INDONESIA: MORE FIRES BURN IN THE EAST TIMORESE CAPITAL OF DILI, BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN SET BY DEPARTING INDONESIAN SOLDIERS

Record ID: 567154

  • Title: INDONESIA: MORE FIRES BURN IN THE EAST TIMORESE CAPITAL OF DILI, BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN SET BY DEPARTING INDONESIAN SOLDIERS
  • Date: 26th September 1999
  • Summary: DILI, EAST TIMOR (SEPTEMBER 26, 1999) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV OF ROAD WITH SMOKE RISING ABOVE 0.06 2. SLV FIRE IN BANK, NEAR TO INDONESIAN ARMY BARRACKS 0.11 3. SV FIRE INSIDE BANK 0.18 4. SV PEOPLE LOOKING AT FIRE IN BANK 0.21 5. SV FALINTIL (PRO-INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT) FIGHTERS IN CIVILIAN CLOTHES WALKING DOWN STREET 0.40 6. MCU (Tetum) Romeo Da Conceicao, FALINTIL GUERRILLA FIGHTER: "I'm coming down to find my family, who I think are all dead, I couldn't find them. Sorry I have to go back to the mountains." 0.49 7. SV FALINTIL MEMBERS GETTING INTO VAN (2 SHOTS) 1.02 ATAMBUA, WEST TIMOR (SEPTEMBER 26, 1999) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 8. SLV OF REFUGEE CAMP (2 SHTOS) 1.10 9. SV OF REFUGEES COLLECTING CLEAN WATER 1.14 10. SLV/MCU REFUGEES WALKING TOWARS MEDICAL TENT/REFUGEES INSIDE TENT WAITING FOR HEALTH CHECK BY RED CROSS WORKERS (3 SHOTS) 1.29 11. SV/CU OF RED CROSS WORKER EXAMINING REFUGEES (3 SHOTS) 1.45 12. SLV REFUGEE CAMP 1.49 13. MCU PRO-JAKARTA WOMAN REFUGEE EMBRACING MILITIA COMMANDER, LUCAS 1.57 14. SV LUCAS WATCHING WORKER DOING PAPER WORK (2 SHOTS) 2.06 15. SV LUCAS POSING WITH AUTOMATIC RIFLE 2.09 16. SLV/SV FIGHTERS WITH WEAPONS (2 SHOTS) 2.21 17. SV OF PRO-INTEGRATION LEADER CLAUDIO DE JESUS 2.27 18. MCU(Bahasa Indonesia) PRO-INTEGRATION LEADER, CLAUDIO DE JESUS, SAYING "The best solution for us is to divide East Timor between the pro-independence and pro-integration. If this would not be granted, we would ask the Indonesian government to support us. But up till now the Indonesian government hasn't helped us with our weaponry. So it's impossible for us with bare hands to fight against the multi-national troops" 3.02 19. MCU MEN LISTENING 3.08 DARE, EAST TIMOR (SEPTEMBER 26, 1999) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 20. SLV/MCU REFUGEES IN CAMP (3 SHOTS) 3.21 21. SV BRITISH SOLDIERS DISTRIBUTING RICE (2 SHOTS) 3.32 22. MCU CHILDREN RECEIVING RICE 3.40 23. SV BRITISH MEDICAL UNIT PROVIDING MEDICAL TREATMENT 3.43 24. CU MEDICAL CHECKS ON GIRL 3.49 25. MCU OLD WOMAN BEING EXAMINED 3.59 26. CU DOCTOR EXAMINING MAN BY A MACHETE ON HIS SHOULDER TWO WEEKS AGO 4.05 27. SLV YOUTHS PULLING CART WITH SUPPLIES 4.16 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 11th October 1999 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: DILI AND DARE, EAST TIMOR / ATAMBUA, WEST TIMOR, INDONESIA
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Reuters ID: LVAC3S8XD17Q1QM0Y2LMDWIRFQ4J
  • Story Text: More fires have been burning in the East Timorese
    capital of Dili, believed to have been set by departing
    Indonesian soldiers.

    But the departure of the soldiers has allowed guerrilla
    fighters belonging to the pro-independence Falintil movement
    to enter Dili for the first time since violence erupted.

    Pro-Jakarta militia leaders in West Timor have said they
    hope the Indonesian government will provide them arms to fight
    the multi-national forces in East Timor.

    And British medical teams have begun treating refugees
    who have come out of hiding from around the mountains of Dare.

    As Indonesian soldiers left East Timor on Sunday
    (September 26), more fires raged throughout Dili.

    For the past few days buildings used to house Indonesian
    soldiers have been torched, along with government buildings.

    But as the destruction continued, the departure of the
    soldiers paved the way for a handful of members of the
    pro-independence Falintil group to head down from the hills.

    The group were given a warm welcome by returning refugees.

    One of the fighters said he had come to Dili to search for his
    family, but he believed they had all been killed.

    Falintil has been fighting Indonesian rule for the past 24
    years, and during the recent rampages by pro-Jakarta militias,
    the fighters tried to protect thousands of refugees who fled
    into the mountains surrounding Dili.Seeking refuge in
    neighbouring West Timor, pro-Jakarta militias pledged on
    Sunday (September 26) they would subvert East Timor's recent
    overwhelming vote for independence.

    Living among tens of thousands of displaced East Timorese,
    the militia members roam freely in the camps with their
    home-made and automatic weapons.

    In the camps workers from the Red Cross are working to
    stave off disease among the refugees - but not all receive
    treatment in time.

    The U.N.force in East Timor has said it was closely
    monitoring reports of a build-up of pro-Indonesia militias in
    the neighbouring Indonesian province of West Timor.

    Groups of militias have also been seen crossing the border
    to Ermera, a militia stronghold in East Timor.

    Pro-Jakarta leader Claudio de Jesus said the
    pro-integration front would ask the Indonesian government to
    provide them with arms to fight the multi-national forces.

    "The best solution for us is to divide East Timor between
    the pro-independence and pro-integration.If this would not be
    granted, we would ask the Indonesian government to support us.

    But up till now the Indonesian government hasn't helped us
    with our weaponry," de Jesus said.

    "So it's impossible for us to fight against the
    multi-national troops with bare hands," he added.

    Pro-Jakarta militias who are blamed for much of the
    violence in East Timor are mostly armed with home-made
    weapons.

    Some, however, are equipped with automatic rifles such as
    U.S.-made M-16s.They are believed to have been supplied by
    the Indonesian military, which will formally hand over
    security of East Timor to the multinational forces on Monday
    (September 27).

    Members of the British medical team began treating
    refugees in Dare, near capital Dili, on Sunday (September 26).

    Many of the children were found to be suffering from
    diarrhea, due to lack of fresh potable water.

    Dare has been the scene where rampaging pro-Jakarta
    militiamen attacked independence supporters.

    One of those being treated was a man whose shoulder was
    hacked by a militiaman with a machete two weeks ago.

    Twenty East Timorese are reported by the United Nations to
    have died of malnutrition while hiding from militias around
    the mountains of Dare.

    An assessment mission to Dare earlier this week found
    about 37,000 internally displaced people in the vicinity with
    serious food, health and security concerns.


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