[Kabar-indonesia] Gusmao Asks for Alkatiri's Resignation [+France to Back Australia]

[JoyoNews at aol.com]

also: No evidence against Alkatiri over weapons, prosecutor says;
JP in Dili: Cloud of uncertainty shrouds Timor Leste; France to 
back Australia on East Timor; and Update: Ex-minister under 
house arrest in ETimor

Australian Broadcasting Corporation
June 21, 2006

Gusmao Asks for Alkatiri's Resignation

By Anne Barker in Dili

East Timor's President Xanana Gusmao has formally written to the 
Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri asking him to resign.

It is understood the President's letter was delivered in person last 
night to the Prime Minister's parliamentary office. 

In it Mr Gusmao asked Dr Alkatiri to resign, and included with the 
letter a videotape of the ABC's Four Corners program this week. 

The program outlined allegations that Mr Alkatiri at least knew his 
then interior minister, Rogerio Lobato, had armed a civilian militia 
to eliminate his political rivals. 

Dr Alkatiri has repeatedly denied he was involved, but Mr Lobato is 
now effectively under house arrest. 

The ABC has been told the President's letter gave Mr Alkatiri a 
deadline of 5:00pm last night to resign, with the implication he 
could be sacked. 

But it is unclear whether Mr Gusmao has such a power.

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The Jakarta Post
Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Cloud of uncertainty shrouds Timor Leste 

Ati Nurbaiti, The Jakarta Post, Dili

Dili residents anxiously awaited meaningful signs of a truce from former 
guerrilla Vicente da Conceicao or "Railos", who met Foreign and Defense Minister 
Jose Ramos-Horta on Monday morning at his base in Leotela, one of the 
mountaintop hamlets in Liqui‡a district.

"Did Railos hand over his weapons?" 

"No, he just agreed to." 

"Oh." 

Outside Dili, where the perceived division is said to be absent, armed rebel 
leaders holed up in their home villages like Railos can claim support to oust 
Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri because of his "crimes" and hence unsuitability 
to lead the nation. 

Apart from being accused of arming civilians, Alkatiri is condemned among 
military and police deserters for his support for the military command's 
dismissal of almost 600 soldiers for indiscipline in March, and his order to deploy 
the military instead of police during rioting on April 28. 

Among leaders, Alkatiri stands virtually alone in the dock. 

"He only listened to Taur," said Maj. Augusto do "Tara" Araujo, referring to 
military commander Brig. Gen. Taur Matan Ruak. 

He was addressing reporters at his base Sunday in Ermera district west of 
Dili, along with armed military and police members who have left their stations. 

In deploying the military on April 28, leading to deaths estimated wildly 
from a handful to 60 to the "hundreds", "it was absolutely not an emergency" 
requiring the military, Tara said. 

A police member in his group, Agente Nixon JE Galucho, cited the police law 
stating the involvement of elite police units, together with the military 
police, if necessary, only when regular police cannot handle the situation. 

"The military is only used to face external enemies," Tara said. 

Few questions are directed at Supreme Commander and President Xanana Gusmao, 
who says the military police commander Maj. Alfredo Reinado "is not a rebel", 
or dismissed interior minister Rogerio Lobato whose post oversees the police. 

As identification of weapons in the hands of civilians included a few dozen 
HK-33 rifles, Galucho says the decision to distribute them was only the 
authority of Lobato, "and he answers to Alkatiri". 

Also absent in the blame game is Gastao Salsinha, a dismissed lieutenant who 
led protesters in the military and who faced charges of smuggling sandalwood. 

The small opposition parties share similar interests in bringing down 
Alkatiri with Railos, Tara and Reinado. They claim to be getting support from across 
Timor Leste's 13 districts which, latest figures show, are home to a 
population under 1 million. 

"Railos" hangs his Fretilin delegate ID around his neck, reminding people 
that he was the elected delegate of the Liqui‡a district to last month's Fretilin 
congress. 

Before attending the congress which ended on May 19, the former freedom 
fighter claims that on May 8 he received weapons from a border police chief, 
Antonio da Cruz, at the Lauhata heroes' cemetery in Liqui‡a. 

He said he received orders from Alkatiri through Lobato to kill leaders of 
the opposition and dissenters, including church leaders. 

"We are not betraying the Fretilin," he declared Monday, surrounded by mostly 
former Falintil guerrillas at his base in the coffee-growing hamlet. 

"This is instead our duty to the party," he added, given that Alkatiri's 
government has "violated the Constitution". "We do not want people to suffer and 
die again." 

Horta had addressed the villagers before meeting privately in a tent with 
Railos, saying he was "very sad" to see people being armed, while what the 
Timorese really needed were health and education facilities. 

Like the other rebel leaders whose men include active military and police 
members who fled their headquarters, Railos agreed to hand over weapons as soon 
as possible, in return for protection from the Australian troops, and the 
promise of investigation into the accusations against Alkatiri. 

But Railos also said in a written statement that he and his group are "ready 
to die" if "no action" is taken against Alkatiri, their source of 
disillusionment with the new government after centuries of Portuguese occupation, and 24 
years under Indonesian rule. 

Amid insecurity posed by the crisis, multinational military and police forces 
are the public's source of protection, though not without many complaints of 
perceived incompetence. 

Both the national military and police are being contained in their barracks 
and headquarters, following fatal armed battles among them and even within the 
forces. 

On Sunday the national police began burying their members killed on May 25 in 
a clash involving military personnel. 

Investigations are expected to answer painful questions of how the nascent 
security forces, which had gained their leaders' praise for signs of 
professionalism, were involved in a fatal shootout under the watch of the UN police. 

After the conclusion of investigations, leaders may be better equipped to 
face a legacy of issues at least within their military and police, while the 
government has requested a renewed United Nations mission to help resume the 
fledgling steps after independence. 

In the police, independence activists mix with former Indonesian police apart 
from the surfacing "east" and "west"issues. In the military, old grudges are 
also unresolved, including the required adaptation from seniority in the 
forests to obedience to younger officers of higher rank in the military and police, 
researchers on the country say. 

In the meantime, the town is still in a nervous state, while mourning 
families are without answers to why they are losing loved ones again in a nation 
finally ruled by their own people. 

---------------------------------------

ABC
June 21, 2006

No evidence against Alkatiri over weapons, prosecutor says

By Anne Barker in Dili

East Timor's top prosecutor says he has no evidence to link the Prime 
Minister Mari Alkatiri with an alleged hit squad armed with illegal weapons, which 
had been ordered to eliminate his rivals.

The weapons scandal has led to the arrest of his former interior minister, 
Rogerio Lobato, who is under house arrest over allegations he illegally armed a 
civilian militia group.

Opposition groups have alleged that Mr Alkatiri was also involved, a claim he 
has persistently denied.

East Timor's senior prosecutor, Longuinhos Monteiro, has told The World Today 
he has not seen any evidence yet to support the opposition claims and Dr 
Alkatiri is unlikely to be arrested. 

"I'm sure and clear from this particular case to date we have no evidence 
against the Prime Minister and we have no idea yet about his involvement in this 
particular case," he said.

It has been alleged that a letter from the East Timorese Police Commissioner 
Paulo Martins to Dr Alkatiri warning him that Mr Lobato was arming civilians 
implicates the Prime Minister in the scandal.

Mr Monteiro says that is open to interpretation.

"It is depending on how we approach our point of view on this particular 
case," he said

"Of course, as a politics point of view, of course people will interpret it 
in other ways, but in justice, it means that Paulo Martin has executed his task 
to inform what else that he know to his boss. 

"The Prime Minister have to know everything in this country. Now the issue 
that, what will be the next step the Prime Minister will be taking, that is not 
our problem." 

The militia's leader, Colonel Railos, has accused the Prime Minister of 
making the order to hand over the weapons. 

The prosecutor general's office has issued an arrest warrant for Mr Lobato, 
saying there is strong documentary evidence he supplied the weapons. 

Mr Monteiro does say that more charges will be laid against Colonel Railos 
and his militia group, for possessing illegal weapons.

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AAP
June 21, 2006

France to back Australia on East Timor

France will back Australia's push to get the United Nations to take control 
of international policing in East Timor.

The UN Security Council has given a two-month extension to its current 
political mission in East Timor but Australia wants it to stay longer and expand its 
mandate to bring policing under its control.

Australia wanted French support as it's one of the five permanent members of 
the security council.

"He was very positive towards putting forward for a renewed United Nations 
mission in East Timor," he said.

"I made it clear ... that from Australia's point of view we would like to see 
the UN take control of the international police presence there.

"We think the UN should be involved in reconciliation between the various 
factions in East Timor, in improving the quality of governance within East Timor."

The UN plans to have a position on how it will move forward on the Timor 
situation by early August.

In a resolution adopted unanimously on Tuesday, the 15-member council - which 
includes 10 non-permanent members - requested that by August 7 UN secretary 
general Kofi Annan provide a report on a "strengthened presence" for the UN in 
Timor.

Australia sent 1,300 troops into Timor last month to quell deadly violence in 
the capital Dili which followed weeks of fighting between soldiers and rebel 
forces.

It later began sending in police, who now number around 200, to help control 
gang violence on the streets.

Mr Downer said Australia wanted a total international contingent of about 500 
police in East Timor, who would eventually be under UN control.

New Zealand is expected to send reinforcements and Portugal has contributed 
120 officers.

Malaysia is also expected to send a couple of hundred officers.

Mr Downer said the UN mandate was necessary to give legal certainty to the 
officers.

"There are real legal questions about what international police can do on the 
ground," he said.

Australia had problems when it sent officers to Papua New Guinea as there 
were questions over their immunity from prosecution.

"If (police) came under a United Nations mandate, that would be - and the 
United Nations negotiated an appropriate framework for the East Timorese - I 
think that would (give) all of us a greater degree of clarity," Mr Downer said.

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AFP, June 21, 2006

Ex-minister under house arrest in ETimor

East Timor's former interior minister has been placed under house arrest as 
foreign peacekeepers guarded his home, while the top UN official here told 
protestors that a probe into May's unrest would be impartial.

The nation's independent prosecutor-general on Tuesday issued an arrest 
warrant for sacked Rogerio Lobato over allegations he distributed weapons as the 
country descended into chaos last month that led to 21 deaths.

"I understand he has been put under house arrest," said the UN special 
representative in East Timor Sukehiro Hasegawa.

Some of the more than 2,200 foreign troops sent here to restore calm last 
month blocked the roads around Lobato's house. Their spokesman however said they 
were there merely to protect the community.

"There is a great interest in this man from many quarters of the community. 
We are just here to give a sensible level of security to the community, given 
the incidents in the past 24 hours," Major James Baker said.

East Timor's prosecutor-general Longuinhos Monteiro said separately that the 
former interior minister was not yet technically under arrest.

"We have not decided yet and this is not our competence to decide who will 
execute the warrant," Monteiro said, noting that the regular police force has 
virtually disintegrated after last month's violence.

President Xanana Gusmao had been informed about the situation and would 
discuss it with defence and foreign minister Jose Ramos-Horta, he said.

He said Lobato was "in Dili and at his home. We did not receive any 
information that he will leave the country."

Monteiro also said there was no clear evidence linking Prime Minister Mari 
Alkatiri to the charges that Lobato had armed civilians to attack their 
political opponents.

A militia unit leader has claimed that Lobato gave him the weapons at the 
behest of Alkatiri. Alkatiri has repeatedly denied the claims.

"I am sure and I am clear that from this particular case and to date, we have 
no evidence against the prime minister. And we have no idea yet about his 
involvement in this particular case," Monteiro told reporters.

He said he was working closely with UN prosecutors to gather evidence against 
Lobato but there was "no intention to involve" Alkatiri at the moment.

Last month's violence came after Alkatiri in March sacked some 600 soldiers 
who had complained of discrimination, triggering infighting among the security 
forces that spiralled into gang warfare.

More than 133,000 people have since fled their homes in fear.

About 150 people meanwhile protested against Alkatiri Wednesday outside 
Gusmao's palace, where the president was meeting with the premier -- his political 
rival -- and other officials.

Alkatiri's political opponents have been calling on him to resign, accusing 
him of not having done enough to prevent last month's violence. 

The prime minister has refused to step down, arguing this would further stoke 
unrest ahead of elections due in May next year. His party currently holds an 
easy majority in parliament.

The protestors later held a demonstration outside the UN compound, where they 
were welcomed by Hasegawa.

"We will stay to help your country to get over this crisis," Hasegawa tolds 
the crowd using a megaphone.

"The United Nations and the international community will remain impartial, 
independent in carrying out the investigation and find out what really happened 
so that justice for all will prevail," he said.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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