An exiled East Timorese independence leader, Dr Jose Ramos Horta, warned of a bloodbath if efforts to hold a vote on self-rule for the territory were thwarted.
The Nobel peace laureate welcomed the UN's decision to hold off setting a final date for the vote because of pro-Indonesian violence.
"What would be tragic and would cause a lot of violence is if the United Nations finally gives up, packs up and leaves the territory. Then there will be a major bloodbath," he said in Manila.
In Singapore, the Indonesian Foreign Minister, Mr Ali Alatas, said he hoped the vote could go ahead on August 21st or 22nd. "We had always said that we hoped there would be no more delays," he said, claiming security was constantly improving.