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Diplomat's brother killed in East Timor

Source
Associated Press - April 16, 1999 (slightly abridged)

Dili – A clash between Indonesian soldiers and pro-independence guerrillas today left three people dead, including the brother of one of Indonesia's top diplomats and a key negotiator in East Timor's conflict, the military said.

News of today's fatalities came as jailed rebel commander Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao said he would reimpose a cease-fire by his guerrilla forces.

Gusmao, who is under house arrest in Jakarta, made the pledge to visiting a senior US diplomat, Stanley Roth, who also held talks with Indonesian President B.J. Habibie.

Gusmao has accused the Indonesian military of arming anti-independence militias to derail a UN-sponsored peace process. Roth, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia, told a news conference that Indonesian officials had denied that this was government policy.

Nevertheless, Roth said Indonesia had an obligation to ensure "that paramilitary groups are not allowed to conduct acts of violence and to kill and intimidate people."

Also today, Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas submitted a proposal for autonomy for East Timor to Habibie. Alatas plans to present it at talks next in New York with officials from the United Nations and Portugal, East Timor's former colonial master.

The United Nations hopes to hold a vote in July to determine whether East Timorese people want autonomy within the Indonesian state or full independence.

The issue has polarized the half-island territory and many fear rising violence between groups either for or against independence could stop the ballot going ahead.

The military said rebels shot dead army Sgt. Belarmino Lopez da Cruz when about 50 guerrillas today ambushed three military trucks near Manututo, 37 miles east of East Timor's capital, Dili.

The dead man was the younger brother of Francisco Xavier Lopez da Cruz, Indonesia's ambassador at large for East Timor. Four other troops were wounded. Lt. Col. Sulistyo, chief of military district in Manatuto, said troops shot dead two rebels in the attack.

Gusmao, who is under house arrest in Jakarta, told Roth he would be willing to join a peace council proposed this week by Habibie to end the bloodshed in East Timor.

"He made it clear that he was favoring peace and reconciliation and that he would instruct his commanders to once again cease any military operations," Roth said.

Last week Gusmao raised the ire of the Indonesian government when he called for a popular insurrection against anti-independence militias accused of attacking and killing civilians.

The Indonesian military, meanwhile, said it had canceled plans to arm more anti-independence civilians to combat rebels fighting for independence in the troubled region.

Col. Suhartono Suratman, the territory's military chief, said about 50,000 civilians would be trained by the army as volunteer guards, but an earlier plan to arm them would not proceed.

"Regarding the existing situation, they would be trained to guard villages in all districts ... but they would not be armed," Suratman said. He did not give any reason for the cancellation. Suratman announced in December that civilians in 440 villages would be armed as a "people's defense force."

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