--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
Date: Sat, 06 Nov 1999 18:30:49 -0500
From: "L. A. Nadybal" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: the Motaain (EAST TIMOR) shooting incident <fwd>
Sender: "L. A. Nadybal" <[log in to unmask]>


Has anyone seen any press reports during the Timor saga about the status
of, or events within the exclave of East Timor on the north coast of
Indonesian West Timor?  Would appreciate any leads to articles, either web
based or print.

Thanks
Regards
Len Nadybal
Washington DC

At 04:34 PM 06/11/1999 -0500, Johnnie Sutherland wrote:
>--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
>Date: Sat, 06 Nov 1999 22:45:19 -0100
>From: peter nugter <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: the Motaain (EAST TIMOR) shooting incident
>Sender: peter nugter <[log in to unmask]>
>
>
>
>Dear MAPS-L users (especially the Australian ones),
>
>There are some unsolved problems about the Motaain shooting incident. A
>copy of this text + a detailled map is on the index page of MAPSWAP. Who
>knows (a lot) more about it?
>
>Sincerely yours, Peter Nugter.
>
>The "Motaain" shooting incident.
>About October 10, 1999 an exchange of fire took place between Australian
>soldiers of INTERFET and an Indonesian border patrol near the village of
>Motaain. One Indonesian policeman is said to be killed and two others
>wounded. There are no reports on Australian casualties.
>Commander Mark Kelly claimed his troops were attacked without reason while
>approaching the village of Motaain and they had no other choice then firing
>back. The commander claimed his right to visit Motaain by stating that this
>village should be part of East Timor (Timor Timur). In his opinion the
>Indonesians used wrong maps based on old Dutch colonial maps. On these maps
>Motaain should have been situated at the west side of the border. And - as
>commander Mark Kelly stated - Motaain in fact lies on the eastern site.
>But is this true? A few remarks;
>* On the 1993 issued sheet 2406-533 Motaain is situated east of the River
>Mota Talau. This river in fact marks the frontier between the Indonesian
>provinces of Timor Timur (East Timor) and Nusa Tenggara Timur (a large
>province including great parts of the East Indonesia archipelago and West
>Timor). To be clear; the small area on the map example at the North West
>corner (with the altitude spot "228") belongs to East Timor.
>* Although parts of this river may be dry during the dry season this
>frontier mark could hardly have been overlooked by INTERFET troops when
>approaching Motaain from the North West. If they approached Motaain from
>another direction they were already on Nusa Tenggara (=Indonesian) territory.
>* There are no old Dutch maps representing a different border between the
>Dutch East Indies and the Portuguese colony.
>* Could the mystery be solved when suggesting the following hypothesis?;
>INTERFET troops patrolled from Kabupaten Bobonaro (Kabupaten = regency) on
>East Timor eastwards thinking (or not thinking at all) they stay inside
>East Timor but in fact forgetting the frontier makes a strange twist in
>such a way that one travelling eastwards in fact enters West Timor!
>I am neutral in this question but it seems to me 1 - 0 for the Indonesians
>and half-time in sight.
>If I am wrong, please let me know!
>
>
>E-MAIL ADDRESS: [log in to unmask]
>
>URL:    http://www.mapswap.nl/
>        http://www.mapswap.com/
>
>ORDINARY MAIL ADDRESS:
>
>MAPSWAP
>Director: Peter Nugter,
>P.O. Box 1476,
>9701 BL Groningen,
>The Netherlands.
>Phone:  + 31 - 50 - 527 - 85 - 00
>Fax:    + 31 - 50 - 527 - 85 - 01
>--- End Forwarded Message ---
>
>
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