United Nations Daily Highlights, 99-08-25

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From: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Wednesday, 25 August, 1999

HEADLINES

• UN mission gearing up for East Timor elections.
• UN Kosovo Transitional Council considers measures to protect minorities.
• Austrian authorities arrest top Bosnian Serb military commander for UN tribunal for former Yugoslavia.
• Head of UN war crimes tribunal reports Croatia in breach of obligations to cooperate with Court's investigations.
• Members of Guatemala commission brief senior UN officials on implementation of peace agreements.

Hiro Ueki, Deputy Spokesman of the UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET), told reporters that the additional complement brought the number of UN Volunteers to 460 -- including medical staff -- for polling day on 30 August.

Mr. Ueki said there will be 850 polling stations at 200 polling centres and UNAMET expected to hire some 4,000 locals to assist in polling activities. In addition to the 50 official observers from Indonesia and the 50 from Portugal, UNAMET had also accredited over 1,600 independent observers.

The recent escalation of violence and intimidation, particularly in the western region, had led to a new movement of internally displaced persons, said Mr. Ueki. Several thousands of people had moved away from the places where they registered and will have difficulties voting.

Groups of internally displaced people continued to be targeted by armed militias, and security concerns severely restricted the delivery of humanitarian assistance as shortages of food and medical assistance in many areas were reported, said Mr. Ueki. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was sending a humanitarian convoy to Maubara, with another convoy scheduled to go to Suai on Thursday and one expected to go to Atabae on Friday.

UNAMET Civil Police have been discussing additional security measures with the Indonesian police, and were given assurances that the Indonesian police would increase their presence and patrol certain routes to ensure free movement of voters.

Meanwhile, a large pro-independence rally had taken place in Dili without incidents, Mr. Ueki said, and a pro-autonomy rally was scheduled for tomorrow. These rallies would close the electoral campaign in Dili, as the campaign would close on Friday, with activities planned by the two parties in other areas. The weekend would be a two-day cool-off period before ballot day.

Speaking to the press in Pristina after the meeting of the Kosovo Transitional Council, UN Special Representative Bernard Kouchner said new proposals to protect ethnic minorities had been made today after an earlier proposal by the leader of the Serb Resistance Movement to move Serbs into "cantons" for their protection had been unfavourably received.

Dr. Bernard Kouchner with press

Dr. Kouchner, reiterating that he was not in favour of "cantonization," said other means of improving security for all Kosovars were under consideration.

The Transitional Council agreed that the issue of protecting minorities would be considered again at its meeting next Wednesday.

The Transitional Council -- which is the highest political body operating under the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) -- also reviewed matters relating to reconstruction, economic development, and efforts to reopen schools and universities.

Dr. Kouchner, who chaired the meeting, proposed that the Council appoint one director each from Kosovo and UNMIK to help facilitate the participation of the Kosovo public in UNMIK decision making. The co- directors would oversee the work of the four directorates addressing housing, education, health and public utilities.

According to a statement by Tribunal Prosecutor Justice Louise Arbour, General Momir Talic, Chief of Staff of the Army of the Republika Srpska, was travelling to Vienna to attend a conference. The Austrian authorities were notified and an arrest warrant arranged.

On 12 March, General Talic was indicted along with Radislav Brdanin, the former Bosnian Serb deputy Prime Minister, for committing "persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds." The indictment alleges that the two, as members of the Crisis Staff of the Autonomous Region of Krajina, ordered, implemented and supported a plan designed to expel the Bosnian Muslim, Bosnian Croats and other non-Serb populations from Krajina, including the Prijedor municipality of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Mr. Brdanin was arrested on 6 July in Bosnia and Herzegovina and transferred to The Hague, where the Tribunal is located. Justice Arbour said the two accused are expected to face a joint trial.

Judge Gabrielle Kirk McDonald reported in a letter to the Council "the refusal of the Republic of Croatia to cooperate with the International Tribunal" in two cases presented for judgment by the Tribunal Prosecutor, Judge Louise Arbour. Judge McDonald declined to make a finding in a third case.

The first case relates to crimes committed during and in the aftermath of "Operation Storm" and "Operation Flash" and Croatia's refusal to provide the Prosecutor with information about those operations. The second involves Croatia's failure to surrender and transfer two individuals indicted by the Tribunal who were being held by the Croatian authorities.

The members of the Follow-up commission met with UN Under- Secretary- General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast and representatives of the Guatemalan Group of Friends -- Colombia, Mexico, Norway, Spain and the United States. They were scheduled to meet Wednesday afternoon with Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette, the spokesman said.

In their meetings, the members are updating Member States, the UN and European institutions on the current phase of the peace process and presenting the peace agenda's priorities for the coming year, the spokesman said.

The Follow-up Commission was established in 1997 under the terms of the Guatemala Peace Agreements and is the technical- political body which monitors and facilitates the implementation of the peace accords. The Commission comprises representatives from the Government, guerrilla forces, four citizens, a representative of the Guatemalan Congress and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Guatemala.

From the United Nations home page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

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