UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL
The Question of East Timor
Statement by the Hon Alexander Downer MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs
15 September 1999
Mr President
It is a great pleasure for me to address the Security Council following the adoption of this resolution authorising the establishment of a multinational force for East Timor. We are engaged here in a historic process, launched by the landmark decision by President Habibie of Indonesia earlier this year to allow the people of East Timor to make a decision on their future.
The UN-organised ballot, which took place on 30 August, saw 98.6 percent of the registered Timorese voters cast their ballot. We were all moved by the enthusiasm with which the people of East Timor voted on their future and pleased by the generally peaceful conditions in which they did so.
The world community was, therefore, all the more distressed by the violence that welled up after the ballot, and particularly after the announcement of the result of the ballot on 4 September. The international community, at the request of the Indonesian Government, now has the opportunity to assist the people of East Timor and to ensure that the process, set in place by the tripartite agreement, is seen through to its completion.
Mr President
Australia welcomed the decision of the Indonesian Government to invite a multinational force to assist in restoring peace and security in East Timor. I recognise that this has not been an easy decision and I pay tribute to President Habibie for accepting that this was the most effective way to deal with the collapse of order there since the ballot.
At the Secretary-General's request, Australia is willing to accept the leadership of the multinational force, which has been authorised here today. We look forward to working with regional and other countries to build a genuinely multinational force that will, as an interim measure, help bring the UN-mandated tripartite process back on track until such time as a United Nations Peacekeeping Operation can be deployed.
It is vitally important that the multinational force be deployed quickly. Australia is working with other contributors to ensure the earliest possible arrival of the force. We encourage UN member states that are in a position to do so to contribute generously to the Trust Fund being established under this resolution by the Secretary-General, in order to facilitate participation in the force by a wide range of countries.
The events of the past 10 days in East Timor have generated a pressing humanitarian crisis in East and West Timor through the massive displacement of people. In cooperation with UN agencies and the Indonesian Government, Australia stands ready to assist in providing urgent humanitarian assistance. The force which has been mandated today will have a role in facilitating humanitarian assistance operations.
Mr President
The process established by the 5 May agreement has provided a once-in-a-generation opportunity to resolve the problem of East Timor, an issue that has been on the UN's agenda for almost a quarter of a century. All of us here have an interest in seeing East Timor become stable and peaceful.
The unanimous adoption of this resolution underlines our common commitment to East Timor's future. If this future is to be peaceful, reconciliation amongst the East Timorese will be critical. We are willing to assist in the process of reconciliation in whatever way we can. We urge the different groups in East Timor to work together, in cooperation with the UN, to put behind them the violence of the past for the sake of future generations.
Mr President
I would like to pay tribute to the UN Secretary-General and to the staff of UNAMET, under the leadership of Ian Martin. Their performance, under extraordinarily difficult circumstances, brings credit to this institution. We are pleased that the mandating of the multinational force will enable UNAMET's valuable work to continue. Australia has been a strong contributor to UNAMET and we will continue to support the UN's work in East Timor.
I congratulate all participants here today on the cooperative approach that has characterised the development of this historic resolution. It is a measure of the depth of interest and concern that the world community has in this issue.
Mr President
In announcing the ballot outcome, the Secretary-General said that the United Nations would not fail the people of East Timor. The Security Council's action today will hopefully give confidence to the people of East Timor that the international community will follow through on that solemn commitment.