Jakarta – Under international pressure to rein in troublesome militias, Jakarta extended security operations to disarm the West Timor population but on Monday firmly laid the blame for the problem with the international community.

House Speaker Akbar Tanjung, said the international community was partly to blame for the explosive situation in West Timor which led to murders of three foreign UN relief workers there last month.

"What has taken place in Atambua was a reflection of the international community's inability in handling problems in East Timor following the direct ballot," Tanjung told a plenary session of the House of Representatives (DPR), held to hear the government's state draft budget for the year 2001.

He was referring to the brutal murder of three UN relief workers by militias in the West Timorese border town of Atambua on September 6. The incident has led to mounting political and economic pressure from the UN Security Council and the international community for Indonesia to disband and disarm the militias.

"No matter what, the problem of refugees is not under the full responsibility of the Indonesian government since those refugees are an inseparable part of the result of the direct ballot which was not carried out in full honesty," Tanjung said.

Tanjung said the parliament also hoped that foreign countries "could provide concrete assistance" in solving problems of refugees and armed civilian group in West Timor.

He added that the parliament would be "very appreciative" if the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) and the National Resistance Council of East Timor (CNRT) were willing to "work together with the Indonesian government" on the issue of the refugees and the militias.