---------------------------------------------------------- Visit Indonesia Daily News Online HomePage: http://www.indo-news.com/ Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- ANTARA, October 13, 1999 E Timor-Interfet: RI OFFICIALLY PROTESTS UN New York, Oct. 13 (ANTARA)- Indonesia has officially lodged its strong protest to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan over the cross- border raid by International Forces for East Timor (Interfet) against a border post in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province (West Timor) on Sunday which killed a policeman and wounded three others, including a civilian. "We have sent the protest letter but, because Annan is visiting Sarajevo, we submitted it through the head of the UN Secretary General'soffice,Iqbal Riza,"Indonesia'spermanent representative of the UN Ambassador Makarim Wibisono, told ANTARA here Tuesday nigt (Wednesday in Indonesia Time). Makarim handed the letter to Riza at 5:00 p.m. The letter said Indonesia strongly deplores the incident that took place in Mato Ain village of Belu district, East Nusa Tenggara. "Indonesia wants everybody involved in the incident to be punished for their indiscipline, and the Interfet commander must take necessary measures so that similiar incidents will not ever happen again in the future," Makarim said. Annan was also told about the chronology of the first encounter between the Australian troops in the UN-mandated Interfet and the Indonesian security personnel. According to the letter, on October 10, 1999 at 12:30 p.m., Indonesian policemen and security personnel guarding the border post heard the sound of Interfet APCs closing in on the post. In accordance with standard military procedures, they were ready in anticipation of the situation. One of the post guards fired a warning shot into tha air to remind his colleagues of being on the alert. But this shooting was supposed by the Interfet troops of the Australian contingent to be pointed at them so that, a minute later, they started firing at the Indonesians. The shootings killed Hari Sudibyo, a policeman of the Mobile Brigade unit, wounded Agus Sudarto, and Agus Susanto (Mobil Brigade unit) as well as a civilian. The encounter stopped after the Interfet's unit commander Major Mark Kelly, and second lieutenant Erwin ordered their men to cease fire. Atambua district military commander, Lt. Col. Sigit, came to the incident site at 2 p.m. to meet Major Kelly who was accompanied by Major Brian, a translator. Kelly said the Interfet troops remained in East Timor's side in their efforts to chase two people who were alleged to be militiamen. base on the existing map and stone monument indicating the border line of East and West Timor, Lt. Col. Sigit said the Interfet troops had crossed into East Nusa Tenggara. Foreign Minister Ali Alatas had previuosly said he was quite surprised that Interfet, which is supposed to be equipped with very sophisticated weapons, can make such an error. Meanwhile, Hazairin Pohan, who represented Indonesia in the 54th plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly, asked Annan to push the Interfet troops to maintain their neutrality in carrying out their duties. "If the UN-mandated troops are seen as partisan, they will never be backed up by the conflicting groups. Without the support of all parties, the UN peacekeepers will be those involved in a war which will cause a large loss for the United Nations," he said. (T.LNY01/NN-03/05:29/INT-TA/nn02/TB02) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 18 Oct 1999 jam 05:26:05 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
