UN withdraws from West Timor

Pro-Jakarta militias are blamed for hundreds of deaths

The United Nations refugee agency says it is evacuating all its relief staff from West Timor after pro-Indonesian militia went on the rampage killing three of its international staff.

These were peaceful, unarmed humanitarians who gave their lives trying help those who had lost everything in conflict

Sadako Ogata

The move was announced by Sadako Ogata, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, speaking on the sidelines of the UN Millennium Summit in New York.

Hundreds of machete-wielding militiamen rioted in the border town of Atambua, burning down the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other buildings. A number of UN vehicles were also set on fire.

Four helicopters from the UN peacekeeping force in East Timor rushed to the town and airlifted all the remaining relief workers there to the East Timorese capital, Dili.

At no time did the Indonesian military move to intervene

Ron Redmond, UNHCR Chief Spokesman

The three international staff killed have been confirmed by the UNHCR in Geneva as Ethiopian Samson Aregahegn, Carlos Caseras of the United States and Bosnian Pero Simundza. Their bodies have been recovered and taken to Dili.

"These were peaceful, unarmed humanitarians who gave their lives trying help those who had lost everything in conflict," Sadako Ogata the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said in a statement

There have been conflicting reports over the exact number of casualties. UN officials in Geneva have confirmed to the BBC that three of its staff members are dead.

Beaten to death

According to accounts given by UN workers evacuated to Dili, the UNHCR says the attack began at around noon local time.

The agency's chief spokesman in Geneva, Ron Redmond, told BBC News Online that the violence began shortly after the funeral procession for a militia leader, killed in the nearby town of Betun on Tuesday night, passed by the office.

A large crowd then gathered outside the office located close to an army and police headquarters.

"At no time did the Indonesian military move to intervene in the attack," Mr Redmond said.

He added that staff had received no warning that an attack was about to take place, as was being reported in the Indonesian media.

This tragedy underlines the dangers faced by unarmed humanitarian workers serving the UN

Kofi Annan

As relief workers rushed to escape the mob over a fence at the rear of the UN compound, the three staff who died trapped in the radio room trying to contact colleagues in Dili.

They were then hacked to death with machetes by militiamen who then poured gasoline over them and burned their bodies - one of them after being dragged out into the street.

Mr Redmond said many of those who survived were hidden by local staff in their homes around Atambua - they were then driven through the town to meet the evacuation helicopters.

He added that one female aid worker had been trapped and stoned by a mob at hotel in the town, although she escaped with injuries.

Annan's tribute

The latest violence coincided with the opening of the UN Millennium Summit in New York, where world leaders are discussing the UN's peacekeeping operations.

Atambua's camps house thousands of refugees from East Timor

Opening the summit Secretary General Kofi Annan departed from his prepared inaugural statement to inform the 150 kings and presidents of the killings and ask for a minute's silence in tribute.

"This tragedy underlines once again the dangers faced by unarmed humanitarian workers serving the United Nations in conflict or post-conflict situations," he said.

Atambua is one of the main refugee centres for East Timorese who fled the violence which erupted after the vote.

More than 600 people died and more than 200,000 fled into West Timor when pro-Jakarta militias rampaged through East Timor, with the alleged connivance of Indonesian officers.

Last month, the UNHCR suspended its entire aid programme in West Timor after two of its staff were badly beaten and one man was almost killed by militia members in the refugee camps.

The agency resumed operations after receiving guarantees of protection from the Indonesian government.