The New York Times

Tuesday, September 28, 1999

Timor Leader Visits UN Headquarters

By The Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The man expected to be independent East Timor's first president is conferring with U.N. officials over providing aid to refugees in his violence-torn homeland.

Rebel leader Jose Alexandre ``Xanana'' Gusmao was to meet U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan today, while the foreign ministers of Indonesia and Portugal resume talks on the future of East Timor.

Annan's special representative for East Timor, Jamsheed Marker, called the new round of talks between Indonesia's Ali Alatas and his Portuguese counterpart, Jaime Gama.

The talks have been focusing on East Timor's transition to independence after its 800,000 people voted overwhelmingly last month to separate from Indonesia, which invaded the former Portuguese colony in 1975.

Under the May 5 agreement that paved the way for the vote, the United Nations is to assume transitional control of East Timor after Indonesia's parliament ratifies the results of the Aug. 30 ballot -- expected next month or in early November.

In addition, a U.N. peacekeeping mission is to take over from the Australian-led multinational force that arrived in East Timor last week to try to restore order after pro-Indonesian militias terrorized the half-island territory following the vote.

Gusmao discussed international aid for East Timorese refugees both inside the territory and in neighboring West Timor with U.N. officials on Monday.

He also had talks with U.S. Ambassador Richard Holbrook after getting a pledge a day earlier from Secretary of State Madeleine Albright that Washington would continue to suspend aid to Indonesia as long as the army was colluding with anti-independence militias.

Over the weekend, U.N. officials conducted two assessment missions to try to determine the needs of villagers driven from their homes by rampaging militias.

U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard reported that Baucau -- East Timor's second largest city -- was largely intact, with only 5 percent of key infrastructure damaged. Humanitarian agencies plan to use Baucau as the logistics base for aid distribution to the eastern part of the territory.

Eighty percent of the buildings in Manatuto, 37 miles east of Dili, were burned, and little food or medicine is available, he said. The town is considered to be one of the highest priorities for aid, he said.