---------------------------------------------------------- FREE Subscribe/UNsubscribe Indonesia Daily News Online 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 -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 Free Email @KotakPos.com visit: http://my.kotakpos.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------- The Jakarta Post, Friday, March 10, 2000- 03:23 Syahnakri denies TNI link to East Timor attacks JAKARTA (JP): Chief of the Udayana Military Command Maj. Gen. Kiki Syahnakri denied Thursday the United Nations' and Australia's accusations that the Indonesian Military (TNI) were involved in recent attacks in East Timor. "The attacked occurred in Atsabe, some 80 kilometers from the border," Syahnakri said in an interview with The Jakarta Post and Antara news agency in Jakarta. According to Syahnakri, Atsabe has always been a pro- integration stronghold since 1974 and its local chief, Guilherme Maria Goncalves, was East Timor's second governor from 1978 to 1982. "Not all Atsabe people joined the exodus to East Nusa Tenggara after the Aug. 30 ballot," he said. Syahnakri also said he had checked Australia's reports of two other attacks near the border last weekend. "The people living in the border said they had not heard any shots," said Syahnakri in response to Australia's complaints that shots had been fired at Australian military aircraft. Syahnakri admitted that pro-integration fighters had increased their activities following a congress of pro- integration fighters in Kupang on Feb. 26. The congress agreed to form the United Timorese Heroes (UNTAS). "We are not turning a blind eye on UNTAS activities and have conducted raids and have so far confiscated three fire arms, including a Mauser rifle from the Portuguese era and two homemade guns," he said. Syahnakri said that until last week a total of 390 former TNI members had returned to East Timor on request from the CNRT. All of them are native East Timorese. Syahnakri also stressed that border security was a joint responsibility of the TNI and the UN peacekeeping force. "We only have 689 troops to watch the 155-kilometer long border. The number of our troops is far smaller than the number of the peacekeeping troops," said Syahnakri. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 13 Mar 2000 jam 04:07:53 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
