Mark Dodd, Dili – Under intense diplomatic pressure, Jakarta has recalled from Dili a senior intelligence officer alleged to be a key figure behind militia activity in East Timor.
A foreign diplomat said the decision to recall Major-General Zacky Anwar had been made by the Indonesian Defence Minister, General Wiranto. General Anwar, a career intelligence officer serving as senior military liaison to the UN mission, is widely believed to be a dirty-tricks specialist involved in the campaign against independence. He left Dili on Monday.
In related developments, two senior military officers in command of district posts in strife-torn Suai and Maliana have been reassigned, the diplomat said.
General Anwar is expected to be replaced by the head of Kopassus (Special Forces Command), a close colleague of General Wiranto. Indonesian military sources in Dili declined to confirm or deny the developments.
The decision was taken before yesterday's bloody street clashes between rival supporters of the independence and autonomy proposals that left at least five killed, more than 12 people injured and property destroyed.
"Our thoughts are this – Wiranto is on line to try and stop this violence. He's got all this international pressure and he wants to be [Indonesia's] next vice-president," the diplomat said.
In a similar surprise move last week Special Forces Colonel Tono Suratman was replaced by Colonel Mohamed Noer Muis as East Timor's military commander. The head of the UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET), Ian Martin, told a packed news conference today that he believed there was a new willingness in Jakarta to act against militia violence to ensure a successful referendum.
"I believe that at the highest level of the Indonesian Government there is a wish to see the popular consultation completed peacefully," he said. "At the same time that is not translating into the conduct of Indonesian security forces on the ground."
Overnight the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, attacked Indonesia for its failure to prevent widespread militia violence on the streets of Dili.
Yesterday's violence, centred in the pro-independence suburbs of Kuluhun and Becora, was believed to have been instigated by pro-Jakarta militia on the last day of political campaigning for a referendum on East Timor's future political status scheduled for Monday. "The Secretary-General is appalled at the widespread violence in Dili. He demands the Indonesian authorities take immediate steps to restore and maintain law and order," a statement said.
Mr Annan called on Indonesian authorities to arrest those responsible for planning and carrying out yesterday's mayhem and reaffirmed the determination of the UNAMET to press ahead and hold the historic ballot.
Human rights officials in Dili reported scores of residents fleeing Kuluhun and Becora overnight to escape militia retribution, although calm was restored on the streets on Friday. After receiving militia threats, the local staff of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) fled on Friday leaving the Dili office manned by one expatriate.
Mr Martin said today with polling only three days away, Indonesian police had repeatedly failed to uphold their obligation to ensure security. The small UN mission in East Timor is unarmed and has no peace-enforcement role, relying on pressure from the international community to force Jakarta to stick to the terms of the agreement it signed in New York last May.
"I can only hope that Indonesia's very keen awareness that the eyes of the world are on East Timor will finally have that effect," Mr Martin said.
"Clearly there was not adequate security in Dili yesterday just as there has not been adequate security in Maliana, Viqueque and other places in recent days.
That's why these statements make clear that the Indonesians have a responsibility to do more than is being done to ensure security," he said.