Violence in E.Timor leaves one dead, 6 wounded

By Lirio da Fonseca

DILI (Reuters) – A gunbattle between rebel military
policemen and government troops killed one person and wounded
six others in East Timor on Tuesday, officials said, the latest
violence that has prompted concern in neighboring Australia.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said parts of
East Timor appeared to be descending into violence and pledged
to send military help if needed.

A group led by rebel Major Alfredo Reinaldo triggered the
latest incident by opening fire on soldiers in the eastern Dili
district of Becora, government spokesman Antoninho Bianco said.

“They shot first from a house and instantly wounded two
members of the F-FDTL. The incident only occurred in Becora,”
he said, using the abbreviation of Timor’s defense force.

One soldier and five others were wounded in the gunbattle.

East Timor’s ambassador to Indonesia told Reuters a member
of the rebel group was also wounded in the clash.

“Alfredo is a military policeman who abandoned his command,
left his headquarters. These people have been identified as
troublemakers,” said Arlindo Marcal.

Reinaldo and his men left his station last month to support
the plight of the more than 500 soldiers sacked by the
cash-strapped East Timor government earlier in April.

The sackings prompted demonstrations joined by people the
government says have broader motives.

Four people were killed and hundreds of East Timorese fled
their homes when protests by the disgruntled soldiers initially
turned violent late last month. Protesters burned cars, threw
rocks at police and officers fired into the crowd.

RAPID RESPONSE

Downer told parliament in Canberra that the government
remains concerned about East Timor.

“We have prepositioned some military assets in northern
Australia, including naval vessels, aircraft and even some
troops, to enable a rapid response to assist with evacuation or
some other form of assistance if it’s required,” he said.

Australia led a U.N.-backed intervention force to East
Timor in 1999 to quell violence by pro-Indonesian militias
after East Timorese voted for independence from Jakarta. An
estimated 1,000 people died in the violence.

UN peacekeepers left a year ago and the UN mission of 130
administrators, police and military advisers was scheduled to
finish in East Timor on May 20, but was extended for a month
after the riots.

“East Timor is a young country and it is inevitably …
coming to terms with the responsibility of democracy and
government,” Downer said. “I hope this difficult situation can
be resolved quickly and obviously … peacefully.”

“But Australia stands willing and ready to help, to bring
about a return to stability, if that help at any time is
needed.”

Canberra updated its travel warning to its highest level
late on Tuesday, strongly advising Australians not to travel to
East Timor due to the “extremely dangerous security situation.”

Australia’s military deployment to East Timor soured
relations with Indonesia for several years.

(Additional reporting by James Grubel and Michelle Nichols
in CANBERRA, Telly Nathalia and Achmad Sukarsono in JAKARTA)