Pro-integration groups in East Timor, sensing defeat in the referendum on the country's future in August, stepped up their opposition to the UN Assistance Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) after a delay in the voting was announced on Tuesday.
At the same time, pro-independence students in East Timor welcomed the two-week delay announced by the UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan. "The security situation is not good. People are still under threat and intimidation," a student called Moises said at a meeting of 30 students in Dili, the East Timor capital. "There is no redeployment of the TNI (Indonesian military) yet. They have to go back to the barracks. If the army is still there, people don't want to vote."
Other students said that the vote could not take place when many of the pro-independence movement still could not operate openly and that there were at least 40,000 internally displaced persons who had been forced out of their villages and terrorised by militias to vote for autonomy within Indonesia.
Yesterday, a new umbrella organisation for autonomy groups was launched called the United Front for East Timor Autonomy (UNIF). It consists of the Forum for Unity, Democracy and Justice, chaired by Mr Domingos Soares, administrator of Dili, the Front of the People of East Timor chaired by Mr Francisco Lopes da Cruz, who is also ambassador for East Timor appointed by Indonesia, and the Pro-Integration Forces or militias led by their "chief commander", Mr Joao da Silva Tavares.
The launch took place in the compound of the governor's office in Dili. The organisers claimed they paid rent, though the governor, Mr Abilio Soares, was present. "We really don't need the consultation, because it will never solve the problem," said Mr Domingos Soares, referring to the referendum originally scheduled for August 8th.
"I don't know what the reason for the delay of the referendum is. But if they want to delay, for us it's the same," added Mr Soares. He denied that the actions of the militias, responsible for the deaths of dozens of unarmed East Timorese, had been a factor.
"What kind of security problems are there, we don't see it. The source of the conflict is not the militias. It's more the other side," Mr Soares said, referring to Falintil, the pro-independence guerrilla movement which is on ceasefire.
Mr Soares also accused UNAMET of not being neutral. "We will have another civil war here again with the non-neutrality of UNAMET," he said.
In the referendum people will be asked to choose between autonomy within Indonesia or separation leading to eventual independence.
David Shanks adds:
The East Timor Ireland Solidarity Campaign has called on the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, to demand that the UN Security Council take immediate steps to place armed UN personnel in East Timor.
Following the postponement of the referendum, the ETISC has asked the Government to call for an immediate meeting of the UN Security Council.
A statement said: "Concern has also been expressed for the safety of unarmed UN personnel (including gardai) who are now bearing the brunt of anti-UN sentiment by Indonesian government spokespeople and the armed militias."
The situation inside the territory was "intolerable and immediate action is called for," said Mr Tom Hyland of the ETISC. He continued: "It is ludicrous to think that a free and fair ballot is possible without armed UN peacekeepers in East Timor."