The American Defence Secretary William Cohen has warned Indonesia that it could suffer diplomatic and economic penalties if it did not control its military and make democratic reforms. Speaking in a television interview during a visit to Australia, Mr Cohen said the Indonesian government must protect the tens of thousands refugees from East Timor who fled to West Timor during the campaign of violence earlier this month. The European Commission has authorised three million Euros in emergency aid to help the refugees pouring back to the capital Dili from mountain hideouts. More bodies have been discovered as the extent of the violence in the past months is revealed.
Earlier, the leader of East Timor's independence movement, Xanana Gusmao, for international help to bring the refugees home from West Timor. He said they were living in very poor conditions in what he described as concentration camps. However, Indonesia's Foreign Minister, Ali Alatas, said reports about the plight of the refugees in West Timor had been exaggerated.
Indonesia is reported to have agreed to let the United Nations begin setting up a civil administration in East Timor before the parliament in Jakarta formally rescinds its annexation of the territory. Following talks in New York, the UN special envoy, Jamsheed Marker, said Indonesia had conceded it was not possible to wait for its parliament to ratify the territory's vote for independence last month.
