May 5, 1999
Web posted at: 7:29 p.m. EDT (2329 GMT)

In this story: U.N. to organize vote Militias remain armed RELATED STORIES, SITES

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- The foreign ministers of Indonesia and Portugal signed a U.N.-brokered autonomy agreement for East Timor Wednesday that could pave the way to full independence for the territory's 800,000 inhabitants.

The deal calls for an August 8 vote in which East Timor residents will accept or reject autonomy under the continued rule of Indonesia, which invaded the former Portuguese colony in 1975 and annexed it one year later. If the voters reject autonomy, Indonesia has pledged to grant East Timor full independence.

An estimated 200,000 Timorese have died from fighting or as a result of hunger or disease that followed Jakarta's occupation.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who played a key role in concluding 15 years of U.N.-sponsored talks, witnessed the signing of the framework agreement by Foreign Ministers Ali Alatas of Indonesia and Jaime Gama of Portugal.

Under the provisions of the agreement, voters will be asked:

"Do you accept the proposed special autonomy for East Timor within the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia?" or "Do you reject the proposed special autonomy for East Timor, leading to East Timor's separation from Indonesia?"

Many have predicted that residents will choose independence over autonomy in a free and fair vote.

U.N. to organize vote

Annan also signed two accords with Alatas and Gama detailing the organization of the referendum and security arrangements.

Many fear that anti-independence militias, who have received some support from the Indonesian army, will conduct a violent campaign to intimidate voters.

The Indonesian government will be in charge of security leading up to the vote, assisted by U.N. advisors, and a 600-strong U.N. mission will oversee the ballot. The United Nations reserves the right to call off the vote if minimum security and ballot requirements are not met.

"Security is from now on the essential matter because without security there is no freedom of choice. Without security, there is no real capacity for the people to choose in peace and freedom," Gama said.

Violence has escalated in the half-island territory since Indonesia announced plans in January to grant it either wide- ranging autonomy or independence.

Militias remain armed

Independence activists accuse the Indonesian military of continuing to arm and train anti-independence militias.

Pro-Indonesia militiamen armed with machetes and other weapons continue to man checkpoints in East Timor

President B.J. Habibie has funded the militias "to create the appearance of a civil war," said Timorese human rights activist Amiceto Guterres Lopez.

Members of the anti-independence Timorese groups maintain they need to defend themselves against rebel troops after the Indonesian army withdrew some soldiers last August.

During the U.N. talks, Alatas said his country could not guarantee the disarmament of the militias because many are based in the mountains.

Regardless, independence activists want the ballot to go forward.

"Unfortunately we have been treated as object and not actor in the process," said Mari Alkatiri of the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor. "But we still agree that it is a step forward to a solution."

The U.N. Security Council is expected to endorse the ballot plan Thursday. A trust fund of between $30 million and $45 million will be established to set up the operation.

Jakarta Bureau Chief Maria Ressa, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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