Jakarta – East Timor's detained rebel chief Wednesday accused the Indonesian military of conspiring to undermine a planned vote on autonomy in the Indonesian-controlled territory.

Indonesia has been arming civilian militias in East Timor to create chaos that will sabotage the vote, which is expected in July, guerrilla leader Jose Alexandre Gusmao said.

"The terror, intimidation and murder to which the people are already being subjected will be intensified," Gusmao said in a statement. He urged the United Nations to establish a presence in East Timor to ensure peace.

In a reversal of an old policy, Indonesian officials have said they would let go of East Timor if its people reject the autonomy proposal. But many separatists suspect that Indonesia, which invaded the territory in 1975 and annexed it a year later, is not sincere.

This year, tensions have grown in the territory and there have been more clashes between supporters and opponents of independence. Fighting between separatist guerrillas and Indonesian soldiers dwindled years ago.

Gusmao, who is being held under house arrest, has become a key player in negotiations to solve the conflict in his homeland. Indonesia and Portugal have held talks at UN headquarters in New York, and East Timorese factions have met in Jakarta and Dili, the capital of East Timor.

In an appeal to the international community, Gusmao said: "If strong and effective pressure is not brought to bear on Indonesia to immediately disarm the civilian militias, the people of East Timor are liable to lose their patience."

Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas has repeatedly denied accusations that his government wants to disrupt the autonomy vote. He has acknowledged that civilians have received training from the military, but only as participants in a nationwide program to bolster the police force.