Indonesia rejects peacekeeping force

UNITED NATIONS, SEPT 12: Indonesia has firmly rejected any international peacekeeping force in East Timor at present, brushing aside dema...

UNITED NATIONS, SEPT 12: Indonesia has firmly rejected any international peacekeeping force in East Timor at present, brushing aside demands and pleas during a day-long debate in the Security Council to allow it to help quell violence following the territory voting for independence.

Speaking towards the end of the debate late last night, Indonesian ambassador to the UN Makarim Wibisono said his government wants the peacekeeping mission to be deployed only after parliament accepts the decision of referendum. 8220;Such an operation may well exacerbate the situation and be counterproductive, however well-intentioned it maybe,quot; the Indonesian ambassador to UN told the members.

A peacekeeping mission under the present circumstances could hardly be effective when there is no peace to keep but would evolve into a peace-enforcing mission, he added. The council is not expected to adopt any resolution or take a decision before the return of its five-member mission on Monday or Tuesday. Despite strong condemnation byseveral ambassadors for failure of Indonesia to keep peace in the territory till the result of ballot is implemented as promised by it, the council did not make any move to authorize an international force.

Indonesian parliament is scheduled to meet sometime in November to consider the result of the vote. However, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has urged Jakarta to advance the date.

The security situation is already improving following the imposition of martial law, Wibosono told the council despite several envoys disputing this in their statements earlier. Wibisono8217;s statement came at the end of the day amidst confusing reports about softening of Indonesia8217;s stand on acceptance of an international force and some even interpreted statements from Jakarta as readiness to accept it.

8220;While fully understanding the willingness of a number of countries to provide security assistance, Indonesia does not foresee the need for the introduction of a multinational peacekeeping force at this stage,8221; he said.Meanwhile, Russia and China, who have veto, are opposed to the introduction of a multinational force without the consent of Indonesia and could kill any resolution seeking to send peacekeepers over Jakarta8217;s objections. The statements attributed to Indonesian Army Chief General Wiranto have been variously interpreted, alternately raising and dashing hopes of Jakarta accepting the Australian-led force in which Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Malaysia and the Philippines have offered participate.

But, the version which Wibisono quoted did not raise any hope of an early deployment of multinational force. He quoted the general as saying it is clear that Indonesia does not reject the peacekeeping force but it is not really the appropriate time for them to come into the territory at this moment.

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The strongest criticism of Indonesia came from Portuguese ambassador Antonio Monteiro, who warned that the council8217;s failure to act could damage the credibility of the world body itself. He reminded that UN had exhortedTimorese to vote freely and now it could not abandon them.