Indonesia and Portugal last night signed a historic deal at the UN on the future of East Timor, enabling the East Timorese to vote whether to choose independence after 24 years of Indonesian rule.
The signing came after a last minute diplomatic breakthrough in which the UN secretary general, Mr Kofi Annan, persuaded Indonesia to accept a list of UN requirements in a confidential memorandum which notably calls for the disarming of anti-independence militia.
The militia, armed by the Indonesia military which denies doing so, are accused of fomenting unrest in the former Portuguese colony in recent months, but Indonesia resisted Portuguese demands for a written commitment to immediately disarm them.
Mr Annan said yesterday he was "gravely concerned" about the recent increase in violence and urged all groups to refrain from resorting to force in the run-up to the ballot on wide-ranging autonomy scheduled for August 8th.
The Indonesian Foreign Minister, Mr Ali Alatas, and his Portuguese counterpart, Mr Jaime Gama, signed a basic autonomy agreement in which the central government would retain responsibility for defence, and keep troops in East Timor.
Jakarta would also retain responsibility for monetary and fiscal policies, but would offer East Timor possible "co-operative or joint undertakings" in oil exploitation.
Indonesia, in a surprise move in January, announced that if a majority of East Timorese vote against the autonomy proposals, the territory occupied by Jakarta in 1975, and annexed in 1976, would be allowed to gain independence.
The question to be put to the voters on August 8th is whether they accept the proposed special autonomy for East Timor to remain within Indonesia, or reject the proposal, "leading to East Timor's separation from Indonesia".
UN officials say a majority of East Timorese favour independence.
The UN has been involved in the search for a political solution since 1983. The agreements, described as "historic" by Mr Annan, also included a page-long security accord and a third on balloting arrangements.
The security accord states that responsibility for creating a "secure environment devoid of violence" rested with the Indonesian security authorities.
East Timorese pro-independence activists fear that some 300 unarmed UN police, and a number of UN security guards, who are to "advise" the 3,800 Indonesian police, will not be sufficient to control the violence.
The territory also remains under the control of the Indonesian military. An East Timorese pro-independence activist, Mr Joao Carrascalao, said before the signing that "nobody is monitoring them".
UN officials say if Indonesia fails to comply with UN requirements, Mr Annan has the option of halting the UN-conducted poll.