United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has decided to delay the referendum on East Timor's future status that had been scheduled for Aug. 8. The U.N.-administered ballot has been moved back two weeks because of fears that violence will make it impossible to prepare for the historic vote. Indonesian officials have questioned the decision; Mr. Jose Ramos Horta, the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize laureate from East Timor, backed the move. Delay is wise; sticking to the original schedule is pointless if the election is tainted. The real concern, however, is that East Timor's fate may not be decided by its 800,000 residents, but by politicians and military officials in Jakarta.
Violence has escalated in East Timor since the Indonesian government agreed in January to hold the election. Killings and other acts of intimidation have been rife. The exact number of casualties is unknown, although the figure could run into the hundreds. Thousands more have been forced from their homes.
Most of the blame has fallen on anti-independence militias who are believed to enjoy the backing of the Indonesian military. Although the government claims that it has no connection to these groups, the failure to disarm them is damning evidence that they enjoy official support.