Jakarta – On the eve of U.N. sponsored peace talks in New York, Indonesian military commanders in East Timor on Thursday vowed to crack down on what they described as increasingly "brutal" tactics employed by the disputed region's separatists, a local newspaper reported.

Regional commander Colonel Slamet Sidabutar made the announcement, the Indonesian Observer said. Meanwhile, foreign ministry officials in the capital Jakarta said they expected nothing spectacular from the talks, which are to focus on the sovereignty of the former Portuguese colony.

At least 36 people have been killed in clashes between the military and the East Timor separatists since May. The rebels have been fighting for independence since 1976, when Indonesia occupied and annexed the province. The United Nations has refused to recognize Indonesian sovereignty over East Timor.

Sidabutar told the newspaper "the rebels are becoming more inhuman and brutal" and that the military would step up its attacks to preserve peace and order.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas and Portuguese counterpart Jaime Gama will meet in New York over the next two days to discuss the conflict. It will be the first such meeting since East Timor activists Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo and Jose Ramos Horta received the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize.