EAST TIMOR: Australian troop commander says East Timor rebel on the run, situation calm after raid

Record ID: 792242

  • Title: EAST TIMOR: Australian troop commander says East Timor rebel on the run, situation calm after raid
  • Date: 4th March 2007
  • Summary: (W2) SAME, EAST TIMOR (MARCH 2, 2007) (REUTERS) VIEW OF MOUNTAIN VARIOUS REBEL TROOPS ON PATROL EAST TIMOR REBEL LEADER ALFREDO REINADO SITTING DOWN WITH A WEAPON IN HAND (SOUNDBITE)(English) EAST TIMOR REBEL LEADER, ALFREDO REINADO, SAYING: "I only ask them nicely and they give me because they know I have intention for defending the people and this is a weapon that also belong to the people themselves, so they give me nicely and peacefully with nice shake hand, and you call that 'assault', very funny isn't it?" LOGO ON SHIRT READING: 'COMMANDO FDTL TATORAS' (SOUNDBITE)(English) REBEL LEADER, ALFREDO REINADO, SAYING: "I feel sorry for the President as a president, Mr. Xanana (Gusmao) says that without studying the reality on the ground first, I am just taking the weapon and not killing anyone become rebel for this nation but those people die every day doesn't mean anything? That means this weapon that I have, means more than many other people dying, die by day." A REBEL TROOP ON GUARD (SOUNDBITE)(English) REBEL LEADER, ALFREDO REINADO, SAYING: "Think about Mr. Ramos Horta being nominated in that position to solve this crisis but while he there now he forgot the crisis and created more chaos in the nation, and he more interested in what he wants to be in the next election. That's funny isn't it? So where is the interest or the value of the, people live for those leaders." VARIOUS REBELS AND REINADO ON PATROL
  • Embargoed: 19th March 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA1MSFUGUW77D02V63FY3JDLCJF
  • Story Text: An Australian-led international peacekeeping force launched a raid to capture East Timor rebel Alfredo Reinado on Sunday (March 4), killing four people, Brigadier General Mal Rerden told reporters in the East Timor capital Dili.
    The head of the Australian peacekeeping operation in East Timor said a stand-off between the Australian-led international peacekeeping force in Same, south of Dili took place on Sunday after their village was sealed off. The rebels had made Same their base after being accused of stealing a cache of weapons from police posts.
    "The purpose of the operation was to reduce the threat to Timor Leste's stability and apprehend Alfredo Reinado," Rerden said. Timor Leste is the local name used for East Timor.
    "We cannot confirm at this stage if he was alone or accompanied with others when he left Same nor can we confirm which members of his group are armed," said Rerden. "I can confirm however that four armed Timorese men were killed during the operation when they posed an immediate threat to the lives of the ISF (International Security Force) members involved."
    Reinado has been on the run since he escaped from jail in East Timor's capital Dili in August along with 50 other inmates.
    Rerden said the operation would continue "as long as necessary" and troops had been increased to oversee the situation leading up polls in April.
    "I can confirm that the ISF forces have been augmented by some additional forces from Australia," he said. "And the situation in Same now is calm."
    Australia has 800 troops to keep peace in East Timor following last year's violence.
    President Xanana Gusmao ordered security forces to arrest Reinado following accusations the rebel led a raid on a police post and made off with 25 automatic weapons last month.
    On Friday (March 2), Reinado denied attacking the police post, saying that police had given him the weapons.
    "I only ask them nicely and they give me because they know I have intention for defending the people and this is a weapon that also belong to the people themselves, so they give me nicely and peacefully with nice shake hand, and you call that 'assault', very funny isn't it?" he said at his jungle hide-out.
    He accused Gusmao of not investigating the facts relating to the incident.
    "I feel sorry for the President as a president, Mr. Xanana (Gusmao) says that without studying the reality on the ground first, I am just taking the weapon and not killing anyone become rebel for this nation but those people die every day doesn't mean anything? That means this weapon that I have, means more than many other people dying, die by day." he added.
    Reinado was also critical of Prime Minister Ramos Horta, a Nobel Peace laureate who is a candidate for presidency of the strife-torn country. Polls are scheduled for April.
    "Think about Mr. Ramos Horta being nominated in that position to solve this crisis but while he there now, he forgot the crisis and created more chaos in the nation, and he more interested in what he wants to be in the next election. That's funny isn't it? So where is the interest or the value of the people who live for those leaders," he said.
    Reinado has made several public appearances since the escape, including a meeting with the country's military chief. Security forces did not make any attempt to arrest the fugitive.
    The standoff between Reinado and the troops has raised fears of violence ahead of a presidential election next month.
    East Timor voted in a 1999 referendum for independence from Indonesia, which annexed it after Portugal ended its colonial rule in 1975. The country became fully independent in 2002 after a period of U.N. administration.
    But an east-west divide in the impoverished nation erupted into chaos and gang violence in May following the sacking of 600 soldiers. High youth unemployment also plagues the country, where more than 100,000 people are displaced.
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