A CALL FOR INTERVENTION

September 13, 1999
		Amid intense international pressure to bring an end to the militia violence plaguing East Timor, Indonesian President B.J. Habibie announced Sept. 12 that Indonesia would accept international assistance in restoring order to the region. -- Posted 11:00 AM ET

Online NewsHour Special Report: East Timor Independence Sept. 3, 1999: East Timor chooses independence. Sept. 2, 1999: U.N. workers are killed as militia attacks continue. Sept. 1, 1999: Militias lead an uprising outside the U.N. compound. Oct. 25, 1996: Online Forum: Nobel Peace Prize winner Jose Ramos-Horta responds to viewer questions. Nov. 13, 1996: A discussion with Jose Ramos-Horta. Oct. 11, 1996: Two East Timorese dissidents win the Nobel Peace Prize. Browse the NewsHour's coverage of Asia.   United Nations Mission in East Timor Indonesian Embassy in Washington National Council of Timorese Resistance U.S. Embassy in Jakarta Carter Center

"Too many people have lost their lives since the beginning of the unrest," Habibie said. "We can wait no longer. We have to stop the suffering and the mourning immediately." Habibie's announcement came after weeks of Indonesian insistence that it had the situation in East Timor under control. The violence, that has killed thousands and sent nearly 300,000 fleeing their homes, erupted shortly after a referendum Aug. 30 in which the people of East Timor voted overwhelmingly to secede from Indonesia. International leaders were quick to welcome the decision but stressed the need for quick implementation. "The most important thing is for President Habibie to make good on his statement, get the details worked out, [and] get the force in in a hurry," U.S. President Bill Clinton, in New Zealand for the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, said. United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan also endorsed Habibie's decision but also said the government must try to end the chaos. "In the meantime I expect the Indonesian authorities in East Timor and the government of Indonesia at all levels to do their utmost to maintain order and security in East Timor," Annan said. The timetable for the international force's entry must now be negotiated between the U.N. and Indonesia. Habibie said he was dispatching Foreign Minister Ali Alatas to New York to discuss the matter further, but those watching the area worry that organizing the force may be a new stumbling block. Despite the possible delays, U.S. National Security Adviser Samuel Berger told the Associated Press he hoped the mission would begin "in the next several days." Military officials in nearby Australia have already placed thousands of troops on alert in its northern provinces, but they caution that it could take weeks for forces to land in East Timor. Clinton said diplomatic wrangling should not be allowed to impede international aid. "[Indonesia] should not be able to say who is in or not in the force, and what the structure of the force will be, otherwise it will raise all kinds of questions about whether there will be integrity in the force," he said. "And it will also delay the implementation." Clinton said the U.S. participation in the peacekeeping force would, at this point, not involve combat troops. He said the U.S. would assist the force with transportation, communications and intelligence. Meanwhile, conditions in East Timor continue to deteriorate. Nearly 1,000 refugees are still seeking refuge in the U.N. compound in Dili. U.N. officials said tens of thousands of people have fled to Indonesia-controlled West Timor, and that more than 100,000 have taken refuge in the mountains of East Timor. East Timorese independence leader Xanana Gusmao told reporters Habibie had made a "courageous" decision, but stressed the urgency of the humanitarian situation in the half-island region. "Now it is up to the U.N. Security Council and the international community to act speedily," he said. "There is no time to lose."