---------------------------------------------------------- FREE for JOIN Indonesia Daily News Online via EMAIL: go to: http://www.indo-news.com/subscribe.html - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- Australian Financial Review Friday, August 27, 1999 Dili violence threatens independence vote By Tim Dodd, Dili United Nation officials are considering whether Monday's referendum for independence on East Timor can go ahead after pro-Indonesia militia groups fought pitched battles with independence supporters in Dili's streets yesterday afternoon, leaving at least three people dead. Shots echoed around Dili for 30 minutes as militiamen smashed the offices of the main independence organisation, the National Council of Timorese Resistance and sent truckloads of armed men into Becoro, a suburb of Dili which strongly supports independence. The worst of the violence erupted after a pro-Indonesian rally attended by several thousand people, where Mr Eurico Guterres, the leader of the local militia group, Aitarak, urged his followers, who included armed militiamen, to go to Becoro, an independence neighbourhood. Mr Guterres had earlier threatened to push for East Timor to be partitioned if the independence side wins Monday's ballot. Pro-Indonesian feeling is much stronger in the western section of East Timor. Last night, UN officials were conferring with the Indonesian authorities and diplomats on whether the referendum can proceed, given the poor security. After talks with both sides, the UN mission, which is running the referendum, has decided to cancel today's campaigning by the independence side in case it sparks more violence. Indonesian police, who have been heavily criticised for not acting to stop trouble, did intervene yesterday by firing shots into the air. They also protected at least one group of foreigners who were caught in the middle of the violence. However, the police are likely to be criticised for shooting dead one man, claimed to be a provocateur, as he ran. The fighting in Dili yesterday contrasted with Wednesday's huge, peaceful rally by 10,000 or more independence supporters, when whole families came out to support separation from Indonesia. Yesterday's rally by pro-Indonesia campaigners, who support remaining part of Indonesia under the autonomy package offered by President B.J. Habibie, was less than half as large and was dominated by young men rather than families. They cruised the streets packed into more than 100 trucks and buses decorated with the red and white Indonesian national colours, then rallied at a soccer field. Yesterday's fighting began in Becora when militia entered the area and, according to locals, threw rocks at a picture of the independence leader, Mr Xanana Gusmao. Away from Timor, Indonesian marines shot dead five people and wounded scores of others yesterday when they confronted a Muslim mob in a fresh wave of sectarian violence in Maluku province, a military officer and witnesses said. Lieutenant-Colonel Ivsan Art, commander of a marine battalion sent to reinforce the local police, said his men opened fire to prevent the mob from breaking into a Christian neighbourhood in the provincial capital Ambon, 2,300 kilometres east of Jakarta. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 26 Aug 1999 jam 21:56:48 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
