Rioting Continues in Dili
Monday, 29 May, 2006 | 18:49 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Dili: Rioting continued in Dili yesterday (28/5) with civilian militants armed with machetes, catapults and spears attacking each other.

They ran amok while throwing stones and burning houses as well as hitting all passers-by in the streets.

Father Lalo said he assumed the groups that attacked each other came from different ethnic areas.

“One group was from the West of Timor, the other from the East,” he said yesterday.

One civilian militant group which ran amok joined up with 600 former soldiers who were still angry because they were dismissed in March.

During the rioting, two people died--one Dili resident was burned to death and another was shot while defending his/her house.

This civilian militant group also beat up a person who was suspected of keeping weapons.

Fortunately, medical officers were able to rescue him.

Julita Abuk, 30, whose house was a target of the militants, had to evacuate to the airport.

“A few minutes ago, they burned down my house,” said this mother of four children.

“I was preparing breakfast, when suddenly several armed men with military uniforms arrived and set fire to the house.”

Because of the mass rioting, Dili residents were forced to evacuate.

The International Red Cross said 50,000 residents ran away and left their houses.

At least 27,000 people chose to go to Dili airport, which is the headquarters of peace-keeping soldiers from Australia.

Yesterday Australia sent hundreds more soldiers and fifty police officers.

The total of military personnel from Australia in Timor Leste now totals 2,250.

Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard has criticized the Timor Leste government for being incapable of managing its own country.

“That country has not been ruled well in the last five years,” he said in an interview with ABC television station.

“They need responsible leaders,” said Howard

AFP, AP, BBC, and SS Kurniawan