– BBC World Service- Newsdesk – September 9, 1999 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
Twenty-six years ago today, on September 2nd 1999 the world was battling extremists, factions and overthrows.
In East Timor, violence erupted after referendum elections regarding independence from Indonesia prompted Djakarta to send troops to the East Timorese capitol of Dili in an effort to restore order, despite the overwhelming vote of the East Timorese for independence from Indonesia. The United Nations was pressuring Djakarta to restore calm, even though journalists were being evacuated.
The Indonesian Government arranged evacuation flights from Dili for hundreds of Indonesian journalists. Indonesian military planes and ships are on stand-by to evacuate tens of thousands of other people. International groups with workers in East Timor, including major news organizations, were last night arranging private evacuation flights. The Washington-based East Timor Action Network said the “continuation of the current security, situation threatens to undermine all that has been accomplished so far”.
In the Middle East, talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators broke down and broke off with failure to reach an agreement.
Violence in Sri Lanka claimed a pro-government militia leader by Tamil Tiger rebels who staged a suicide bomb attack.
North Korea claimed to not recognize its Maritime boundary with South Korea.
U.S. Agents seized evidence held by the FBI at FBI Headquarters in Washington.
And the United Nations proclaimed Angola, scene of almost constant civil war for the previous 3 decades as the worst place in the world to be born.
All that, and in Kyrgystan a militant Islamic group calling itself The Islamic Group Of Uzbekistan in the south of the country released another hostage, making it the 8th to be released since the hostage crisis began a week earlier.
Judging by the news on this particular September 2nd in 1999, Angola may not have entirely claimed the distinction of the worst place to be born, via this edition of Newsdesk from The BBC World Service.
