Don Greenlees (Jakarta) and Sian Powell (Dili) – Almost half the Indonesian Cabinet flew into East Timor yesterday in a dramatic bid by Jakarta to quell growing international anger over its failure to maintain security ahead of the UN-sponsored ballot on autonomy.
Defence Minister and armed forces chief General Wiranto and Foreign Minister Ali Alatas headed the delegation of 16 ministers and 15 senior officials on its one-day flying visit to the disputed territory.
The visit signals the Habibie Cabinet is prepared to put its reputation on the line over its ability to deliver on security guarantees and bring the pro-Jakarta militias under control.
After an hour-long meeting with Mr Alatas, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special envoy, Francesc Vendrell, declared that the Indonesian Government was now making a realistic assessment of the difficulties in holding a free and fair ballot in August.
"I think I have seen and I have noticed a great willingness to see the problem as it is and to do something about it," Mr Vendrell said.
"They [the Indonesian Government] have certainly said they will take measures that we believe are needed to allow everybody to express their views, to allow everybody to have freedom of movement in the territory."
Pro-independence National Council of Timorese Resistance spokesman Leandro Isaac welcomed the visit as a positive step but raised pro-independence concerns that it was merely a public relations exercise.
"I hope the coming of the ministers ... could decrease the violence in the towns of East Timor. But if the violence still goes on after this, it is up to the UN to decide what to do," Mr Isaac said. "I don't know whether the visit of the ministers is cosmetic or not."
The six-hour visit comes amid grave doubts, on the part of the UN and Australia, about the willingness of the Indonesian military and police to fulfil obligations agreed to under the New York accord to enable a free and fair ballot to take place on whether East Timorese wish to maintain Indonesia's 24-year rule.
In Washington overnight, John Howard was expected to strongly urge US President Bill Clinton to apply maximum pressure on Indonesia to improve security. Past guarantees by Indonesia that security would be improved have been followed quickly by further incidents of harassment and intimidation, including attacks against UN offices and personnel.
Mr Alatas said the sheer number of ministers demonstrated Indonesia's determination to facilitate a free and fair ballot on independence, now set down for August 21 or 22.
"It shows our Government's determination and our sincerity and our seriousness to really implement what we agreed to do," Mr Alatas said in Dili.
But pro-independence student leader Francisco Dionisio said only the total withdrawal of the Indonesian armed forces from East Timor would bring peace.
"Our people are not ready to join the ballot," he said. "Only a peacekeeping force can maintain security." Mr Dionisio said the ministers' visit was simply a response to international pressure and nothing concrete would come of it.
Mr Alatas brushed off concerns about violence and said security in the region was continuously improving. He said the three-day delay in registering voters, announced by the UN on Sunday because of continuing outbreaks of violence and intimidation, would not delay the referendum itself. Mr Annan is due to announce on Friday whether the registration process will begin.