EAST TIMOR: Thousands of anti-government protesters demonstrate in East Timor capital

Record ID: 214212

  • Title: EAST TIMOR: Thousands of anti-government protesters demonstrate in East Timor capital
  • Date: 6th June 2006
  • Summary: MILITARY HELICOPTER FLYING OVERHEAD
  • Embargoed: 21st June 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA9YQ38YS6HZCSBOV7NQZJC8404
  • Story Text: Thousands of anti-government protesters converged in East Timor capital Dili on Tuesday (June 6) under tight security to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, who has been blamed for sacking 600 striking soldiers and the ensuing violence.
    The protesters came in a convoy of motorcycles, trucks and buses from East Timor's western districts and were allowed to enter Dili after foreign troops searched their vehicles. Heavily-armed troops in armoured personnel carriers and pick-up trucks escorted the protesters' convoy through the city.
    The protest came even as thousands of people are still seeking shelter and food aid from United Nations at various camps in the city. Most people fear to return home due to violence by mobs aligned to the sacked soldiers or the armed forces.
    The protesters in the packed trucks shouted "Down with Alkatiri!" as they punched the air and waved anti-government banners and flags when they went past the government's white-washed harbour-front headquarters.
    They ended up at President Xanana Gusmao's office where their leader Augusto Araujo Tara met the president and presented a list of demands that centred on firing Alkatiri. The embattled prime minister has refused to step down, despite being widely criticised for not doing enough to end the recent unrest.
    Alkatiri had said recently the unrest is a political plot by his opponents to bring down his government and stage a coup d'etat. He did not name those behind the conspiracy.
    After the soldiers were dismissed in March, the violence spread to different factions of the security forces and also led to gang violence in Dili, the worst since it broke away from Indonesian rule in 1999.
    Gusmao addressed the crowd of protesters outside his office in an impromptu rally.
    "My burden now is to neutralise the unknown gangs of armed civilians that terrorise our people here and there. These gangs are looting and burning and threatening our people and we need to solve this problem first," Gusmao said.
    The crowd later dispersed with rally leader after Tara read their list of demands.
    "We will follow Gusmao's advice and allow the situation to normalise before we return to demand for Alkatiri's resignation," Tara told reporters as he left in a crowded pickup truck.
    Heavily-armed soldiers in armoured personnel carriers escorted the protesters out of Dili to prevent incidents.
    The soldiers are part of a 2,200 peacekeeping force from Australia, Malaysia and New Zealand together with paramilitary policemen from Portugal.
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