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Sunday, 29 August 1999
Ian Martin [Special Representative of the Secretary-General]:
In the last few days, UNAMET and the Commission for Peace and Stability have facilitated several meetings involving Falintil, the PPI [pro-autonomy forces] and the TNI [Indonesian armed forces]. Yesterday, in a meeting that took place in Baucau, Falintil and the PPI reached an agreement on the further implementation of the 18th of June agreement of the Commission on Peace and Stability. I am going to read this agreement, copies of which will then be available to you. I will read it in English and I will ask Mr. Djoko Soegianto, the Coordinator of the Commission on Peace and Stability, to read it in Bahasa Indonesia.
“Points agreed upon by the Pro-integration Forces and Falintil, Baucau, 28 August 1999.
1. As of the 28th of August 1999, both the Pro-integration Forces and Falintil order their forces not to carry or use weapons outside each party’s designated cantonment sites. The parties call upon the Indonesian Police to arrest under existing Indonesian law any of their members carrying weapons outside the designated cantonment sites in contravention of these orders.
2. The parties agreed to conduct mutual visits to the designated cantonment sites as quickly as possible after the ballot on 30 August 1999.
3. The parties agree in principle to discuss the formation of a verification committee to oversee cantonment and the laying down of arms.
4. The parties request the Commission on Peace and Stability, UNAMET and the Indonesian Police to dispatch personnel to the cantonment sites to observe cantonment and the laying down of weapons.”
I am now going to ask representatives of Falintil and of the PPI to briefly indicate their support for this agreement that they agreed upon yesterday, and then to call upon the Chief of Police and the Danrem [military commander] to also make short statements.
On behalf of Falintil I call upon Commander Falur Rate Laik, Commander of Region 3 and the Head of Falintil’s delegation yesterday.
Falur Rate Laik: (translated from Tetun) Mr. Ian Martin, Head of UNAMET, Mr. Djoko, the Representative from the KPS, Mr. Chief of Police and all distinguished guests. I am here on behalf of the Falintil delegation to indicate my full support for the whole process of the Popular Consultation and to give all my support within my capacity for the efforts carried out by UNAMET.
I know, and I need to state here, that the war that has been going on in East Timor has been created by the East Timorese people themselves. The East Timorese people should take full responsibility to settle that conflict. I also want to state that this war has no winner or loser. I believe that in every war many mistakes are committed and the more we fight the more mistakes we will make. We acknowledge the mistakes we have made so far. We are ready to come here to reconcile with the other group and we are prepared to carry this process through. However, we know that this peace has not been issued yet and we still have to work hard to ensure it. That is exactly why we are prepared to cooperate in every single activity carried out by UNAMET in achieving that process.
We are prepared to abide by the terms of the agreement….Yesterday, we spoke about those agreements and we have discussed many issues surrounding those agreements. Being here expresses our wish to cooperate with all of the Timorese people so we can find a way to get the Timorese people in the mountains and hidden elsewhere to come down and follow the process itself.
The time is too short now, so let us work together with UNAMET and other entities so that we can make the vote possible for those who are outside of the voting centres. That is all I want to say and once again I would like to extend my greetings on behalf of the delegation and on behalf of my commanders. Thank you.
Ian Martin: I now call on Eurico Guterres, Deputy Commander of PPI and Commander of its Sector A, to speak on behalf of PPI.
Eurico Guterres: (translated from Bahasa Indonesia) I want to thank you for this opportunity that you have given to PPI. Distinguished Mr. Martin, Mr. Djoko from KPS, and distinguished Chiefs of Police and TNI. I also thank all of you reporters who I love and respect as well. I feel that this opportunity is a new step in history and is a new step for all of us. A step in which the Falintil forces and the PPI forces are able to come together in an agreement.
There has been much dialogue regarding reconciliation carried on so far, but that has been hindered by political forces. Those who have truly supported and tried to achieve reconciliation are us here today. I would like to request that any negotiations regarding reconciliation also include us. This is a new stage in history and a fulfillment of the agreements that were made on August 22nd in Jakarta at which meeting Ian Martin was the chair. At that time we agreed with UNAMET and the KPS that they would be the facilitators to bring both sides of the conflict together.
We were only able to have that meeting at 1:30 p.m. in Baucau on the 28th of August. We sat together and agreed that we would fully support all the agreements that have been made so far and have asked UNAMET, KPS and the Police to ensure that the vote will be able to be carried out on the 30th of August. We agreed together that we would order our forces to stay in their cantonment areas and that UNAMET, KPS and Polri would also assure that as well.
Despite the cantonment laying down of arms, there have been many arms carried in public. Falintil commanders have assured us that those are not their arms and they do not control those people. Also from PPI’s side, we state that if there are any forces who are carrying arms or sharp weapons outside of the cantonment areas we guarantee that those are not our forces. For this reason, we give our full support to the police to carry out an operation to confiscate all arms that are carried in public whether they are from Falintil or the PPI or any other party. The PPI and Falintil have agreed to form a team that will also accompany the police to see who has been arrested for carrying arms to determine if they are any members of our forces.
I would like to send a message to all of you reporters as well as the people of East Timor, whether they are pro-integration or pro-independence, that we have come together in reconciliation to support the people of East Timor. We ask for the support of the East Timorese people to help us implement the agreements that we have made together so that we are able to ensure security and create a conducive atmosphere in East Timor and so there will be no need for any acts of terror or intimidation by either party.
Because we have both agreed that if any acts of terror or intimidation do occur, that UNAMET and KPS and the police will receive our full support by arresting those people. We have also agreed to visit each other’s areas of cantonment so that we can see for ourselves directly the cantonment areas and the storage of arms. Therefore, I hope that the East Timorese people will respond and support our efforts so that neither the Falintil forces nor the PPI forces will be blamed or accused in any acts of terror.
We are not going to stand back and do nothing but we will be together and go into the field to determine who it is who is carrying out these acts of violence and to see if there are other parties which are responsible for this. It does not necessarily mean that the third parties are from the Indonesian army. The Falintil forces, of course, still have a problem with the TNI army but Falintil and the PPI have now entrusted the army to do all it can to support this reconciliation. For this reason, I would like to ask for the support of the political elite and the people of East Timor to help us implement this agreement. We feel that it has not only been the Falintil or the PPI who have been armed, but also the UDT party has been involved and we want this to be cleared up.
That is all I have to say. I would again like to ask for the support of the Falintil forces to be able to control the pro-independence supporters that are in Dili. Thank you very much.
Ian Martin: I am now going to call upon the Chief of the East Timorese Police – Kapolda - Colonel Timbul Silaen.
Colonel Silaen (from Bahasa Indonesia): I greet you all. Regarding the points of the agreement that were just announced, the points of the agreement are a large step forward towards fulfilling the laying down of arms.
We know that so far the agreements that have been made have been difficult to fulfill, but I feel there is a strong will now to be able to fulfill the points of this agreement and that through fulfillment of these agreements and mutual visits by both parties we will be able to bring about peace. Polri will take strong actions to implement an operation to arrest and confiscate any arms that are brought out of cantonment areas. We will be doing this together with UNAMET CivPol and I believe this will be a success.
I would like to repeat that Polri will begin an operation to confiscate any arms that are brought outside the cantonment areas against any party that carries any arms. It is hoped that through the agreement that has been announced to all of the people of East Timor, as well as the international community and the press that the popular consultation will be able to be implemented successfully. It is hoped that as the international press and the international community have heard and witnessed this agreement then it will show to everyone in the world that these agreements can be realized so that the popular consultation, whatever the results, will be carried out in an atmosphere of peace and security. Thank you.
Ian Martin: I would like to call Colonel Noer Muis [East Timor Military Commander] to speak now.
Colonel Muis: (from Bahasa Indonesia) Distinguished visitors, just recently we have witnessed and we have heard about the agreements that were issued directly and that were stated very openly by both parties – the Falintil and the PPI. There are two things that I hope for very much. The first is, that these agreements will be fulfilled by the PPI, the Falintil and all other parties to create an atmosphere of security for all the people of East Timor who will soon express their aspirations through the popular consultation that will be carried out throughout East Timor and at external sites tomorrow, August the 30th 1999.
The second thing, in line with their duties, TNI and the Indonesian police fully support the implementation of this agreement by establishing and maintaining security for all of the people of East Timor and through working together with UNAMET. This is our hope and we hope God almighty will place his blessing on us. Thank you.
Ian Martin: At 7:30 this morning I was telephoned by Mr. Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who asked me to convey the following appeal.
“Tomorrrow’s Popular Consultation for the people of East Timor is a unique opportunity to settle a long-running dispute by peaceful means. I appeal to all sides to live up to their responsibilities before history by respecting the democratic process. It is essential that the people of East Timor be able to vote in conditions free of intimidation and violence.
The United Nations was invited to East Timor to organize tomorrow’s ballot as part of the 5th of May Agreements. UNAMET’s staff and observers must be able to carry out their duties without threat or interference from any party. The international community expects all concerned to accept the outcome of the Popular Consultation and to continue and intensify efforts for reconciliation so as to build a peaceful future for East Timor.
I expect the Indonesian Government to honour its undertakings and instruct its security forces to ensure an environment free of coercion or any other form of intimidation in which the population can decide its destiny without fear and with confidence of a peaceful future.
I give all of you my solemn assurance that the United Nations will be present in East Timor in the coming months in order to work with you to implement whatever choice you make tomorrow.”
I want to thank all of those who have been present this morning for the spirit in which they have participated. I think at this moment our greatest fear for our physical safety comes from the media. So I would be grateful if you would restrain yourselves as we leave the auditorium. Thank you.