June 29, 1999
Dili, Indonesia - A rock-throwing mob attacked UN staff and ransacked their office during an anti-independence protest today in East Timor, injuring several people, a UN official said.
It was the first violence against officials supervising a planned referendum on the territory's future. The UN officials blamed militiamen who support Indonesian rule. Indonesia denied it was a direct attack on the United Nations, saying a confrontation between pro- and anti-independence rivals got out of hand.
The attack on the office in the town of Maliana coincided with reports that rival factions agreed today on a plan to surrender their weapons ahead of the August referendum. They must settle other issues before the peace talks, being held in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, end Wednesday.
The UN office in Maliana was one of eight set up across East Timor to prepare for the referendum on whether East Timor will gain independence or autonomy within Indonesia. Ian Martin, head of the UN Assistance Mission in East Timor, said one UN official, a South African woman, and as many as nine East Timorese were injured in Maliana, about 35 miles southwest of the territorial capital, Dili. ''This was not a spontaneous event,'' Martin told reporters when asked if the attack was meant to stymie preparations for the referendum. The vote was originally set for Aug. 8 but has been delayed by at least two weeks due to security and logistical concerns.
David Wimhurst, a UN spokesman, accused anti-independence militiamen of fomenting the violence in Maliana, a stronghold of those favoring autonomy. ''Militiamen whipped up the crowd into a frenzy and they attacked the office,'' Wimhurst said. ''Hundreds of people descended upon the office.''
But Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Sulaiman Abdulmanan said Wimhurst was not in Maliana at the time of the attack. ''He did not see the incident himself. To be neutral, he should first coordinate with Indonesian officials there to find out the real truth about the incident,'' Abdulmanan said.
Dozens of people have been killed in the last two months alone in East Timor, a former Portuguese colony that was invaded by Indonesia in late 1975 and annexed weeks later. Thousands have fled their homes for the jungle, fearing attacks. A June 18 peace deal, signed by the major factions' leaders, aimed to end the violence, but it did not deal with disarmament.
Both the United Nations and human rights groups have claimed the Indonesian government has supported a terror campaign waged by militias opposed to independence. Indonesia denies it.
