CHURCH WORLD SERVICE: EMERGENCY RESPONSE OFFICE SITUATION REPORT: EAST TIMOR VIOLENCE September 8, 1999
SITUATION: As Indonesia rejected demands for an international peacekeeping force in East Timor, the United Nations announced it would pull out of East Timor by Thursday, citing ongoing violence by pro-Indonesian militias. The militias have reportedly killed hundreds of supporters of East Timor independence following a vote last week, in which nearly 80 percent of East Timorese voters supported independence. A UN spokesman called the current situation "untenable." Earlier this week Indonesia declared martial law in East Timor, but says it has been unable to control the violence. Human rights groups and journalists on the scene, meanwhile, have said the Indonesian military is behind the violence. The specter of additional killings was being raised with the planned withdrawal of the UN mission in East Timor, since East Timorese refugees in the UN compound now number between 1,500 and 2,800. The lives of those refugees are believed to be in grave danger once the UN withdrawals its mission. Refugees from East Timor arriving in Australia have reported mass killings and machete murders, according to Reuters. The BBC reports, meanwhile, that the militias have been forcibly deporting refugees to West Timor, apparently as a way to reverse the results of last week's balloting. Estimates of the number of people who have sought refuge in West Timor has varied between 50.000 and up to 100.000, though the Church World Service staff in Indonesia reports that perhaps as many as 200,000 may have sought refugee in West Timor. CWS RESPONSE: Given the current security situation in East Timor, international relief agencies are unable to work in East Timor. However, the CWS staff in Indonesia, working with the Church of Kupang, a new CWS partner, is exploring a possible response to assist refugees in West Timor. This includes providing tents that may be purchased locally or providing CWS hygiene kits and blankets. CWS and the National Council of Churches of Christ have also initiated advocacy on the crisis in East Timor, given the long support of the East Timor churches by the NCCC and U.S. churches. Today, the NCCC Executive Council, meeting in New York, approved a resolution that, among other things: Appeals to the UN to maintain a substantial presence in Dili, East Timor, as a deterrent to further killings, torture and rampage; and to continue to monitor the human rights situation with a view to taking immediate action to put an effective end to all violations; Urges the Clinton administration to support the UN-sponsored peacekeeping force for East Timor; to put an immediate end to the atrocities committed by Indonesia; and to ensure that all efforts for peace-keeping and the restoration of order contain a strong human rights component; Further appeals to the UN to take all necessary measures to create conditions conducive for the return of normalcy so that the task of nation-building of the new East Timor may commence; Calls on the NCCC-USA member communions to continue to pray for the people and the churches of East Timor that they will live in safety, peace and justice; and encourages U.S. churches to respond through CWS to the humanitarian needs of East Timor, especially the displaced Timorese. CWS is also prepared to support other efforts as part of work by the Action by Churches Together (ACT) International network. ACT reported today that it has not been possible to contact ACT members in East Timor over the last days. A humanitarian operation may only be launched in East Timor once the security situation allows for it, ACT said. Meanwhile, ACT member churches in West Timor are responding to the needs of the displaced in both Kupang and in the areas where people cross into West Timor. The churches are providing shelter, food and basic health services to the displaced and church leaders were meeting regularly in order to plan their emergency response. A staff member of the National Council of Churches in Australia was to travel to West Timor shortly to assist in assessing needs and drawing up plans for further response. Call the CWS HOTLINE for updates: (800) 297-1516, ext. 111. For further information about disasters to which Church World Service is responding, contact CWS Emergency Response. Telephone: (212) 870-3151 After-hours emergency pager: (800) 780-0853 Internet Web Site: http://www.ncccusa.org/CWS/emre Visit the Disaster Response Web Site -- http://www.disasternews.net -- for additional news and stories about faith-based disaster response in the United States. distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org appeal fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -