A proposal to extend a peacekeeping presence in East Timor has received widespread support from the United Nations Security Council, and strong support from East Timor itself. But some countries, including Australia, believe a UN police presence is more than adequate to the task.
Presenter/Interviewer: Anita Barraud
Speakers: Jose Guterres, East Timor's Ambassador to the UN; Professor James Fox, director- Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, the Australian National University; Alexaner Downer, Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister
The familiar blue berets of the UN peacekeeping forces have provided both security and comfort to a country less than two years old.
After East Timor voted to become independent in 1999, the United Nations took over the running of the former Indonesian province.
Producing his report on the worlds 191st nation's transition to a democracy, the head of the UN praised East Timor's rapid development to self sufficiency – but felt there were still areas of concern.
Secretary General Kofi Annan said a weak legal system and reports of armed gangs and criminal elements could destablise the fragile nation
He urged the UN Security Council to vote to maintain a reduced force of small peacekeeping force beyond the May 20 withdrawal deadline.
While grateful for the recommendation UN ambassador to East Timor Jose Guterres was hoping for double the number of peacekeepers.
Guterres: We thought one battalion is better for us, to guarantee stability, but today recently of course we ahve asserted the proposal by the secretary general that is just 310 peacekeeping soldiers, it's practically half what we requested.
Barraud: Mr Guterres says criminal elements violent gangs, and possible border incursions of former militia in West Timor could undermine East Timor's already fragile political stability.
Some members of the security council and influential non members such as Australia believe a peacekeeping force is no longer necessary.
Speaking on Asia Pacific late last week, Australia's foreign minister Alexander Downer says an armed UN police force is adequate because there is no direct evidence that external criminal elements are a threat to the political stability of east timor.
Downer: I don't think people in West Timor are going to come pouring across the border and destabilise East Timor. I think the situation is that the people who are coming across the border now from West Timor into East Timor in a criminal sort of a way are smugglers.
Barraud: Mr Guterres believes there is new evidence that criminal and violent elements with an unclear agenda could threaten stability a problem he believes is best handled by UN peacekeepers rather than UN police.
Guterres: The militia have been infiltrating and [according to] the news we have, some are in the border area already- don't forget Indonesian army commanders recently admitted in an interview with the Jakarta Post, that he knows elements of the opposition from East Timor have been visiting refugee camps to ask for support from the former militia in order to create destabilisation in my country, after the UNMISET leaves East Timor.
Barraud: Mr Guterres believes UN peacekeepers are more respected in East Timor than police, giving them a psychological edge, but a leading analyst says the difference goes beyond reputation and costume differences.
Guterres: With due respect to the police presence, but for example, we believe in December last year when we had a riot, the international police were very inefficient and were not able to avoid the riot, and when we speak about criminal elements, in a country like ours you need a military presence. That would be a psychological deterrent to anyone that wants to create instability.
Barraud: Professor James Fox is the director of the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies at the Australian National University.
Fox: Basically, the difference is the peacekeeping force is sent to deal with external threats. The police on the other hand are concerned with issues of law and order, and internal differences. I think it's a sensible and reasonable move on the part of the UN. It has the effect of allowing the quasi-demilitarisation of the border. If the East Timor defence force is kept away from the border or only patrols the border with UN peace-keeping forces, then it doesn't create any potential for a kind of cross-border conflict.