Tim Johnston, Dili, East Timor – Militiamen attacked a UN compound set up to prepare an independence ballot in East Timor on Tuesday wounding six people, the United Nations and hospital sources said.
The attack came in the middle of talks in the Indonesian capital between East Timor's warring factions to try to bring an end to the violence tearing the disputed territory, much of it instigated by pro-Jakarta militias.
"The first report is that it was a fairly serious incident. We've heard reports of people being injured but no confirmation yet," UN spokesman David Wimhurst told Reuters.
In a statement, the United Nations said its office in Maliana had been damaged and a report would be made to Jamsheed Marker, the special envoy of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Marker is currently in Jakarta after a visit to East Timor to assess the situation.
"The militia threw rocks and stones at the office, where UNAMET staff were present and some local people took shelter," the statement said, referring a UN mission in East Timor which is preparing the vote. UNAMET is the UN Mission in East Timor.
"The UNAMET chief security officer and a senior civilian police officer accompanied by senior Indonesian police liaison officers flew by helicopter to Maliana and will report on their return to the special representative of the secretary general..."
There were also unconfirmed reports of a crowd gathering outside the compound before the attack which took place in mid-morning in Maliana, on the border with West Timor and a centre of pro-Jakarta militias.
A doctor at Maliana hospital, Jonathan Pradipta, told Reuters six people were wounded by glass or rocks, all of them local civilians.
There were 12 UN staff in Maliana, including police, electoral officers and political staff. They included nationals from South Africa, Poland, Germany, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Nigeria.
The Maliana office was opened last Saturday and is one of eight offices to be opened in East Timor by the UN ahead of the August ballot.
At Monday's start of the Jakarta peace talks, pro-independence rebel leader Xanana Gusmao said that though the discussions had fallen short of expectations they were crucial to bring an end to the violence. The talks, being organised by Catholic church leaders, include pro-Jakarta supporters.