Tomi Soetjipto, Jakarta – Indonesia conceded on Friday it could not fully control its border with East Timor where another UN soldier was killed in a gunfight with pro-Jakarta gangs, and said the only solution was to close refugee camps in West Timor.

Indonesia has come under mounting international pressure to rein in the miltiamen who operate with near impunity in and around refugee camps just across the border inside Indonesian West Timor.

We have been quite open about this problem ... we cannot give 100 percent control, Foreign Ministry spokesman Sulaiman Abdulmanan told Reuters.

He said the government had always barred armed people from entering East Timor, which last year voted to break away from Indonesia. But once the people have crossed the border they are not our responsibility anymore ... they may store their weapons somewhere on the East Timor side, he said.

A Nepalese soldier was killed and three others wounded on Thursday night in the latest in a series of clashes between UN peacekeepers and pro-Jakarta militias. A New Zealand soldier was killed in similar circumstances last month. Thursday's clashes broke out northeast of the town of Suai.

Earlier this month, the UNHCR suspended repatriation of refugees to East Timor, accusing the militias of intimidating its staff.

Speaking in Singapore, Indonesian Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab said on Friday the only solution was to close the refugee camps, where thousands still live. By closing down the camp, the source of all those problems – killing, tension could be abated, he said.

He said registration of refugees was a problem but Jakarta was determined to get it done and would not let the militias get in the way. Shihab said Indonesia was drawing up a plan to close camps in West Timor and would call on international agencies, including the United Nations, to help with the repatriation.

About a quarter of East Timor's population of 800,000 was forced to flee after the impoverished territory overwhelmingly voted a year ago to end 23 years of often brutal Indonesian rule.

The result of the vote triggered a wave of violence and destruction by the pro-Jakarta gangs and international troops eventually went in to bring it under control.

UN officials and diplomats have pressed Jakarta to end the cross-border incursions and disband the militias.