Jenny Grant, Jakarta – In a sign that Indonesia does not want the international community tampering with its sovereignty over East Timor, Foreign Minister Ali Alatas said his Government refused to have any permanent United Nations presence in the territory until next month.
Mr Alatas told a meeting of the Indonesian Council on World Affairs yesterday that Jakarta had no plans to withdraw troops from the territory.
At the same time, a five-member team from the UN flew to East Timor to survey how it would run a direct ballot scheduled for July on special autonomy.
Mr Alatas said a permanent UN presence in East Timor could cause unrest. "If the presence of the UN is forced at this stage it will cause problems, for example certain groups may hold rallies to attract the UN's attention," Mr Alatas told the meeting of 500 foreign diplomats and retired Foreign Ministry officials.
Analysts said Jakarta had begun its campaign to sell the special autonomy option at yesterday's think-tank seminar. If East Timorese reject the package, the National Assembly will vote on giving East Timor immediate independence.
Mr Alatas said there would be a two-month "socialisation" period once the special autonomy package was unveiled in New York next month to convince East Timorese that autonomy was the best option.
"We will do it through every means available, through the press, radio, through the holding of seminars and group meetings," he said.
Mr Alatas said it was up to the UN to ensure a safe and fair ballot because the international community had pushed for the direct vote. "If there is any suspicion about the vote, then the UN should be ashamed," Mr Alatas said. "The UN should ensure that there will be no suspicion in the ballot."
UN official Horacio Boneo, en route to East Timor, said his team would meet both political sides to assess the balloting process.
East Timor's main pro-independence movement accused a pro-Jakarta militia of killing four civilians in a joint operation with the Indonesian military during the weekend. The military accused pro-independence Falintil forces of carrying out the attack.