Jakarta – Indonesia plans to withdraw next week some of the thousands of troops it has stationed in the troubled territory of East Timor, military officials said on Friday.

"We have been asked to arrange a press tour for reporters to recover the sending home of troops from East Timor, but I don't know how many troops will be sent home or have any further details," a military press officer in Jakarta said.

He was unable to confirm rumours that around 1,000 troops, possibly at least one battalion, were being withdrawn, or whether the troops being sent home would later be replaced as part of a rotation.

Indonesia has officially around 5,000 troops, roughly five battalions, in East Timor but foreign military analysts say the the actual number of forces under arms could be up to twice as much if armed local militas, special forces on rotation, riot police and other partial units were counted.

The regional commander said recently there were 12,000 troops and police in the territory, which has a population of 800,000. The police are technically part of the armed forces, and the commander did not give a breakdown.

[On July 24, Lusa news agency said that a report by the EU "troika" mission to East Timor has said there could be no lasting solution to the conflict without a firm "commitment" of holding a "direct consultation" with the population on their future. It called for an "immediate" and "visible" reduction of troops adding that the withdrawal Kopassus troops should have "absolute priority". Concern was expressed about "rising repression" and the need to establish "direct contacts" between Indonesia and resistance leader Xanana Gusmao. The report also called for the immediate release of all East Timorese political prisoners, including Gusmao, and advised Timor's guerrilla movement to declare a cease-fire - James Balowski.]