Australia Ends East Timor Mission

[Cpl Kendall]

Global Security

DATE=06/13/05

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=EAST TIMOR/AUSTRALIA TROOPS (L-ONLY)

NUMBER=2-325222

BYLINE=NANCY-AMELIA COLLINS

DATELINE=JAKARTA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

HEADLINE: Australian Peacekeepers End East Timor Mission

INTRO: The Australian military has begun withdrawing the last of its peacekeeping troops from East Timor, ending a six-year mission that strained ties with neighboring Indonesia. VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins in Jakarta has more.

TEXT: Australia on Monday marked the end of its peacekeeping mission in East Timor by handing over control of the Moleana military base to the East Timor government at a ceremony attended by military officials from both countries.

Australia sent troops to East Timor in 1999 after pro-Indonesian militias, many backed by the Indonesian military, laid waste to the tiny country after it voted overwhelmingly for independence from Jakarta in a U.N. sponsored vote.

More than a thousand people died in the violence, which ended only after the United Nations sent in peacekeeping forces led by Australia.

Nelson Santos, East Timor's secretary general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says his country would have liked the Australian troops to stay longer.

/// SANTOS ACT ///

"They brought into this country peace and stability and confidence to the people. And the longer they stay, the longer we would have time to train our police force, to improve in some areas that we might be weak, which we are weak in some areas. They would have been giving us more time to improve. However, we think that it's not a very dramatic thing that now the peacekeeping operations came to an end."

/// END ACT 1 ///

Mr. Santos points out the withdrawal of the Australian troops does not signal the end of the U.N. presence in the former Portuguese colony.

/// SANTOS ACT 2 ///

"It's not the end of the U.N. We still have in Timor Leste a number of police advisors in the vicinity of 45, and we also have a number of military advisors whom will be training our police force, our defense force, who will continue to improve in its capabilities."

/// END ACT ///

Australia's lead role in the U.N. mission caused a rift with Indonesia that has only recently begun to heal.

Relations between Canberra and Jakarta have improved following Australian help in the wake of the 2002 Bali bombings and last year's tsunami.

(SIGNED)

I have to salute my Aussie comrades in arms for a job well done.

[frigidmagi]

I'm not sure the job is done. Indonesia still regards East Timour has it's rightful possession, no matter what the East Timourians feel about it. Plus I have doubts that East Timour infersturcture is built up enough to maintain itself (I was there in 2002 and the roads were non-existent). Not to mention hostile militas in West Timour who may decide it's hunting season now that the Aussies are gone.