Reports continue to come in about the terrorizing of refugees and displaced persons in West Timor, with students and young people in particular being singled out for killing. Warc general secretary Milan Opocensky today wrote to the Indonesian president, BJ Habibie, asking that "the continuing oppression, persecution, disappearances and displacement" of East Timorese people be brought to a stop. The text of the letter follows.

Your excellency,

I greet you on behalf of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (Warc) which is a fellowship of 218 churches in 106 countries.

We have been following the news about the violence and destruction in East Timor with great concern and distress. We have been moved by the immense suffering which has been inflicted upon the people living in that region. We have received news of the killing of the general secretary of the Warc member church, Rev. Francisco de Vasconcelos, with profound shock and sadness. He had just recently hosted a Warc delegation which visited East Timor in mid-August.

Warc welcomes the decision of the government of Indonesia to accept an international peace-keeping force. We are pleased by the fact that the first troops have already arrived and that they have started to establish law and order in East Timor. We encourage you and your government to take all necessary measures to make possible and effective the deployment of the peace-keeping force, to take measures to cease the violation of human rights, and to do all that is in your power to bring to court those who have been involved in and responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent people - people for whose safety and protection the Indonesian government, only a few months ago, had solemnly declared it would assume responsibility.

The reason we are writing you this urgent letter is that we have received reports about the situation of refugees in West Timor. It is reported that many of them have been terrorised and persecuted by the militias who have withdrawn from East Timor. We have also read that young people and students are being hunted and killed throughout the country. We urge you and your government to do all in your power to stop the continuing oppression, persecution, disappearances and displacement of people. We urge the government of Indonesia to adhere to the universal principles of human rights and the protection of people.

We trust that you and your government are in a position to provide leadership in the process which is necessary for introducing peace, justice and reconciliation in the entire region.

Respectfully,

Dr Milan Opocensky, general secretary

Note

The Alliance subsequently learned that the reports of the death of Francisco de Vasconcelos were, happily, not true. Many other Timorese did die in the violence sponsored by the Indonesian army.