United Nations - The U.N. Security Council pledged to press ahead with a referendum on independence or autonomy for East Timor, despite an increase in violence and voter intimidation in the disputed territory. The vote, slated for August 30, will give East Timorese the choice of remaining part of Indonesia as an autonomous region or seeking independence from Jakarta. U.N. officials said they are still hoping that Indonesia will improve security in the next few days so that voting can take place peacefully.

Militias intensify attacks
Anti-independence militias have stepped up attacks around the western towns of Maliana and Suai and the eastern town of Viqueque, and U.N. representatives have noticed a "certain inability of local police" to control the violence. Ian Martin, head of the U.N. mission in East Timor and the man in charge of organizing the U.N.-supervised vote, said balloting might have to be postponed in those areas. "The question of whether or not we can conduct polling there is real," Martin said Tuesday in East Timor. A three-member independent election commission appointed to oversee the ballot has told U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan that East Timor is not ready for the referendum, saying that during their stay in the territory, they did not sense "an atmosphere free of intimidation, violence or interference and there had not been a secure environment for a free and fair popular consultation process."

But a senior U.N. official cautioned that delaying the vote would be "playing into the hands of those who want it postponed." That sentiment was echoed by leaders of the Security Council on Tuesday. "The intention of the council is to proceed with the ballot on the 30th, and of course, to proceed throughout the territory," said Namibia's U.N. Ambassador Martin Andjaba, the current council president. In a press statement, the Security Council "deplored recent acts of violence and intimidation against U.N. staff." The council also circulated a draft resolution to be adopted later this week that would significantly increase the size of the U.N. mission in East Timor after the vote.

Currently, 280 international police officers and 50 military liaison officers are authorized to work in East Timor. The resolution would allow as many as 460 international police to advise the Indonesian police and train a new Timorese police force and 300 military liaison officers to maintain contacts with all sides. Also Tuesday, the United Nations announced the formation of a "consultative commission" of representatives that will start work the day after the vote. This representative council will be made up of 25 people: 10 pro-independence Timorese, 10 pro-autonomy Timorese and 5 individuals to be appointed by the U.N. secretary-general. U.N. officials said this commission would, for the first time, officially gauge the views of the East Timorese. It would remain in force until either autonomy or independence is in place. Violence escalated in the former Portuguese colony after Indonesia -- in a surprise policy reversal -- announced in January that it would put the Timorese on the road to independence if they reject wide-ranging autonomy. Indonesia invaded East Timor in 1975 and annexed it the following year.