8-30-06, 9:01 am
The present military forces are to remain under Australian command but are to be scaled back to about half their present numbers. Malaysia, New Zealand and Portuguese contingents also make up the military component already stationed in East Timor.
The Australian Government argued in the Security Council discussions that the build up of a UN force was not necessary and that the UN should confine itself to questions of aid leaving Australians in command of the real military power in East Timor.
The International Federation for East Timor (IFET) (an East Timor support group) had called on the Security Council to create a new UN mission to Timor-Leste which fully integrates all international military components. “Any other arrangement will hinder the effectiveness of the overall mission and runs contrary to the preference of the people and government of Timor-Leste and the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General”, said John M Miller, IFET UN Representative. “Australia’s insistence on keeping its troops under a separate, national command structure will make coordination difficult, lessening the confidence and security that the UN Mission is intended to provide for the people of Timor-Leste.
Suspicion of motives
“Many people in Timor-Leste already suspect the motives, capability and impartiality of the Australian forces there now, and Australia’s refusal to be part of a UN force increases that distrust”, said Charles Scheiner, International Secretariat for IFET.
The Timor-Leste NGO Forum, in support of an integrated mission, said that “there will be a greater degree of accountability for UN forces as it is a civilian-led, international, neutral institution.” The group statement added, “There is an inherently unequal relationship in Timor-Leste’s dealings with other more powerful countries on a bilateral basis. Working through the UN would avoid this situation.”
However the Australian Gov-ernment is ignoring these views together with those of the East Timor government which had called upon the UN Security Council to provide a UN military force to back up a bigger police continent, thereby replacing the Australian force with one commanded by the UN.
The UN decision appears to be something of a compromise with Australia forced to accept a much greater UN role. In a sign of perhaps more troubles ahead, a recent but largely suppressed report tells of street gangs stoning Australian troops and burning several of their vehicles.
While Australian campaigning and manipulation succeeded in forcing Mari Alkatiri to resign as Prime Minister, the Australian Government’s objective of turning East Timor into a neo-colony and a base directed against Indonesia and East Asia generally may not succeed. The application of the East Timor Government to join ASEAN heads this new nation in a different direction.
That other countries are also suspicious of Australia’s motives is indicated by the remark of Brazil’s representative to the United Nations when he warned of the “danger of neo trusteeship”.
The next big event will be the general election due next year and Fretilin, which at present holds a clear majority of seats in East Timor’s parliament, is expected to retain the confidence of the majority of the people of East Timor. President Xanana Gusmao has indicated that he will not stand for re-election.
From The Guardian
