Australia Unable to Handle Dili?
Wednesday, 07 June, 2006 | 13:15 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Dili: Australian army personnel seem to unable to stop the continuing violence in Dili and also incapable of taking any anticipatory steps in order to lessen the dispute.

Julio Tomas Pinto, a political expert from Da Paz University, Timor Leste, expressed the above opinion during a special interview with Tempo yesterday (6/6).

According to Tomas Pinto, this could happen if the Australian troops have failed to comprehend either the dispute or the nature of the local people.

Previously, in Indonesian times, there was both a pro-autonomy side and a pro-independence side.

It is currently difficult to identify which side is actually the enemy.

Australian troops were the first foreign troops arrived in Dili two weeks ago and now amount to the the largest among 3,000 foreign troops in Dili.

“That's why people are expecting Portugal special police troops to reduce tension since they are more able to understand the nature of local people,” Tomas Pinto told Tempo.

Australian Minister of Foreign Affair Alexander Downer said the situation in Timor Leste was not as easily as one imagined.

“It's extremely difficult to handle the situation, especially if there are no more police available,” he said in response to Channel 7 queries about accusations that Australian troops have deliberately allowed looting and burning in Timor Leste.

In Dili yesterday, Timor Leste's Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri gave an ultimatum to 594 deserters to lay their weapons down in less than 48 hours.

“They must give up all their weapons,” said Timor Leste's parliamentary spokeperson Fransisco Guterres.

Brigadier General Mick Slater, commander of Australian troops in Timor Leste, said 130 police who joined the rebel forces have already agreed to lay down their weapons.

The resistance of the discharged troops has dragged Timor Leste into a massive rioting for the past two months.

Conflict has spread into inter-tribes quarrels on the western and eastern sides of the country.

At least 21 people have been killed in acts of violence forcing more than 10,000 residents to leave the capital city of Dili.

Up until yesterday, looting and burning continued in the capital.

A group of people burnt seven empty houses at around midnight on Jalan Don Alexo Corte Real, right behind Timor Post office and Kampong Alor.

Australian troops who arrived not long after the burning were pinned down.

“They only watched, and didn't stop the groups' obvious brutal acts,” said one resident who did not wish to be named.

Looting has also taken place at the Department of Farming and Development office.

Many citizens invaded the warehouse and stole the contents that were mostly food.

The departmental staffs were unable to stop the criminal activities and there were no foreign troops to be seen.

A similar action took place at a United Nations’ delegation office in the Kaikoli area.

Hundreds of people looted essential household needs kept in the warehouse such as rice and noodles.

The stolen goods were supposed to be supplied to thousands of refugees.

Jems de Fortuna and Jose Sarito Amaral (Dili)