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U.S. Department of State Office of the Spokesman Press Statement

Press Statement by James B. Foley, Deputy Spokesman
May 6, 1999

East Timor Autonomy Agreement

The United States welcomes the formal signing on May 5 in New York of a U.N.-mediated agreement between Indonesia and Portugal on East Timor. We have strongly supported these negotiations and believe that the agreement to have the U.N. conduct an August 8 ballot by East Timorese on an Indonesian autonomy proposal will be an important step forward to achieving a peaceful resolution of East Timor's future. We call on all sides to facilitate the immediate establishment of a U.N. presence, with appropriate security guarantees, to begin preparations for the vote. We will continue to work closely with other interested international parties to support this process.

The United States remains deeply troubled by the unrestrained, violent activities of civilian militiamen who seek to bias the consultation through terror and intimidation. It is essential that Indonesia take immediate steps to ensure overall security for all in East Timor, to protect U.N. personnel, and to create an atmosphere in which the vote can be fair, peaceful and free of intimidation, consistent with the U.N. agreement.

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