Militiamen Kill 3 U.N. Aid Workers in West Timor

Rampaging pro-Indonesian militiamen killed at least three international refugee workers in West Timor on Wednesday, prompting an immediate rebuke to Jakarta by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the Security Council and President Clinton.

Clinton, attending the U.N. Millennium Summit with about 150 other world leaders, was seen talking to Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, who was also approached by Annan and other U.N. officials.

A somber Wahid expressed his sorrow over the incident at a brief news conference and said action was being taken.

``I would like to express my condolences to the families of the deceased, the victims,'' he said. His government was working out an action plan with the U.N. peacekeeping force in East Timor ``so that both sides now work together to overcome difficulties,'' he said.

Sadako Ogata, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said all 105 members of her staff would be out of West Timor by Wednesday or Thursday. She identified the dead as Samson Aregahegn of Ethiopia, Carlos Caceres-Collazo, an American from Puerto Rico, and Pero Simundza of Croatia.









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