Indonesia: Continuing Series of EmergencyNet News "HotSpot" Reports 
-- 03 Feb 1998 to 30 May 2000

30 May 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

More Die in Moluccas Bloodshed

  Authorities said that up to 50 people are reported to have been killed in a pre-dawn attack by Muslim extremists on two Christian villages in Indonesia's Moluccan islands. The deputy chief of the Galela-based Synod of Churches, Reverend Biso, said that 50 people were killed and 102 others were wounded in the raid on the villages of Makete and Duma on Halmahera Island in the northern Moluccas on Monday. But a military commander put the death toll at 44. He said that the possible involvement of the radical Islamic movement Laskar Jihad was being investigated. More than 2,000 Islamic militants have arrived in the Moluccas from Java over the past month.

Senior military sources said 1,000 Muslims were involved in the killings. Some attackers came down from the mountains, others came by boat, launching the attack before dawn. Reverend Biso said the attackers used the same tactics as in an earlier pre-dawn raid in the area last Thursday, when 35 villagers were killedafter being attacked in their sleep.

29 May 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA

Fears That Sectarian Violence Is Spreading

  Religious violence continued to rise on Monday by the reports of a new bomb attack in the western city of Medan and more sectarian killings on the island of Sulawesi. Four people were injured when a bomb exploded on a sidewalk in Medan near a popular nightclub and shopping center. Monday's blast came a day after three bombs were found in churches in the city.

One of Sunday's bombs exploded, injuring at least 23 people, and police detonated one of the others and defused the third. Medan is the capital of North Sumatra, which has one of the largest Christian populations in predominantly Moslem Indonesia...

28 May 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Church Bomb Explosion Wounds 23

Police said about 23 people were wounded by a bomb explosion on Sunday in a church in western Indonesia. The blast happened at a Protestant church in Indonesia's third-largest city of Medan, on Sumatra Island. Police said that the injured people were only slightly hurt by the explosion and little damage was done to the church. No one claimed responsibility for the blast.

26 May 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA

Village Attacked In Moluccas; 34 Dead

  The military said on Friday that armed assailants attacked a remote village in Indonesia's strife-torn spice islands and killed at least 34 people, injuring scores of others and setting buildings and places of worship on fire. The attackers raided the village on Halmahera Island on Thursday, arriving by land and in speedboats. It was the latest eruption of sectarian violence between Christians and Muslims in the Moluccas.

The attack took place in the village of Mamuya, located near the town of Galela. Sixty-six people were reported to be seriously wounded. The official Antara news agency said eight of the attackers were among the dead, and two of them had been identified as coming from Indonesia's westernmost island of Sumatra, far from the Moluccas.

Tension in the spice islands has been fuelled by the arrival of more than 2,000 hard-line Muslim paramilitaries, who traveled to the Moluccas by sea after training in a camp in Java. The para militaries, from the Muslim Ahlus-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah Forum, have vowed a jihad, or holy war. 

Indonesian Students Burn Army Cars After Clashes

Rioter Throwing Firebomb in Jakarta: BBC PhotoHundreds of Indonesian students and angry locals set three army cars ablaze Friday in Jakarta after earlier clashing with security forces at a rally demanding former President Suharto be put on trial. On Thursday, several people were injured as Jakarta students throwing molotov cocktails and rocks confronted police, who responded with tear gas and baton charges. Sporadic clashes continued into the night and a police station was set on fire...  

25 May 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Soldiers Kill Three Separatist Rebels

It was being reported on Thursday that Indonesian troops shot and killed three separatist rebels in Indonesia's troubled province of Aceh. The shootings occurred before midday Wednesday in West Aceh's village of Pante Kuyun, when 15 soldiers on a routine patrol were attacked by unidentified gunmen. The soldiers returned fire and killed three attackers. The gunmen were believed to be members of Aceh Merdeka (Free Aceh) Movement (GAM). Police continued raids against alleged separatist rebels in Indrapuri sub-district of Aceh Besar on Thursday, following a shooting Tuesday in which a policeman was seriously wounded.

22 May 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Bomb Kills Three On Tidore Island

At least three people were killed when a bomb exploded Sunday and destroyed a home sheltering refugees in Indonesia's northern Moluccas province. The official Antara news agency reported a huge explosion heavily damaged a house on Tidore Island of northern Moluccas province on Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile, observers in Ambon said the situation in the capital of Moluccas province was calm on Sunday after the riot-torn city was rocked by a five-day clash between Muslims and Christians that left at least 35 people dead and more than 120 others wounded.

21 May 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

More Violence In Maluku Province

According to news reports, four more people were killed and 14 others were wounded as rioting between Muslims and Christians continued in Ambon, capital of Indonesia's Maluku Province. The people were killed by gunshots fired by security forces trying to stop a clash between residents of the villages of Hattu and Laha in renewed communal conflict on Saturday.

The deaths have brought to 35 the number of those killed since clashes re-erupted five days ago after the arrival of 2,000 Islamic volunteers belonging to the Laskar Jihad (Jihad Force) paramilitary group from Indonesia's main island of Java. All commercial flights in and out of Ambon have been canceled until 22 May...

19 May 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Violence Rages In Moluccas

  For a third day, rioting mobs in Indonesia's Moluccan Islands set fire to a church as fighting between Muslims and Christians continued. Details of casualties from the latest clashes are unclear, but some reports said the death toll for the three days was more than 30. Muslim crowds also set fire to a large number of homes in the provincial capital, Ambon, on Thursday. The state-run Antara news agency said hundreds of men in Islamic dress had attacked and burned homes in the Ahuru Karang Panjang area of Ambon.

More than 20 people were killed and at least 50 injured in fighting on Tuesday and Wednesday. The authorities say as many as 2,000 members of the radical Muslim organization, Lashkar Jihad, have now arrived in the Moluccan Islands ready to fight a holy war...

18 May 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

More Violence Erupts In Moluccan Islands

In clashes between Christians and Muslims in Indonesia's Moluccan Islands, at least 20 people have been killed and more than 50 others wounded. Most of the victims were said to have been shot as security forces opened fire to disperse rioting mobs fighting in the provincial capital Ambon. The dead included 12 Muslims, one Christian, a 19-year-old policeman and an army soldier.

The latest clashes, which broke out on Tuesday, are the worst in several months. It is feared the violence has been fueled by the recent arrival of hardline Muslims who have declared a "jihad" against Christians. Witnesses have described the current situation in Ambon as warlike, with heavy gunfire and explosions in the city...

17 May 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

  INDONESIA:

Ten Reported Dead In Religious Clashes In Ambon

A military spokesman said that at least ten people were killed in fresh religious violence that erupted in Indonesia's strife-torn spice islands on Wednesday. Clashes broke out between Moslems and Christians in Ambon, provincial capital of the Moluccas, after rumors that new arms shipments had been smuggled into the devastated city. Two military personnel and eight civilians were reported fatally shot. At last report, shooting was still continuing in the city. Ambon is located 1,400 miles northeast of Jakarta.

13 May 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA: Police fired tear gas and warning shots at an angry mob of people in Chinatown on Saturday, and rioters threw rocks that broke the windows of a McDonald's restaurant and a BMW dealership. Authorities said the clash began when officials tried to remove street vendors from the area's crowded sidewalks. The clashes occurred two years after a student-led, pro-democracy movement's massive protests and riots forced President Suharto to resign. Some of that violence targeted Indonesia's wealthy but small Chinese minority, especially in Chinatown, where a shopping mall was burned down.

11 May 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Hardline Muslim Jihad Fighters Enter Ambon

Police said that about 200 hard-line Muslim jihad, or holy war, fighters have entered riot-torn Ambon from neighboring Buru island. Police and intelligence officers have been deployed to monitor the group's activities. The group, known as Laskar Jihad, was closely watched by security personnel aboard two patrol ships, but was not prevented from landing at the Slamet Riyadi port. They went straight to the Al Fatah mosque upon arrival.

Intelligence reports said that the first group of 87 jihad members from Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah group reached Maluku on Friday night on board KM Lambelu ship and stayed on Buru island before traveling to Ambon on a ferry the following day. Latest information has indicated that the number of Laskar Jihad members has reached between 112 and 200 people. Indonesian authorities said security forces could not prevent the group's arrival as they were unarmed and did not commit any crime...

03 May 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Worsening Security Situation Causes Exxon To Suspend Operations In Aceh

It was being reported on Wednesday that Exxon Oil will temporarily halt its exploration and administrative operations in Indonesia's province of Aceh, due to the increasing security concerns in the strife-torn region. Sources at the company said more than 2,000 workers at the firm's headquarters in northern Aceh's industrial zone Lhoksukon, would be idled until the security situation improved.

The Jakarta Post said employees reported they had received threats warning that their homes would be set on fire. Violence in the province continued through recent weeks with explosions at government and police or military offices almost on a daily basis...

1 May 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Renewed Religious Violence Reported

Officials said on Monday that renewed sectarian violence between Christians and Muslims in eastern Indonesian strife-torn Moluccas islands resulted in at least six people dead and injuries to dozens of other people. The new fighting flared on Sunday afternoon between rival residents of neighboring areas. Security forces opened fire to disperse crowds at the border between the two areas. The fresh violence was also blamed for the arson of at least four houses in the predominantly Christian suburb of Mardika at the Moluccas capital of Ambon. Jakarta's Republika newspaper reported that at least 13 people were killed and 51 others were injured in the fresh sectarian fighting in Ambon...

17 Apr 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

More Sectarian Violence In Maluku Islands

The Jakarta Post newspaper reported on Sunday that three people were killed and three others seriously injured in renewed Christian-Muslim strife in two remote villages in Indonesia's Maluku Islands. The latest violence brought the number of dead in the sectarian violence since March to at least 49. Police said the clashes took place in the villages of Togasa and Jere on Friday morning. Some 150 people from the neighboring village of Ngele-Ngele attacked the villages on the North Hamlahera Islands. Security forces reportedly had difficulty reaching the area. It was reported that the victims were killed by firebombs and other homemade weapons. 

Two Killed In Religious Violence On Sulawesi Island

According to police, clashes between Christians and Moslems in an eastern Indonesian town on Monday left at least two people dead. The bodies were found in the rubble of a house in the mixed district of Poso on Sulawesi Island. It was not clear whether the dead were Christians or Moslems. Police had to fire warning shots to stop a rampaging mob which went on an arson spree. Poso is located some 1,025 miles northeast of Jakarta. Sulawesi Island lies next to the strife-torn spice islands or Moluccas where clashes between Moslems and Christians have claimed thousands of lives since last January. At least 20 houses were set on fire and two churches were damaged in the violence. A police official said: "The riot was triggered by a dispute between Moslems youths and Christian youths in the area. 

Moslem Warriors Vacate Training Camp

Indonesian television reported that thousands of would-be Moslem warriors abandoned a training camp outside Jakarta on Monday but said they still intended to go to the violence-torn spice islands for a jihad, or holy war, against Christians. The 3,000 men left the training camp in West Java's Kayumanis district for their headquarters in the ancient city of Yogyakarta in the center of the island. The group had been honing fighting skills in the camp, frightening local residents, who complained to police.

The group, a loose grouping of ultra-conservative Moslems, has given President Abdurrahman Wahid until the end of the month to resolve the Moslem-Christian conflict in the spice islands. They have also vowed to wage a war against Christians in the densely populated island of Java if their mission is blocked.

11 Apr 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Muslims Ask Governmental Figures For Jihad

About 500 Muslims brandishing weapons gathered on Monday at Indonesia's parliament in Jakarta demanding permission to go to the bloodied Spice Islands and fight a holy war against Christians. Wearing turbans and blue or white robes, the bearded men carried swords and machetes as they sought a meeting with Amien Rais, the speaker of Indonesia's top legislature. Some practiced martial arts outside the parliament building. They wanted to ask Rais for permission to go to the Malukus, or Spice Islands, to fight a jihad. Rais is a leading Muslim intellectual who in the past has called for Muslims elsewhere in Indonesia to show solidarity with those in the islands. 

Last week, President Abdurrahman Wahid threw a group of radical Muslim protesters out of the presidential palace during a brief meeting. They were seeking a jihad and demanded Wahid stop defending Christians and halt plans to end a decades-old ban on communism...

05 Apr 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Moslems Threaten Jihad In Moluccas Or Java

It was a day of threats in Jakarta on Thursday. The leaders of thousands of Moslems vowed to send an army to Indonesia's ravaged Moluccas, or spice islands, this month to fight a holy war against Christians. They said if the government prevented them from entering, they would instead fight a jihad on the main island of Java. More than 5,000 Moslems, many armed with swords and daggers, crowded into a major Jakarta stadium for the meeting to mark the Moslem new year, a public holiday in Indonesia. 

Ayip Safruddin, head of the " Communication Forum For Moslems," told reporters they hoped to raise an army of 10,000 men.  Ayip said if the government stopped his forces from entering the spice islands, they would wage war on the island of Java. He said: "It is up to them to choose -- whether we wage jihad in the Moluccas or Java..."

23 Feb 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

FOCUS ARTICLE

Jakarta Placed On Low-Level Police Alert

Hours after President Abdurrahman Wahid said security forces had been placed on alert amid fears of mass demonstrations, police fired warning shots at student protesters in the capital of Jakarta on Wednesday. At least four students and two policemen were injured by flying rocks when 100 demonstrators forced their way into a compound surrounding the office of the attorney general. 

The group had demanded that the government prosecute army generals accused of human rights abuses and other officials accused of corruption. Police reportedly fired at least three times into the air after the protesters broke down a gate guarded by 20 officers. 

Hours earlier, Wahid reassured Indonesians that he was in full control of the troubled nation, and said police had been put on alert today. Wahid said: "Jakarta is under a first stage of alert by the police because there is a plan for a large scale demonstration." It was unclear whether the protest at the attorney general's office was related to the demonstration Wahid mentioned.

A Jakarta police spokesman said a low level alert had been put into place on Tuesday and remained in force. He said: "It means that all police officers and all police vehicles are on standby in their positions ready to be deployed when there is something related to criminals or anything that endangers the city..."

19 Feb 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Violence In Aceh Province Leaves 11 Dead

The military said on Friday that 11 people were killed when separatist rebels clashed repeatedly with Indonesian security forces in troubled Aceh province. The worst violence was in west Aceh, where soldiers raided the local headquarters of the separatist Free Aceh Movement and killed six rebels. The bodies of two other people were found in the same area. In north Aceh, a policeman and two civilians were killed and two others were injured in four separate clashes. The latest violence brought this year's death toll in Aceh to at least 179, including 15 soldiers and 13 policemen.

15 Feb 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA: President Abdurrahman Wahid on Monday suspended his powerful security chief, General Wiranto, and instructed government investigators to determine if he bears any responsibility for the widespread violence in East Timor last year. The move, which Wiranto quickly accepted, was the latest development in a two-week standoff between the two men over whether Wiranto should quit the Cabinet. The decision means the general will be temporarily relieved of his duties while the probe is under way.

14 Feb 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA: Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid backed down Sunday in his battle of wills with former military chief General Wiranto, allowing the defiant general to keep his cabinet job -- at least for now. Wiranto, who has rejected repeated demands by Wahid to resign, will remain in the cabinet until a special inquiry into the  violence that ravaged East Timor last year is complete.

From: ERRI DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORT-ERRI Risk Assessment Services-Wednesday, February 9, 2000-Vol. 6 - 040

09 Feb 2000

More Violence Reported In Aceh Province

Indonesia's state-run news agency Antara said on Wednesday that the military killed four members of the separatist Free Aceh Movement during raids on several separatist hide-outs in Aceh Province on Tuesday. The four rebels were killed in North Aceh during military raids and an intelligence officer and two children were wounded. In West Aceh, a suspected rebel group opened fire on a local police station, but there were no reports of casualties. Visitors to the province have also reported a continued strong troop presence and increasing violence on all sides despite President Abdurrahman Wahid's call for the security forces to use restraint when possible.

02 Feb 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Gen. Wiranto Refuses to Resign

JAKARTA, INDONESIA - Indonesia's most powerful general, and current coordinating minister for political and military affairs, Wiranto says he will not resign, despite calls by Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid that he do so. Wiranto's attorney Adnan Buyung Nasution, told the New York Times, "There is no evidence, no witnesses and no documents to show that Wiranto has done anything wrong." 

Wiranto says he has not read a report by an Indonesian Human Rights  Commission, issued on Monday, that blames him and anumber of high ranking officers for a wave of violence and destruction that took place in East Timor last year. Wiranto reportedly told the Times, "What I know about the report I learned through the television and the newspapers," he said. "There are a few things that I do not like and do not agree with."

31 Jan 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

LEAD FOCUS

Indonesian President Calls For Resignation of Top General

By C. L. Staten

President Abdurrahman Wahid announced over the weekend that he will call for the resignation of powerful general and "Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs," Wiranto. The announcement was made as President Wahid attended a meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Wahid's pronouncement comes one day after an Indonesian Board of Inquiry found that Wiranto and five other generals should be held accountable prosecuted for their involvement in violence that erupted in E. Timor following a vote for independence last year.

When asked by the Reuter's TV news service if he would dismiss Wiranto, Wahid said very directly: "Oh yes, of course. I will ask him, to use a polite word, ask him to resign." 

Political and military analysts say that they are presently unsure how Wiranto and the other generals will accept the President's call for their resignation. But, at least one ERRI analyst said that he fears the possibility of a "military coup," maybe even led by Wiranto, should Wahid carry through on his now public threat to fire the powerful generals.

Wiranto, for his part, has publicly denied authorizing any violence in East Timor. He has also, so far, made no public comment concerning President Wahid's call for his resignation...

29 Jan 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Moslems Call For A Jihad In Yogyakarta

Calling for a holy war in protest against sectarian bloodshed in the eastern Moluccas islands, thousands of Moslems marched through Indonesia's royal city of Yogyakarta on Sunday. Police were on alert in the central Javanese city as the protesters shouted "jihad" or holy war. A convent was pelted with stones during the rally, but there were no reports of any injuries. Yogyakarta is 270 miles east of Jakarta. Witnesses said the Moslems had gathered at a stadium to listen to speeches before taking to the streets.

Army Chief Dismisses Rumors Of Coup

The state Antara news agency said on Sunday that Indonesia's army chief has dismissed fears of a military coup while President Abdurrahman Wahid is out of the country. Army chief of staff General Tyasno Sudarto was quoted as saying: "I guarantee there will be no coup. If there's a coup, I will relinquish my post."

19 Jan 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Violence Threatens To Engulf Whole Nation

Courtesy of PBS, Lehrer News Hour ReportAmid reports that religious violence had spread to the central province of Sulawesi, Muslim mobs blocked access to a ferry terminal on the tourist island of Lombok and ransacked Christian-owned buildings on Wednesday. Despite the presence of hundreds of riot police in Lombok's capital, Mataram, and the nearby resort of Senggigi, roaming gangs of youths set fire houses and shops in the town.

In Mataram, one of the largest churches, the Immune Protestant Church, was left looted and burned, obscene graffiti was written on its walls. Scrawled across the church were the words: "Be afraid pastor, the Muslims will drink your blood," and "public toilet."

Police said three people were fatally shot in the unrest that erupted Monday, following a Muslim protest against the government for failing to curb violence between Muslims and Christians in the Malukus archipelago in eastern Indonesia. Many Indonesians fear the unrest in Lombok and Sulawesi signals the advent of a wider sectarian conflict that could engulf the world's fourth most-populous nation...

British FCO Advises Against Travel To Lombok 

Britain's Foreign Office on Wednesday advised its nationals not to travel to the Indonesian resort island of Lombok, where thousands of Moslems have gone on an anti-Christian rampage. In its latest travel advisory, the FCO said: "We advise against holiday and other non-essential travel to Lombok until the situation has returned to normal. There are no reports of attacks on or intention to attack Westerners. The main resort hotels and Senggigi Beach area have not been affected."

18 Jan 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Violence Threatens To Erupt All Across Indonesia

Amid continuing violence between Christians and Muslims that has stoked fears of spreading religious unrest across all of Indonesia, tourists have been advised against traveling to Lombok Island. In Lombok's largest city of Mataram, located about 670 miles southeast of Jakarta, security forces fired warning shots at a Muslim mob to prevent it from reaching a police station where 500 Christians -- many of them ethnic Chinese -- had taken refuge. The situation in the city was said to be tense.

One person was killed after being hit by a rubber bullet during Monday's violence. A total of 52 people were arrested. The trouble broke out after tens of thousands Muslims in Lombok, located in central Indonesia, protested the state's failure to quell violence between Muslims and Christians in the eastern province of Maluku.

ERRI analysts say that these latest incidents of widely spread and sporadic violence, coupled with unconfirmed rumors of a possible military coup, makes the situation in Indonesia more tenuous than ever before... 

14 Jan 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Muslims Threaten Attacks On Christians In Jakarta

At least 300 Muslim demonstrators threatened on Friday to launch a jihad to kill Christians in Jakarta if the Indonesian government didn't put an end to sectarian clashes in the eastern part of the nation. In two separate protests -- one at the presidential palace and the other in front of the head office of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia -- demonstrators said they were ready to take up arms to stop the violence between Muslims and Christians in the Maluku islands. Protesters from a small radical Muslim group shouted: "The Christians must stop the massacre of Muslims in the Malukus, otherwise we will do the same thing to Christians in Jakarta. There will be a holy war." Maluku's capital of Ambon, 1,600 miles west of Jakarta, was reported quiet on Friday despite rumors of impending clashes...

12 Jan 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Muslims In Jakarta Continue To Threaten "Jihad"

Violence in Indonesia's eastern islands that has killed at least 21 people in the past two days prompted Muslim protesters in Jakarta Wednesday to again threaten to launch a country-wide "Jihad" or holy war over the Muslim-Christian clashes. Aside from the renewed sectarian clashes in the Malukus, 12 people were found dead in the province of Aceh, which has been torn by separatist violence and a security crackdown.

In the Maluku provinces, the worst of the violence was on Seram island, some 1,600 miles east of Jakarta, where Muslim-Christian clashes in the town of Masohi left nine people dead and scores injured on Tuesday. Warring factions clashed throughout the day, burning buildings and forced thousands of people to flee their homes...

11 Jan 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

More Fighting Reported

The military said on Tuesday that dozens of people were killed when Christians and Muslims clashed in eastern Indonesia, while separatists in the nation's southwest fought with soldiers. Violence broke out on Saturday on Seram Island, 1,600 miles east of Jakarta, and continued through the weekend. At least two dozen people were killed, scores were injured and hundreds of houses were burned. About 300 Muslim students rallied in Jakarta on Tuesday, saying they would declare a "jihad," or holy war, unless the government acted...

EAST TIMOR: Officials said on Tuesday that gang warfare has broken out in East Timor's second-largest city, posing a challenge to United Nations authority. Sergey Lashin, chief of the U.N. police force in East Timor, said that for two weeks, gangs of youths have fought pitched battles for control of the streets in Baucau, 70 miles west of the capital, Dili. Several people have been injured. Lashin said one of the gangs had links to the pro-Indonesia movement.

10 Jan 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Continued Violence Reported In Parts Of Indonesia

News reports said on Monday that four people were killed in sectarian clashes on Indonesia's Sulawesi Island. A battle between security forces and rebels in Aceh province left at least six other people wounded. Soldiers reportedly opened fire Sunday on a group of rebels in the town of Lhoksukon in north Aceh, 1,100 miles northwest of Jakarta. Six people were wounded in the fighting, which started after security forces set fire to several houses and a marketplace in the town.

On Sulawesi Island, located in central Indonesia, four people were killed and more than 100 houses burned after residents clashed on Friday with migrants from other islands. The fighting in Luwu, south Sulawesi, was only the latest round of violence that has claimed hundreds of lives in the past few years.

06 Jan 2000 - From:  http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Moslem Protesters Call For "Jihad" In Spice Islands

Indonesian Moslems are reportedly demanding a holy war against minority Christians in violence-torn Moluccas Islands. Chanting "Jihad! Jihad!" (holy war), about 5,000 protesters mostly in traditional white Moslem clothes marched from a mosque in central Jakarta to the University of Indonesia campus. Police say at least 1,500 people have been killed in the Moluccas, in far eastern Indonesia and once known as the Spice Islands, since sectarian violence erupted last January at the end of the Moslem fasting month of Ramadan.

The protesters in Jakarta demanded the resignation of Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri, who has been assigned to stop the violence but has since said or done little. Before marching, the protesters gathered outside the mosque and killed a goat, then smeared its blood on the cross amid loud calls of "Allahu Akbar" (God is great).

Although 90 percent of Indonesia's 200 million people are Moslem, the Spice Islands are more evenly divided, with about 54 percent Moslem and 44 percent Christian. The prospect of the Spice Islands violence infecting the rest of the diverse archipelago terrifies most Indonesians.

29 Dec 99 - From: http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

"State of Civil Emergency" To Be Declared in Ambon, Indonesia??  

Fighting is still continuing in Ambon, Indonesia, according to military sources. The skirmishes, which began on Sunday -- following a traffic accident allegedly involving a young Muslim being run over by Christian driver -- have so far resulted in the deaths of at least 55 people, injured dozens, and caused damage to more than a hundred churches and other buildings. A Indonesian military spokesman on Tuesday told the Reuters News service that they are asking for a "state of civil emergency" to be declared and martial law imposed...  

 28 Dec 99 - From: http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

40 People Killed in Ambon, Indonesia??

Clashes between Muslim and Christian groups have again taken their toll in Indonesia. According to the Associated Press (AP) with supplemental reports from diplomatic sources, as many as 40 people have been killed in the Ambon area in the past 24 hours. Both churches and Mosques have apparently been torched and small groups of religously motivated malcontents have engaged in "running firefights" between themselves and with police. Indonesian troops have reportedly intervened and have tried to separate the warring factions. The violence had calmed somewhat by midday on Monday, but witnesses say that tensions remain high and that fighting could break out again at almost any time.

20 Dec 99 - From: http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Separatist Violence Leaves Eight People Dead

Reports said on Monday that at least eight people were killed in the latest outbreak of religious and separatist violence in Indonesia. In Maluku province, at least five people were killed Sunday when Christians and Muslims clashed in the provincial capital, Ambon, 1,500 miles east of Jakarta. Ten others were injured when a mob attacked a civilian vehicle, prompting security forces to open fire. Most of the deaths and injuries were caused by gunshot wounds.

In Indonesia's Aceh province, separatist guerrillas ambushed a truckload of paramilitary police on Sunday, killing at least three policemen. The attack took place in Geureutee, a mountain region 40 miles southeast of the provincial capital, Banda Aceh. Several of the casualties were said to be in critical condition.

22 Nov 99 - From: http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Violence Starts Up Again In Aceh Province

Police said on Monday that six people, including two policemen, were found dead after unidentified gunmen set fire to buildings in Indonesia's strife-torn Aceh province. The latest upsurge in violence in Aceh comes after a period of relative calm. The bodies of two policemen and two unidentified civilians were found Sunday in a swamp in southern Aceh. The policemen were kidnapped on 9 November by gunmen.

On Saturday, a civilian was shot to death near his house in the west of the province, while another was killed in central Aceh. Also over the weekend, gunmen burned several school buildings and five government offices in the region. Rebels of the Free Aceh Movement are fighting for a separate state in Aceh, an oil-rich province on Sumatra island, 1,100 miles northwest of Jakarta. More than 5,000 people have died or disappeared in the fighting between insurgents and Indonesian security forces over the past decade.

20 Oct 99 - From: http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA- Special Report:

New President Elected; Car Bomb Explodes

From EmergencyNet News Watch Desk

Abdurrahman Wahid was elected on Wednesday as Indonesia's new president, inheriting the daunting tasks of restoring national unity and leading the world's fourth-largest country out of its worst economic crisis in a generation. The historic vote by the 700-member People's Consultative Committee culminated a tumultuous 14-hour stretch in which incumbent President B.J. Habibie suffered a humiliating setback and subsequently pulled out of the race. Wahid is described as a popular if unpredictable Muslim leader who wields a lot of moral authority throughout the country. But he is ailing and nearly blind, raising serious concerns about his fitness for the leadership.

At least four people were wounded when what one report said was a car bomb exploded near Indonesia's parliament on Wednesday after it elected Wahid president. After the explosion in Jakarta's main business district, a crowd reportedly attacked security forces who fought back, firing tear gas. Earlier, another bomb exploded in a separate part of central Jakarta, also wounding about four people. There had been widespread fears that if Megawati Sukarnoputri lost the election, her supporters might go on the rampage.

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Indonesia Elects New President -- Situation in Jakarta Remains Tense

By Jeremy Zakis, ERRI Correspondent/Analyst in Australia

(EmergencyNet News) - Hours after President B.J. Habibie withdrew from the presidential race, Indonesia's top legislature elected Abdurrahman Wahid as the next president on Wednesday. Mr Wahid was the founder of Indonesia's largest Muslim party, the National Awakening Party and came third in the parliamentary elections earlier this year. He was one of only two candidates standing for the presidency, after the former ruling party Golkar did not run a candidate and a presidential candidate from a small party also dropped out.

Minutes before the final vote began, an explosion injured two supporters for Golkar candidate, Mrs Megawati Sukarnoputri, in central Jakarta. No one claimed responsibility for the blast, which happened 2 kilometers away from the parliament.

Since Tuesday, thousands of Muslim people have been rallying around Jakarta warning they could not accept a woman for president, referring to Sukarnoputri.

However on Wednesday morning, observers warned that popular discontent could turn to violence if Megawati failed to win the presidency. Many of the people attending the rally were visibly armed creating a tense situation for Indonesian authorities. By late afternoon reports from Jakarta suggest that the situation has not eased and remains tense as city officials wait for the population's reaction to the election result. 

15 Oct 99 - From: http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

EAST TIMOR/INDONESIA:

Three Militia Members Killed After Firing on INTERFET Troops

By Jeremy Zakis, ERRI Analyst in Australia

The INTERFET peacekeeping force in East Timor killed three members of a pro-Indonesian militia group in a skirmish along the border with West Timor on Saturday. A six-man patrol consisting of British and Australian troops engaged the militia about 15 kilometers (10 miles) west of the border, spokesman for INTERFET Col. Mark Kelly told reporters. Col. Kelly said that approximately 20 militia carrying assault rifles and automatic weapons were involved. Reports late Saturday say the militia fired first and despite taking immediate casualties from return fire, continued to advance in groups of four and five men....

INDONESIA:

Molotov Cocktails Thrown At Aussie Embassy

Molotov cocktails were thrown at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta on Saturday in a continuation of rowdy protests against Australian troops in East Timor. Around 300 students of Ibnu Chaldun University and members of the Indonesian Muslim Youth Front gathered in front of the beseiged embassy and burned an Australian flag. They demanded the United Nations withdraw Australians from the multinational force based in East Timor. One of the protesters said they were ready to declare war on Australia. He threatened: "We are ready to wage war against the Australians..."

09 Sep 99 - http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Violent Protests In Jakarta

Angry over Canberra's role in the multinational peacekeeping force in East Timor, about 400 student protesters threw rocks and firebombs at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta on Thursday. The attack was the latest in a series of incidents against the mission, which twice has been hit by gunfire since the Australian-led intervention in East Timor began ten days ago. There also have been daily protests at the diplomatic compound in the capital's downtown. 

At least three Indonesians were injured on Thursday as the mob was unable to enter the highly fortified embassy grounds, which are surrounded by a 25-foot-high steel picket fence. Police did not actively try to stop the attack, instead waving and verbally calling to the students to disperse. A security guard booth and some plastic sheeting above it were smashed and torn by the onslaught of rocks.

The protest came a few hours after Australian Defense Minister John Moore said the international troops were authorized to cross over into Indonesian-held West Timor if involved in a clash with pro-Jakarta militias. Earlier in the day, about 50 people from a group calling itself Struggle for People's Sovereignty protested outside the U.S. Embassy, accusing the United States of provoking hatred and killings among Indonesians. 

U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen on Thursday accused the Indonesian military of "aiding and abetting" militia violence against civilians in East Timor. After meetings with Indonesia's top leaders he said he was encouraged that they understand the consequences of failing to cooperate with international peacekeepers. Cohen said Washington will watch to see if the Indonesians carry through on their expressions of good will by disarming the militias in West Timor who ravaged East Timor after a 30 August vote for independence from Indonesia. 

29 Sep 99 - from http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

EAST TIMOR: Elite Gurkha troops geared up on Wednesday to help deliver food to refugees in East Timor's mountains, while incidents of arson and looting continued to plague the capital. On the outskirts of Dili, meanwhile, the charred bodies of ten men believed to have been killed before international peacekeepers arrived nine days ago were found in a pickup truck. The developments underscore the difficult line that peacekeeping forces are walking: They are stretched thin, but need to move quickly to improve security so aid can be delivered to avert a humanitarian disaster. Deployment of the multinational mission topped 5,000 troops, nearing the full 7,500 slated to restore peace in East Timor, where violence broke out after a 30 August referendum endorsed independence from Indonesia.

28 Sep 99 - from http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

EAST TIMOR:

Militas Threaten To Carry Out Guerrilla War

Indonesia's official Antara news agency was reporting on Tuesday that pro-Jakarta militias plan to launch a guerrilla war against the multinational force in East Timor. Top militia commanders made the comments to thousands of supporters at a rally on Monday night just over the border in West Timor.

Antara reported that militia commander Eurico Guterres said the Command of the Pro-integration Struggle (PPI), which coordinates the various militias, would launch a guerrilla war in a few days. Guterres, who heads the feared Aitarak (Thorn) militia, said: "After receiving instructions from the battalion commanders and after full consolidation, the entire PPI personnel will launch a guerrilla struggle." Aitarak is blamed for much of the carnage in the East Timor capital Dili, now in ruins.

27 Sep 99 - from http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

EAST TIMOR:

Latest Sit-Rep

The Australian-led multi-national peacekeeping force has formally been given military control of East Timor by Indonesia's armed forces. The Indonesian military said the ceremony took place behind closed doors at its headquarters in the capital, Dili. But the United Nations commander, Major General Peter Cosgrove later denied that a formal handover had taken place. He said his force was sharing responsibility for security with the Indonesians. Nevertheless, thousands of Indonesian soldiers have been leaving the territory in the past few days and, by Tuesday, only about 1,500 will remain. They will stay until November, when a special Indonesian government assembly is due to ratify the East Timorese vote.

The peacekeeping force -- still at only about half-strength -- faces a huge challenge in confronting the devastation inflicted on the territory since its people voted for independence in a UN-supervised referendum at the end of last month. Much of East Timor has been looted, an estimated 500,000 people have been displaced, and some are starving in the mountains, too terrified to return. Observers in Dili say thousands of militiamen have been assembling in surrounding towns -- apparently preparing to attack peacekeepers. 

INDONESIA: Indonesian students were expected to march on parliament Monday to demand the government revoke a controversial security law that triggered bloody protests last week. Seven people were killed in those protests and while Jakarta was largely calm on Monday morning, local financial markets were jittery over the threat of more student action.

26 Sep 99 - from http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

EAST TIMOR:

Peacekeepers Placed On Heightened Alert

Because of fears of possible attacks against them, United Nations peacekeepers in the East Timorese capital of Dili have been placed on heightened alert. Indonesian soldiers withdrawing from the territory hurled stones at United Nations trucks, and new fires burning in the capital are also thought to be the work of Indonesian troops. Among the buildings set on fire were a recently-abandoned police barracks, a bank and a government building.

Most of the Indonesian soldiers are due to pull out of East Timor by the end of Sunday, leaving only a token presence in the territory. But thousands of pro-Indonesian militiamen are known to be assembling in towns around Dili in apparent preparation for an attack on the peacekeepers.

Soldiers escorting an aid convoy to the second largest city, Baucau, reportedly did not encounter a single person for the first 30 miles of the journey from the capital, Dili. All they saw was an eerie, deserted landscape and villages that had been razed by fire. But when they arrived in Baucau, they found it had escaped the worst of the destruction.

A British Government aid expert said no major groups of people hiding had been found. He said: "We have not found any camps with 50,000 people in them, so the situation has lots of pluses but some very sinister minuses."

25 Sep 99 - from http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

EAST TIMOR:

Peacekeepers In Deliberate Show Of Force

As thousands of Indonesian troops continue to pull out of the territory. international peace-keepers in East Timor embarked on their first major crackdown against pro-Jakarta militiamen. Australian soldiers arrested a number of "hard-core" militiamen and one militia leader during a huge security sweep of the capital Dili. The operation, involving around 1,000 soldiers, was a deliberate show of strength to intimidate the militiamen and persuade East Timorese hiding in the hills that it was now safe to return. The operation is expected to continue for several days.

The show of force by the peacekeepers came as the Indonesian army, which has supported the militias, accelerated their withdrawal from the territory. Before leaving, the army had systematically set fire to barracks, police stations and government buildings. Reports said Dili's colonial governor's residence was among buildings which went up in flames on Friday.

INDONESIA:  Students took to the streets of the North Sumatran capital of Medan on Saturday, burning tires and throwing rocks at security forces, in fresh anti-military protests after two days of fierce rioting in Indonesia's capital. Jakarta was quiet Saturday after bloody protests which left at least six dead.

INDONESIA: A news report said on Friday that at least 75 people were killed when fire swept through a movie theater complex fire in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta. The Suara Bangsa newspaper said fire engulfed the two-story building that housed four small cinemas on the second-floor late on Thursday. Some people did manage to escape the flames and were said to had been badly burned. The fire started in a Muslim prayer room in a corner of the building. Police are investigating the cause.

24 Sep 99 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

EAST TIMOR:

Fires Reported In Dili

Fires were reportedly raging in Dili as multinational troops swept through a large block in East Timor's capital on Friday, trying to flush out militiamen. Armored trucks blocked off exits to a 500 square yard area in the ravaged city of Dili as Blackhawk helicopters hovered above. Witnesses reported seeing at least three buildings in the area on fire, including a large police station.

Earlier, multinational force commander Major-General Peter Cosgrove said the anti-independence militia were still roaming parts of the city. In Canberra, an Australian defense force spokesman said departing Indonesian troops had set fire to the local radio station in Dili as well as army barracks.

Dili Secure but Peacekeepers Told to use Lethal Force if Necessary

By Jeremy Zakis, ERRI Analyst in Australia

Operation Stabilize commander Maj. Gen. Peter Cosgrove said on Friday that multinational peacekeeping troops have secured much of the East Timor capital of Dili, despite the fact that militia are free to wander the streets. But he warned that if the militia made any attempts to intimidate peacekeepers or civilians, the troops have permission to use lethal force against them.

Thursday night remained gunfire free, a stark contrast to the numerous shooting incidents experienced during the day. Peacekeepers are reporting increasing numbers of Indonesian troops withdrawing from the territory, looting and burning as they go. Reports from sources in East Timor say that Indonesian troops may have been behind some of Thursday's shootings, but can not be confirmed.

Arrests of militia and seizures of weapons continue in Dili with the arrest of a platoon man of the Aitarak militia on Friday who was credited as the "first significant detainee" by Australian spokesman Maj. Chip Henriss-Andrssen. The arrested, Caitano de Silva, was part of the armed bands that opposed the territory's independence from Indonesia and played a part in the devastation that has wrecked the territory. While most detainee's were released after questioning, De Silve would be held for the immediate future.

INDONESIA:

Unrest Reported In Jakarta

While tensions in East Timor run high, in Jakarta a new security bill sparked widespread protests and riots on Friday. Three people died when Indonesian troops fired plastic bullets and used teargas to disperse the rioters who claim the new bill gives the military too much power. Indonesia's new bill gives the military power to clamp down on civil liberties in times of unrest. But critics say the bill would allow the armed forces to use the crisis in East Timor or other upheavals to gradually seize control of the country.

The trouble started late Thursday when as many as 10,000 people filled the streets hurling gasoline bombs at police and soldiers who had set up roadblocks into Indonesia's parliament building. Police and soldiers responded by firing tear gas and plastic bullets into the crowd injuring about 100 people.

Protests and violence carried on into Friday started with a 500-strong riot police raid on the Atma Jaya university campus before dawn, again firing of tear gas and rubber bullets into demonstrators. Last year the same university was the focus of massive pro-democracy protests, which led to the ouster of Suharto. Thursday and Friday's rioting is the latest incident in a long string of protest clashes.

23 Sep 99 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

EAST TIMOR:

New Threat as Indonesian Militia Gathers near Border

By Jeremy Zakis, ERRI Analyst in Australia

A day after Indonesian journalists pulled out of East Timor, more than 500 Indonesian militia have massed near the East/West Timor  border and shootings have increased in the capital of Dili. None of the peacekeeping troops were hit and continued to successfully apprehend militia members and confiscate weapons.

Operation Stabilze commander Maj. Gen. Peter Cosgrove confirmed that there were no casualties and added that INTERFET, "has yet to engage the militia". But he says that the troops are ready to handle any engagement with enemy militia.

With 3,000 peacekeeping troops in East Timor, they remain severely outnumbered by the estimated 8,000 strong Indonesian militia. Cosgrove said that he is looking at accelerating the arrival of troops into the area to cope with the high demand being placed upon the troops already there.

The French contingent will move into Dili on Friday comprising of a Frigate and 500 soldiers. But Cosgrove indicated that more troops will be needed to ensure the operation is a success.  The shootings on Thursday are a sign the militia is becoming confident and could start committing terrorist crimes, such as isolating and killing civilians.

Earlier the same day, a mass grave was discovered in an abandoned water well in a suburb of Dili. Up to 30 bodies were believed to be in the well. All were victims of the Indonesian militia who had tortured and dismembered the victims before disposing of them. Reporters who went to inspect the mass grave were forced to evacuate when Australian troops declared the area unsafe. Shortly afterwards, gunfire was heard nearby.

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NDONESIA: Demonstrations were reported in several Indonesian cities today as student protestors clashing with police in protests against a new law giving the armed forces sweeping emergency powers. According to the Associated Press, Police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and beat students with clubs in two Jakarta protests, injuring dozens of demonstrators. Five police officers were reportedly burned when they were hit by firebombs in Jakarta. Police also faced 300 students marching on the governor's office in the violence-prone province of Aceh, the crowds smashed windows and fought with police. Earlier on Thursday, Indonesia's parliament unanimously approved the new law giving the armed forces wide-ranging emergency powers, thus triggering the violent reaction.

22 Sep 99 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

EAST TIMOR

Peacekeeping Force Spreads Out Of Dili

As anti-independence militias went back on the warpath, a United Nations force for devastated East Timor began cautiously moving out of Dili on Wednesday. In the capital, a government warehouse was looted by hundreds of hungry refugees back from nearby hills, while an officer in the U.N. force said it had confiscated hundreds of crude weapons. Major Marcus Fielding, operations officer for the force's land component, said hundreds of home-made guns, machetes and knives had been seized.

A Dutch journalist was shot and killed on Tuesday near dusk in Dili. Several buildings were set on fire in the city and refugees, gathering at a football stadium under U.N. guard, were harassed by Indonesian soldiers who burnt some of their belongings. Force commander Major-General Peter Cosgrove said: "It has been quite a dangerous 24 hours."

Australia's Brigadier Mark Evans said 150 soldiers had landed in the second city Baucau, in the first major deployment outside Dili since the U.N. multinational force arrived in East Timor Monday. More than 2,000 of an anticipated 7,500 foreign troops have been deployed in East Timor to end a wave of bloodshed unleashed by militiamen trying to subvert last month's vote for independence. 

Dutch Reporter Killed

By Jeremy Zakis, ERRI Analyst in Australia

A Dutch reporter was found shot to death in a suburb of Dili on Wednesday, only hours after other reporters had been warned of the dangers associated with covering the peacekeeping mission. The reporter was found by colleagues lying in a pool of blood, a short time after he had left them. Although it is not clear who killed him, peacekeeping troops are blaming the Indonesian militia's.

Earlier Australian troops had warned of the dangers facing reporters in the city after one placed himself in a precarious position when entering a doorway. The main booby trap being used by militia's is is a grenade with pins primed and rigged to explode when a door is pushed open.

Reporters were also advised against traveling alone in the city. The colleagues of the Dutch reporter were traumatized by the days event and the incident is seen as a sobering reminder to all journalists in the region that they must heed the warnings of troops. 

21:30CDT - 19 Sep 99 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

U.N. Peacekeepers On the Ground In Indonesia

Dili, E. Timor -- The first of some 2,500 troops that are expected to arrive today are on the ground at the Dili airport at this hour. The first contingent of heavily armed British, Australian, and New Zealand are said to be securing the airport and setting up to receive a steady stream of Hercules C-130 aircraft that will ferry additional military assets into E. Timor.

Early reports say that no resistance was encountered at the airport and that the first troops were met by members of the Indonesian military. Some concerns were raised about the sighting of armed militia members near a port area where supplies and vehicles are scheduled to be unloaded, but no incidents were reported.  ERRI analysts said that militia members may be conducting reconnaissance of arriving troops.  Emergencynet News will continue to monitor events in E. Timor and provide additional updates as circumstances warrant....

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INDONESIA:

Militia Be Warned: Lay Down Your Arms and Surrender

By Jeremy Zakis, ERRI Analyst in Australia 

At a Sunday news conference in Darwin, the Australian commander of the multi-national peacekeeping force delivered a stern warning to the militias who have singled out Australian troops as targets, "lay down your arms and surrender". Maj. Gen. Cosgrove said that the might of the peacekeeping force will be such that he wouldn't be surprised if the militia tries to avoid direct contact altogether. He also confirmed that arrival of the peacekeepers in East Timor within the next 48-hours is imminent.

Attending the conference were the commanders from six different nations involved in peace-keeping operations. Cosgrove announced publicly for the first time that the Rules of Engagement for this operation would be "self-protection under all circumstances", giving troops permission to use deadly force when threatened. He also said that within a week more than 3,000 troops will be in East Timor and is optimistic the operation will go to plan especially with reports that Indonesian militias are fleeing the troubled territory. 

18 Sep 99 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Indonesian Troops Scramble To Leave East Timor

Indonesian troops and pro-Jakarta refugees jostled aboard evacuation ships on Saturday, as a heavily armed international force made final preparations to take control of East Timor. With an advance team of peacekeepers expected on Sunday to coordinate the deployment with the military, Australian Prime Minister John Howard -- whose country leads the multi-national force -- warned that if Indonesian troops attack any peacekeepers it would provoke a "massive reaction." Despite Jakarta's assurances of cooperation, there is concern of friction from the simultaneous presence of peacekeepers and Indonesian troops in the province -- where the army is said to have backed the anti-independence militias that have been on a rampage of destruction in past weeks.

Preparation Finishes as Peacekeeping Force Readies for Entry into East Timor

By Jeremy Zakis, ERRI Analyst in Australia

New threats are being faced by Australian tr oops as they finish preparation exercises for entry into East Timor as part of an international peacekeeping force. Indonesia troops may be defecting to militia groups as their country withdraws from the region. If true, the East Timorese militia force could be gaining supplies and growing in numbers, not a welcomed notion for Australian troops who have already become the number one target of the militia's. 

While a large contingent of international forces from Thailand, New Zealand, the United States and Britain are waiting in Darwin to move into East Timor, speculation that elite Australian SAS units have already left are rife. Australian Prime Minister John Howard is expected to address the nation on Sunday, the planned day of entry for Australian troops into the conflict zone. Numbering around 3,000, the Australian contingent will make up the biggest movement of Australian troops sent into a conflict since the Vietnam war.

17 Sep 99 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Indonesian Troops Leaving East Timor

Indonesian troops loaded weapons, ammunition and other equipment onto navy ships on Friday, departing East Timor ahead of the arrival of a multinational peacekeeping force. Ending a quarter-century of often brutal occupation, the commander of Indonesian troops in East Timor, Major-General Kiki Syahnakri, said the army will be withdrawn gradually within a week. That raised hopes for a conflict-free handover to the peacekeepers now assembling in Darwin, northern Australia, and due to arrive in East Timor this weekend or early next week to restore order in a territory torn apart by violence following a 30 August vote for independence from Indonesia.

Pro-Jakarta militiamen said they were ready to kill members of a U.N. force heading for East Timor on Friday as the top bishop still in the territory warned of a new wave of massacres. In Jakarta, fresh protests broke out at the Australian embassy as Australian corporations evacuated their staff from Indonesia. ERRI national security analysts said that they are concerned that the peacekeeping effort in Indonesia could face a potentially violent insurgent situation, similar to that which was encountered in Somalia, and which should prompt serious consideration of "force protection" issues for troops being deployed there. 

bluered.gif (876 bytes) E. TIMOR/WASHINGTON. DC: POTUS has given the order for about 200 U.S. military personnel to take part in the international peacekeeping operation in East Timor. A White House official said the roughly 200 personnel will include communications and logistical personnel, specialists to aid in the airlift of personnel and material and others to help coordinate a humanitarian effort there.

INDONESIA:

08:00CDT - 12 Sep 99

Government Expected To Make Announcement On East Timor

It was being reported on Sunday that Indonesian President BJ Habibie is holding a special meeting of his top security and political ministers before making "an important announcement" on East Timor. The official Antara news agency reported that the planned statement comes against a background of intense international pressure for Indonesia to accept the deployment of a United Nations peace-keeping mission in the devastated territory. There are unconfirmed reports from East Timor that Indonesian troops and militiamen have attacked refugees in the town of Dare, six miles to the south of the capital, Dili. There is no independent confirmation of any shootings or any word on casualties. The Indonesian authorities deny it and say the situation in Dare is calm.

12:30CDT - 12 Sep 99: Instant Update

Indonesian Leader Announces Approval For International Peacekeepers

According to military sources and later confirmed by the Associated Press, Indonesian President B.J. Habibie today said that he would allow a U.N. peacekeeping force into East Timor to help monitor and maintain the peace. Habibie made the announcement in a televised statement. "I have made the decision to give our approval to a peacekeeping force together with the Indonesian military to maintain the security of East Timor," he said. Indonesia had come under increasing pressure from the international community in recent days, as shooting, looting, arson, and alleged "religious cleansing" engulfed E. Timor. An Indonesian representative is reportedly going to meet with U.N. personnel to work out the details of the insertion of a multi-national peacekeeping force "in the next few days." 

11 Sep 99 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Indonesia May Accept International Peacekeepers For East Timor

According to the head of the Indonesian army, General Wiranto, the possibility of a rapid deployment of United Nations peacekeepers in East Timor may be used. Speaking in the East Timorese capital, Dili, during a visit by a top-level UN delegation, General Wiranto said: "The offer of an accelerated deployment of international peacekeepers must be considered as an option by the Indonesian government." He gave no indication of the time frame, but said he would deliver a report to President Habibie on Sunday.

The general's statement represents an apparent shift in government policy. It came shortly after POTUS announced that he had suspended US arms sales to Indonesia to put pressure on the government to restore calm in East Timor. In another sign that pressure is mounting on Jakarta, the International Monetary Fund has suspended discussions with Indonesia on its economic program.

20 Aug 99 - 09:30CDT - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

INDONESIA:

Indonesian resistance leader Jose Ramos-Horta is reportedly threatening a "cyberwar" to be carried out against Indonesian banks, army, aviation, and communications computers unless the upcoming U.N.-sanctioned independence ballot in E. Timor is carried out in a "free and democratic manner." In a report published in the the Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday,  Ramos-Horta warned that  "full-scale violence before or after the ballot is now almost certain," unless dramatic reforms are conducted before the ballot.