Sandra O'Malley and Rob Taylor – The Federal Government is neglecting regional security by backing the US in opposing an extension of the UN peacekeeping mission in East Timor, Labor warned today.

East Timor wants peacekeepers to remain past a May withdrawal deadline, a position shared by the UN.

But Australia and the US have opposed recommendations by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan for a scaled-down peacekeeping mission to remain in East Timor after May. Mr Annan says a May pullout could affect security and stability.

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd described the Government move as extraordinary, particularly in light of its decision to deploy an extra 450 troops to Iraq. "While the Howard Government's priorities are firmly fixed on the other side of the world, it continues to neglect security interests closer to home," he said.

Australia's ambassador to the UN, John Dauth, said Australia was not opposed to a continuing presence in East Timor but did not see a need for a continued military commitment.

"The great measure of agreement between us, the UN, the East Timorese and all others is that the UN presence shouldn't just end at the end of the set mandate in May, there should be a continuing UN presence," Mr Dauth told ABC radio.

"It's the shape of that presence that we're talking about. And in that respect we don't think there's a need for a continuing military component."

In a report to the Security Council last week, Mr Annan called for about 275 military personnel, police trainers, civilian advisers and human rights officers to remain in the country, along with a small staff for the UN representative.

The mission currently has about 900 military, police and international civilian staff, including around 100 Australian troops and police, acting as engineers, advisers and logistics experts.

East Timor's foreign ministry secretary-general Nelson Santos said Dili supported the UN security assessment that peacekeepers were still needed, describing the situation on the ground as fragile.

Mr Santos said the threat was no longer posed by the military of neighbouring Indonesia but by cross-border criminal trade from Indonesian West Timor.

"We are not really asking for a military presence," he said. "But we would like the military liaison role, the advisory role, to remain for some time yet to maintain the status quo."

Mr Dauth said the situation on the border was sufficiently stable not to require an international presence. Australia, instead, wants the UN provide a special representative to East Timor.

Mr Dauth said Australia also sees a role for civilian advisers to provide assistance on issues like justice, and international police.

East Timorese ambassador Jorge Da Conceicao told ABC radio East Timor's journey to independence was a success story helped by the role of the UN and Australia.

"That's why we want these countries to understand our request and also understand our need [to know] how to improve, on how to enhance the capacity of our own force, police and civilians in running the administration," he said.

Mr Da Conceicao said he was confident that Australia and the US would eventually make a "wise decision" based on the argument from East Timor.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer's office could not be contacted for comment.

Foreign peacekeeping forces have been in East Timor since 1999, when an Australian-led intervention force arrived to end a slaughter by pro-Indonesia militiamen which left 1,500 people dead following the then-province's vote for independence from Jakarta.