UN finds no evidence of Timor massacres

[Yoshie Furuhashi <furuhashi.1@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 01:18:01 -0400 (EDT)
>From: Michael Pollak <mpollak@xxxxxxxxx>
>To: lbo-talk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: UN finds no evidence of Timor massacres
>
>[Besides the Reuters byline and the UN spokeperson, this report was posted
>on the East Timor International Support Center website (www.easttimor.com)
>which is a very pro- East Timor independence group.  Of course, it could
>still be wrong . . . ]
>
>   U.N. Sees No Evidence Of Mass Murder In East Timor
>
>   14/10/99
>   Reuters
>
>   DILI - The United Nations said Wednesday it had uncovered no evidence
>   to support allegations that pro-Jakarta militia engaged in mass murder
>   in East Timor.
>
>   "We've heard horrendous stories for which so far there's not a shred
>   of evidence," Michel Barton, spokesman for the U.N. Office for the
>   Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) in Dili told Reuters.
>
>   "There's no evidence so far of very large massacres. There have been
>   murders. There have been terrible things that have happened here.
>
>   "But we don't believe that people in their thousands have been killed
>   and their bodies buried or thrown in the sea. If this had been the case
>   we would have found evidence of this by now and none has been found."
>
>   Miltia groups rampaged through East Timor last month, destroying
>   virtually every city, town and hamlet after the population voted
>   overwhelmingly in favor of independence in a U.N.-supervised
>   referendum.
>
>   About 400,000 of East Timor's 890,000 people remain unaccounted for.
>   Aid officials say some are dead but the vast majority remain in hiding
>   in the hills, awaiting assurances that it's safe to return to their
>   homes.
>
>   A U.N.-mandated international military force, known as INTERFET,
>   continued its deployment among the western regencies of East Timor
>   Wednesday with an air mobile operation in the Bobinaru region.
>
>   INTERFET troops have been pouring into those areas along the border
>   with West Timor for the past week, hoping to stamp out the last
>   militia activity and secure the region for badly needed humanitarian
>   assistance.
>
>   The United States began resupplying INTERFET troops in the east around
>   Los Palos Wednesday using CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters based on the
>   USS Belleau Wood, which is anchored in waters just off the capital,
>   Dili.
>
>   Washington has limited U.S. involvement here primarily to logistics,
>   communications and intelligence support.
>
>   The U.N. force and Indonesian military officials are still sorting
>   through conflicting versions of a shoot-out involving their forces in
>   the hamlet of Motaain straddling the border between East and West
>   Timor last Sunday.
>
>   An INTERFET spokesman said Wednesday the multinational force
>   commander, Australian Major General Peter Cosgrove, would respond
>   favorably to any constructive suggestions by Indonesian armed forces
>   commander General Wiranto on how to avoid future clashes along the
>   border.
>
>   "Commander (of) INTERFET is open to any suggestions from General
>   Wiranto," said Colonel Mark Kelly.
>
>   "He respects General Wiranto. He certainly respects solutions and
>   options
>
>   that he has presented. We will have to look at those closely."
>
>   Kelly said media reports that the Indonesian army was disarming
>   militia forces in West Timor, if true, also would be welcome.
>