel Muis, East Timor (Indonesia)
7. MILITARY COMMANDER REGION IX/UDAYANA (includes East Timor)
Major General Adam Damiri
Pangdam IX/Udayana
Markas Besar KODAM IX/Udayana
Denpasar, Bali
INDONESIA
Telephone: +62 361 228 095
Telegram: Pangdam IX/Udayana, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia
+++niuswire
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