RI to raise alert along border with Timor Leste

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 05/26/2006 1:05 PM

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Military (TNI) said it would not send troops to Dili, but would increase its alert level along the border with Timor Leste.

""There's no need to send troops there as we will prioritize our own security ... we will raise our alertness at our posts along the border, but the level has not reached full alert,"" TNI chief Air Chief Marshal Djoko Suyanto was quoted as saying by detikcom.

He added that if there was an exodus of people to Indonesian territory, TNI would assist only Indonesian citizens.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Desra Percaya said no Indonesian citizens were reported to have been killed or wounded during the unrest in the world's youngest nation.

""Our embassy there has called on the all of the 1,000 Indonesian citizens to take precautionary steps, such as remaining in their houses. Our embassy will also always be open to citizens who seek protection,"" Desra told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Desra said Indonesian authorities were still assessing whether or not to evacuate citizens, and added the decision would depend on how the situation developed.

Reacting to the arrival of Australian troops in Timor Leste on Thursday, the Foreign Ministry said the Timor Leste government had the right to take necessary steps to resolve its problems, including inviting foreign troops.

Desra said Indonesia was concerned about what was happening in Timor Leste, and was continuing to closely monitor the situation there.

""The government of Timor Leste knows best what steps should be taken to resolve the conflict, including asking for help from other countries. We hope that the problem can be resolved soon because a peaceful and stable Timor Leste is also in our interest,"" Desra told the Post.

Some 130 Australian commandos flew into Dili airport Thursday afternoon, along with a senior officer tasked with negotiating rules of engagement for the larger force.

Prime Minister John Howard said later the deployment of a full contingent of 1,300 troops would follow immediately due to the chaotic situation in Timor Leste and intensified fighting between government forces and renegade troops.

Violence in the capital, Dili, has left at least six people dead in recent weeks.

The arrival of Australian forces marks the second time Canberra has joined a UN-led mission to try to bring peace to Timor Leste. Australia led a UN-backed intervention force in 1999 to quell violence by pro-Indonesian militias after the East Timorese voted for independence from Jakarta.

Dewi Fortuna Anwar, an international relations expert at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, said Indonesia should no longer be involved in the conflict, and should concentrate on securing the border to make sure the unrest did not spill over into Indonesian territory.

""We have a historical problem here because Indonesia's role in Timor Leste is still remembered by the international community. The Timor Leste problems should also not be allowed to worsen our relations with Australia,"" she told the Post.

Indonesia invaded East Timor in 1975 and in 1976 declared it an Indonesian province after centuries of Portuguese control.

UN peacekeepers left the new country last year. A UN mission of 130 administrators, police and military advisers was scheduled to finish its work in Timor Leste on May 20, but its term was extended for a month after the recent riots.

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