Jakarta – Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) Marzuki Darusman has said the defiance of East Timor's pro-integration militias against any United Nations (UN) presence in the territory signifies the armed forces (TNI)'s determination not to let East Timor achieve independence. "If East Timor was let go, it would discredit the whole armed forces completely," he said.
Darusman who is also a chairman of the ruling Golkar party, however, also said it was virtually impossible to prove that the military was directly supporting and encouraging the violence unleashed by the pro-integration camp in East Timor. But, he said, there is no sense in denying it.
"Of course TNI could stop the militias", he was quoted as saying by the South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong daily over the weekend. "So if the militias are against a UN presence, then TNI is against the UN," he added.
Indonesia and Portugal, under the auspices of the UN Secretary General, have talked and agreed to offer an autonomy package to the East Timorese. A direct vote to determine whether or not the East Timorese accept the package is scheduled for August 8, 1999. President BJ Habibie has repeatedly said if the package is rejected, he will let the former Portuguese colony go.
While Habibie's move was praised internationally, critics said, it also sparked violence between those for and against East Timor's integration with Indonesia.
The military is often described as the one strongly opposing the idea of an independent East Timor. "TNI is fighting for political survival in this country," said Darusman, referring to the popular demand that the military be excluded from politics once and for all. "If East Timor was let go, it would open up a chain of reactions. Then you could easily shunt TNI aside from politics. It's countdown time for them," he said.
Meanwhile, in Canberra Australia PM John Howard who recently held a meeting with Habibie over the future of East Timor said although the militias are still threatening to wreck the August 8 ballot through murder and intimidation, thing are better now than it was a few weeks ago.
"There is a far stronger, more prominent, public commitment from the Indonesians for the ballot," he said.
Howard told the Nine Network's Today program on Monday, the Indonesian government had failed to disarm the militia as promised, but denied he should have taken a stronger stand at his talks with Habibie.
"You have to deal with the possible here," he said. "What are they saying we should do? Invade the place? That's ridiculous. If we walk away and wash our hands of it, that's not going to influence the Indonesians to behave in a different way," he said.
Howard said Australia could only continue to use its influence to keep up the pressure on Indonesia to keep its commitment to a fair ballot on East Timor.
"However, I can't guarantee there will be no more violence, of course I can't. Because I don't control East Timor – East Timor is part of Indonesia whether we like it or not and so we have to deal with that reality and respect it," Howard said.