S/1999/595
22 May 1999
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
Question of East Timor
Report of the Secretary-General
1. The present report is submitted in pursuance of paragraph 8 of Security
Council resolution 1236 (1999) of 7 May 1999, in which the Council requested
me to keep it closely informed of the situation in East Timor and to report
to it by 24 May 1999 on the implementation of that resolution and of the
Agreements reached on 5 May 1999 by the Governments of Indonesia and Portugal
and the United Nations (see A/53/951-S/1999/513). The Council requested
me, in particular, to specify the detailed modalities of the consultation
process to be conducted by the United Nations and to present detailed recommendations
on the mandate, size, structure and budget of the United Nations mission,
including civilian police officers.
2. In implementation of the above requests, I dispatched an assessment team
to East Timor from 4 to 15 May to evaluate the political and security situation
on the ground, to discuss with the Indonesian authorities the facilities
available in Dili and elsewhere for the establishment of the United Nations
mission and to obtain the necessary information to enable the Secretariat
to draw up a detailed operational plan for the consultation.
3. The Security Council will be aware of the very tight time-frame for the
operation resulting from the decision by the parties to set 8 August 1999
as the date for the ballot. In addition, the difficult terrain and limited
infrastructure of East Timor further complicate the task. The Territory,
14,500 square kilometres in size, is about 265 kilometres from east to west,
and is dominated by a central mountainous spine reaching almost 3,000 metres
at its highest point. Most roads throughout the Territory require four-wheel
drive vehicles, and existing communications infrastructure is limited. East
Timor is not a contiguous Territory, as it also includes the enclave of
Ocussi Ambeno, situated in West Timor some 120 kilometres west of the East
Timor/West Timor border, as well as the islands of Atauro and Jaco.
4. In accordance with the overall Agreement between the Governments of Indonesia
and Portugal and the two supplementary Agreements between the United Nations
and the two Governments (A/53/951-S/1999/513, annexes I-III), I propose
the establishment of the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) to
organize and conduct a popular consultation in order to ascertain whether
the East Timorese people accept or reject the proposed constitutional framework
providing for a special autonomy for East Timor within the unitary Republic
of Indonesia. The deployment of UNAMET will also enable me to discharge
my responsibility as stipulated in paragraph 3 of the Agreement regarding
security (ibid., annex III).
5. Three essential conditions must be met for UNAMET to be effective. First,
it must at all times have the full confidence and backing of the Security
Council. Secondly, it must function with the full cooperation of the Indonesian
authorities. Thirdly, it must have the resources necessary to carry out
its tasks. I shall keep the Council informed of developments relating to
the functioning of the Mission and seek the Council's guidance, as appropriate.
6. UNAMET must enjoy the privileges and immunities, freedom of movement
and communication and other facilities necessary for the performance of
its tasks. I shall seek to conclude with the Government of Indonesia, as
soon as possible, a status-of-mission agreement.
7. UNAMET will carry out its tasks objectively and impartially. Its personnel
shall neither seek nor accept instructions from any source external to the
United Nations.
8. Jamsheed Marker will continue to serve as my Personal Representative
for East Timor. As the Council is aware, I have decided to appoint Ian Martin
as my Special Representative for the East Timor Popular Consultation and
as Head of UNAMET. The Mission will include political, electoral, civilian
police, information and administrative/financial components, the heads of
which will report to the Special Representative. Human rights will be integrated
in different aspects of the Mission's components. In addition, the Mission
will include a small component to monitor humanitarian developments in the
Territory and advise the Special Representative on humanitarian issues.
9. At full deployment, UNAMET will have 241 international staff members
and 420 United Nations Volunteers, up to 280 civilian police, as well as
some 4,000 local staff. Given the limited time period before the consultation,
the personnel for UNAMET are being recruited as speedily as possible, while
at the same time ensuring high standards of efficiency and the security
of United Nations personnel. Thus, the deployment of UNAMET will begin with
the establishment of a headquarters in Dili, to be followed by seven regional
centres, with a possible further expansion at the subregional level.
Political component
10. In order to monitor the overall implementation of the three Agreements
concluded on 5 May in New York, UNAMET will include a political component,
consisting of a Chief Political Officer, who will head the component and
will report to the Special Representative, and 15 Political Officers, who
will be deployed in each of the Mission's regional centres. In addition,
a Senior Political Officer will be posted in Jakarta to serve as liaison
with the Indonesian authorities.
11. The political component will be responsible for monitoring the fairness
of the political environment and ensuring the freedom of all political and
other non-governmental organizations to carry out their activities peacefully.
It will monitor and advise the Special Representative on all matters that
have political implications for the effective holding of the popular consultation.
Electoral component
12. The electoral component will be responsible for all activities related
to registration and voting. The core staff at UNAMET headquarters will be
headed by a Chief Electoral Officer, complemented by 16 regional staff.
An additional 400 polling officers will be provided through the United Nations
Volunteers.
13. The external polling called for in the Agreements will be conducted
on behalf of the United Nations by the Australian Election Commission and
the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This external polling
will be coordinated through the IOM field coordinator, the Electoral Assistance
Division of the United Nations Secretariat and the electoral component based
in Dili.
14. It is my intention to appoint three eminent international experts to
serve as members of the Electoral Commission, which will be responsible
for the overall assessment of the consultation process and for hearing any
complaints, challenges or disputes thereon. The Commission, the terms of
reference of which are being prepared, will be an independent body with
final decision-making authority. The Chief Electoral Officer may attend
and address meetings of the Commission.
Popular consultation modalities
15. The recent assessment mission confirmed that the voting population in
East Timor is estimated at approximately 400,000 people, spread in 13 districts,
subdivided into 62 sub-districts and 462 municipalities. I propose to establish
200 centres inside East Timor where registration and polling will take place.
Approximately 40 per cent of the eligible voters are located in the Dili-Aileu-Manatuto-Baucau
region in the north of the Territory, which is the most accessible. Specific
logistical plans are being laid down for this region and for the east, south
and west of the Territory, as well as for the enclave of Ocussi Ambeno,
which differ significantly in terms of conditions and requirements.
16. For purposes of the consultation, the districts will be divided into
eight regional centres. Each centre will be staffed by two international
supervisors. All participants in the consultative process will be required
to register specifically for the polling on 8 August 1999. Registration
will take place over 20 consecutive days at the 200 registration centres.
At its conclusion, registration lists will be posted publicly for a period
of five days. For the polling, the registration centres will be subdivided
into 700 polling stations. External polling will follow an identical timetable.
17. Since the United Nations is itself organizing and conducting the popular
consultation in East Timor, UNAMET will not be responsible for assisting
or coordinating international observers. For those who may wish to observe,
the United Nations will be responsible for accreditation and the provision
of an observer code of conduct. However, all arrangements for international
observation, including transport, accommodation and security, are outside
the responsibility of UNAMET.
18. The schedule of activities outlined in the Agreement regarding modalities
(A/53/951-S/1999/513, annex II) is being strictly adhered to. Instructions
and procedures on all aspects of the consultative process are currently
being drafted within the Electoral Assistance Division of the Secretariat.
These include directives on the registration process, documentation, appeals,
codes of conduct, external polling and counting. Ballot design is being
discussed, and procurement will be initiated shortly for such items as ballot
boxes, ballot papers, voting compartments, seals and other requisites.
Information activities
19. In order to provide the East Timorese with the information necessary
to make an informed choice on 8 August, and in accordance with the Agreement
on modalities, which calls for the United Nations to conduct an information
campaign, UNAMET will include an information component to explain to the
East Timorese people the terms of the main Agreement and the autonomy framework
(A/53/951-S/1999/513, annex I, appendix). It will also provide information
on the process and procedure of the vote and explain the implications of
a vote in favour of or against the proposal. The information campaign will
be conducted in an objective and impartial manner, without prejudice to
any position or outcome.
20. The information campaign, which will last for the duration of the Mission,
will be conducted over radio, on television and through print, using existing
facilities insofar as possible, and by such means as public meetings and
other public outreach programmes. The campaign will be conducted in the
Tetum, Bahasa Indonesia and Portuguese languages. Information will also
be provided through United Nations Headquarters and United Nations information
centres for those East Timorese living outside the Territory.
21. The assessment team found a willingness among local media providers
to cooperate with the United Nations by making broadcast and production
facilities available. A high priority will be given to securing access to
the airwaves on all available broadcast channels, as well as to existing
production facilities, through an exchange of letters or other written agreements
with those responsible for the facilities. In order to guarantee rapid and
unimpeded production, consideration is also being given to setting up a
small radio and television production facility for UNAMET.
Security situation
22. As I noted in my previous report, according to article 3 of the overall
Agreement (A/53/951-S/1999/513, annex I), the Government of Indonesia is
responsible for maintaining peace and security in East Timor in order to
ensure that the popular consultation is carried out in a fair and peaceful
way in an atmosphere free of intimidation, violence or interference from
any side. In the Agreement regarding security (ibid., annex III), its signatories
agreed that a secure environment devoid of violence or other forms of intimidation
was a prerequisite for the holding of a free and fair ballot in East Timor,
and further, that the absolute neutrality of the Indonesian Armed Forces
(TNI) and the Indonesian police was essential in this regard. In my last
report, I drew the attention of the Security Council to the high level of
tension and political violence that are prevalent in East Timor and indicated
the main elements that would need to be in place in order to enable me to
determine that the necessary conditions exist for the start of the operational
phases of the consultation process.
23. Despite repeated assurances that measures would be taken by the Indonesian
authorities to ensure security in East Timor and curtail the illegal activities
of the armed militias, I regret to inform the Security Council that credible
reports continue to be received of political violence, including intimidation
and killings, by armed militias against unarmed pro-independence civilians.
I am deeply concerned to learn from the assessment team that, as a result,
the situation in East Timor remains extremely tense and volatile. While
the team was in Dili, several shootings occurred on the outskirts of the
city, the house of the head of a local human rights organization was vandalized
and a clash took place between pro-integration and pro-independence militias,
resulting in the deaths of at least three people. Furthermore, there are
indications that the militias, believed by many observers to be operating
with the acquiescence of elements of the army, have not only in recent weeks
begun to attack pro-independence groups, but are beginning to threaten moderate
pro-integration supporters as well. Truckloads of pro-integration militia
are able to roam about freely in the towns and to set up checkpoints along
the roads without any intervention from the army or the police. While accurate
information about the militias is not readily available, there would appear
to be currently some 24 such groups spread around the Territory. Most of
the pro-independence leaders have fled from Dili or gone into hiding. Only
one leader from the Timor National Resistance Council, Leandro Isaac, who
had taken refuge at the police headquarters in Dili, was available to meet
some members of the team during their stay in East Timor.
Commission on Peace and Stability
24. The Commission on Peace and Stability, established on 21 April by representatives
of the pro-independence and pro-integration sides, the local government
and the local police and military commanders, has yet to become operational,
despite the call in the Agreements of 5 May for it to become operational
without delay. This is largely attributable to the inability of the pro-independence
representatives to participate freely owing to the physical threats posed
by the armed militias. Under the Agreement regarding security, the Commission,
in cooperation with the United Nations, was entrusted with the task of elaborating
a code of conduct, by which all parties should abide, for the period prior
to and following the consultation, ensuring the laying down of arms and
adopting the necessary steps to achieve disarmament. I intend to make every
effort to enable the members of the Commission to meet and to begin this
important work, and UNAMET will be taking up the issue of security and protection
for members of the Commission with the local police and military. I will
also seek to ensure the full participation of the United Nations in the
work of the Commission. I must underline the importance, for the credibility
of the consultation process, of ensuring the free participation of representatives
of all political viewpoints in the Commission and, more broadly, in the
debate and campaign on the special autonomy proposal.
25. I welcome and strongly support the efforts made by Bishop Belo, through
the Commission on Peace and Justice, to launch the Dare II reconciliation
meeting, which is aimed at bringing about peace and reconciliation among
the various factions that exist within East Timorese society.
Security measures
United Nations civilian police
26. According to article 4 of the Agreement regarding security (A/53/951-S/1999/513,
annex III), the local police are to be solely responsible for the maintenance
of law and order, although there appear to be a number of constraints that
have prevented the local police, thus far at least, from assuming that responsibility.
The tasks of United Nations civilian police will be to act as advisers to
the Indonesian police in the discharge of their duties and, at the time
of the consultation, supervise the escort of ballot papers and boxes to
and from the polling sites. To carry out these tasks, a total of up to 280
experienced civilian police officers will be required for deployment in
Dili, the eight districts where electoral offices are to be established
and the 200 registration/polling centres. The first team, composed of headquarters
staff, will be dispatched by mid-June. As the head of the civilian police
component, a Civilian Police Commissioner will be appointed from among Member
States contributing police personnel.
27. It would be my intention, given the important role played by the Indonesian
armed forces in East Timor, to assign a number of military liaison officers
to maintain contact with their Indonesian counterparts. This would assist
the Mission in the discharge of its responsibilities under articles 3 and
7 of the overall Agreement and paragraphs 1 and 3 of the Agreement regarding
security. I am examining this possibility and will be reporting to the Security
Council as soon as consultations have been completed.
Security of United Nations personnel
28. My assessment teams have been well received in East Timor. However,
they have noted that unrealistic expectations of the United Nations role
exist among some East Timorese which cannot be met in full. UNAMET will
be taking a clear stand against acts of intimidation from any quarter. The
Indonesian authorities will be fully responsible for the security of United
Nations personnel and have given the Secretariat assurances in that regard.
The United Nations will be in close contact with them to discuss specific
measures, including the protection and, if necessary, extraction of United
Nations personnel deployed in remote locations.
Budget of the United Nations Mission in East Timor
29. A budget comprising total costs for UNAMET, except those associated
with the civilian police component, has been submitted to the General Assembly
in document A/C.5/53/61. I have sought commitment authority from the Assembly
so that the operation may proceed smoothly. Cost estimates for the civilian
police and possible military liaison component (see para. 27 above) will
be submitted shortly. As I indicated in my last report to the Security Council,
I have established a Trust Fund for East Timor, which has been utilized
to cover various expenses associated with the launching of the Mission.
I am grateful to those Member States that have already contributed to the
Fund.
Conclusions and recommendations
30. Every effort is being made to deploy the Mission as rapidly as possible.
The deployment will occur in phases and will inevitably be dependent upon
security conditions in the Territory and, given the logistical challenges
and limited infrastructure, on the timely availability of the necessary
personnel and other resources.
31. UNAMET will also depend upon the full cooperation of the Government
of Indonesia and the local authorities in East Timor. I am pleased to note
that, thus far, this cooperation has been forthcoming and fruitful. As I
have indicated above, UNAMET must enjoy the privileges and immunities, freedom
of movement and communication and other facilities necessary for the effective
performance of its tasks. I shall seek to conclude with the Government of
Indonesia, as soon as possible, a status of mission agreement to ensure
the smooth running of the operation.
32. I wish to remind all concerned of the importance of the measures outlined
in paragraph 6 of my previous report, which the Indonesian authorities need
to take in order to ensure a free environment for the consultation. These
include the bringing of armed civilian groups under strict control and the
prompt arrest and prosecution of those who incite or threaten to use violence,
a ban on rallies by armed groups while ensuring the freedom of association
and expression of all political forces and tendencies, the redeployment
of Indonesian military forces and the immediate institution of a process
of laying down of arms by all armed groups well in advance of the holding
of the ballot.
33. Whatever the outcome of the popular consultation, there will be a pressing
need for reconciliation between the various competing factions within East
Timor. The work of the two East Timorese Bishops and others to promote dialogue
and bring about reconciliation between the pro-independence and pro-integration
sides constitutes an important element in the overall effort to achieve
a peaceful solution to the East Timor question.
34. It is my sincere hope that all necessary steps will be taken to improve
the security conditions in East Timor, so that the consultation process
can move forward in a secure and peaceful atmosphere. With continued close
and effective cooperation between the Indonesian authorities and the United
Nations, the security situation ought to improve to allow for a peaceful
and secure consultation process. To that end, I also recommend that every
effort be made to make the Commission on Peace and Stability operative.
35. I would like to recall that, as stipulated in the Agreement regarding
security, I am called upon to ascertain, prior to the start of the registration
and based on the objective evaluation of UNAMET, that the necessary security
situation exists for the peaceful implementation of the operative phases
of the consultation process. I wish to assure the Security Council that
I intend to carry out that responsibility with the utmost care.
36. The Agreements of 5 May constitute an historic opportunity to resolve
the question of East Timor. The Governments of Indonesia and Portugal are
to be justly congratulated on their efforts thus far. Upon its establishment,
UNAMET will do its utmost to enable the East Timorese to freely express
their will regarding their future.
37. In conclusion, I request the Security Council to approve the mandate
of UNAMET and the modalities for the implementation of the popular consultation
process. I shall continue to report to the Council at regular intervals.