The people of East Timor voted by 78.5 per cent for independence rather than autonomy in Monday's referendum in the former Portuguese colony, UN officials announced in Dili early today.
The vote was 344,580 in favour of a transition to independence and 94,388 for autonomy. The result was given to the Indonesian government at 1.30 a.m. Irish time by the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, and announced in Dili in English, Portuguese, Indonesian and the local language, Tetun, at 9.10 a.m. local time (2.10 a.m. Irish time).
Armed police surrounded the hotel in Dili where the announcement was made by the UN mission chief in East Timor, Mr Ian Martin. However, there was no sign of immediate celebration in the streets as people who had not fled stayed in their homes to avoid militia violence.
The result came as armed pro-Indonesian militias stepped up their ruthless campaign to seize control of towns and main roads in East Timor. This morning, after gunfire was heard in several parts of Dili overnight, many residents fled to the airport and the harbour to try to leave.
Aid agencies said they are preparing for an emergency situation and estimated that between 50,000 and 100,000 people might flee the former Portuguese colony.
The result paves the way for East Timor to break with Indonesia after almost 24 years of occupation, though it has to be endorsed by the Indonesian parliament, which does not meet until November.
On Monday, a turnout of 98.6 per cent of the 451,700 registered East Timorese voted on whether to accept autonomy within Indonesia or reject autonomy, leading to East Timor's separation from Indonesia.
Gen Wiranto, head of Indonesia's armed forces, will arrive in the East Timor capital, Dili, today against the background of an international outcry over the violence of the army-backed militias and renewed calls for an international peacekeeping force.
It was announced in Jakarta that two more battalions of Indonesian troops were being deployed in the territory in anticipation of the announcement of the referendum result.
Mr David Wimhurst, the spokesman for UNAMET (the UN Mission in East Timor), told a press conference yesterday that security throughout the territory was deteriorating and that two East Timorese drivers employed by UNAMET had been shot dead by militias in the town of Maliana.
This brings the number of UN workers killed since Monday to four, with five other local UN workers missing in the same town.
"The military went on a rampage in Maliana all night and this morning at least 20 houses were burning," Mr Wimhurst said.
Ten UN vehicles, with an escort of 100 Indonesian police, later pulled out of the town and reached Dili yesterday afternoon, a UN official said last night.