Andrew Perrin, Dili – Tension was rising last night following accusations of a major military offensive against Timorese resistance forces in the past two weeks.
A well-placed source said that separate attacks on the guerilla forces occurred on September 28 near the town of Los Palos, in the east, and on October 5 in the mountains around Cai Rui, 20km southwest of Baucau. It is believed 19 Indonesian and five Fretilin soldiers were killed. The bodies of the Indonesian soldiers reportedly were buried in a closed ceremony at a military cemetery in Dili yesterday.
The vice-commander of the Fretilin resistance forces, Taur Matan Ruak, narrowly escaped the second attack, as did Fretilin's Los Palos region commander, Lere Klere Maek. But it was claimed yesterday that three battalions in East Timor's central region had surrounded the guerilla camp. Throughout yesterday, heavily armed troops departed from Dili for the territory's central region.
In an interview with The Australian newspaper last week, the military commander of the Indonesian armed forces in East Timor, Colonel Tono Suratman, denied the presence of combat battalions and rejected the suggestion military offensives were taking place.
Claims of the military offensive brought a stinging rebuke from jailed leader of the Council of National Timorese Resistance, Xanana Gusmao. In a letter sent to Indonesia's Secretary-General last week, an angry Gusmao appealed to the Government to "behave like adults at this moment of reformation, by avoiding being heroes of the crimes of the New Order of the corrupt murderer [former president] Suharto". Further on in the letter, he says his "patience [with the Indonesians] is at breaking point".
Meetings between all pro-independence groups were held in Dili this week to discuss a response to the alleged offensive. On Tuesday, East Timor's provincial governor, Abilio Soares, called for the resignation of all civil servants who supported a referendum for self-determination. There are 30,000 civil servants in East Timor, 75 per cent of whom who are of East Timorese origin.
In a statement issued yesterday by the council's national political committee in Dili, members voted in favour of a general strike to take place today in Dili and for mass demonstrations to be held tomorrow and on Monday to protest against "the violation of East Timorese civil and human rights". All pro-independence groups have supported the action.
Council leaders accused the Indonesian Government of breaking all of its recent statements regarding East Timor, including the withdrawal of troops, an end to military offensives and, in the spirit of reforms promoted by new Indonesian President Bacharuddin Habibie, a desire to encourage an open and peaceful society after 23 years of conflict in which an estimated 250,000 have died.
Today's strike is expected to bring Dili to a standstill, with thousands of civil servants, students and other workers walking off the job. A peaceful demonstration, with an estimated crowd of 8,000, is planned for tomorrow.