Pro-Jakarta Militias Rally

Pro-Jakarta militias held a rally in East Timor, saying they were consolidating forces to fight off moves toward independence from Indonesia for the disputed territory. They described a call to arms this week by pro-independence leader Jose Alexandre “Xanana” Gusmao as a declaration of war and said they would fight on even if Indonesian forces quit the territory. Militia spokesman Basilio Araujo said 15,000 people attended the rally. Hopes for peace were dealt a further blow when a Jakarta official said U.N.-sponsored talks on the territory’s future status, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, had been postponed.