NZ peacekeepers kill Indonesian soldier

By GREGG WYCHERLEY and NZPA

United Nations peacekeepers in East Timor will boost security along the border with Indonesia after an Indonesian soldier was killed in a gunbattle with New Zealand troops.

The soldier, a 21-year-old sergeant, was shot dead on Saturday in a clash with about 30 New Zealand soldiers from Whisky Company, based at Tilomar, about 6km from the border with West Timor.

Peacekeeping spokesman Captain Isabelito Sanchez said the soldier was out of uniform and fired at least two shots at the peacekeepers from the Indonesian side of the unmarked border before they returned fire.

The dead Indonesian soldier was First Sergeant Lirman Hadimu.

His body was found an hour after the firefight, about 20m from the border on the Indonesian side, the Jakarta Post reported.

A West Timor district commander, Colonel Budy Heryanto, was quoted by the Post as saying he believed First Sergeant Lirman was shot as a result of his "undisciplined behaviour" in wandering near the border without uniform and without clearance.

Captain Sanchez said extra troops would be deployed along the border with Indonesian-held West Timor to prevent anti-independence militiamen from entering the territory and causing unrest ahead of elections on August 30.

"We are increasing patrol operations to ensure no infiltrators can get through from the west, which could affect the peaceful outcome of the elections," he said.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said she regretted the death of First Sergeant Lirman but supported the actions of the New Zealand soldiers.

"The Indonesian Army commander in West Timor has spoken with the deputy commander of the UN peacekeeping force in Dili and accepted responsibility for the incident.

"The New Zealand patrol's actions were in accordance with the rules of engagement under which they operate. Both the UN and the New Zealand Army are investigating the incident and those investigations will provide the full details around the events."

There were no injuries to NZ soldiers or East Timorese civilians in the incident about 100km southwest of East Timor's capital, Dili.

Since being forced out of the territory in October 1999 by UN peacekeepers, pro-Jakarta militiamen have mounted a series of cross-border raids into East Timor.

New Zealand, which has about 700 troops in East Timor, has suffered four fatalities during the peacekeeping mission.

Dr David Dickens, director of Victoria University's Centre for Strategic Studies, said a revenge attack on New Zealand soldiers was a real concern.

He said top-grade Indonesian units previously based on the border had been replaced with soldiers who were often ill-disciplined; some bore grudges against the New Zealand and Australian forces.

"The fact that the Australians and the New Zealanders are on the border is irritating to those people who would have lost face in the Indonesian military."

New Zealand troops had played a key role in suppressing a pro-Indonesian militia rampage after the vote for independence.

He said it was time to consider withdrawing NZ and Australian soldiers and replacing them with peacekeepers from other nations.

East Timorese will go to the polls on August 30 to elect a governing body that will help to draft a constitution and steer the territory towards its formal independence next year.

Feature: Indonesia

CIA World Factbook: Indonesia (with map)

Dept. of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia

Antara news agency

Indonesian Observer

The Jakarta Post

UN Transitional Administration in E Timor

East Timor Action Network