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| Down Under |
| 1,300 Australian troops headed for East Timor |
| 2006-05-24 |
| AUSTRALIANS fleeing Dili arrived in Darwin last night, fearful for East Timor's future. An armed uprising by 600 of the fledgling nation's former soldiers has seen gun battles erupt in the capital, Dili, with Australia and other nations preparing to send in personnel to quell the rebellion. "They (the East Timorese) are absolutely petrified, scared and apprehensive in the extreme that there's going to be some sort of civil war," Margaret Gray, of the Northern Territory, said on ABC radio after fleeing the country. The first of Australia's 1300 troops committed to restoring order in strife-torn East Timor will arrive today after Canberra received an urgent request for help. The official request, signed by East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao and Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, came after another day of sporadic violence and gun battles between rival military factions. Acting Prime Minister Peter Costello said last night an advance party of defence and foreign affairs officials will fly into Dili today. The request came after Mr Gusmao vowed to hunt down the leader of almost 600 rebel soldiers, the Australian-trained military police commander Alfredo Reinado. The Australian task force would "disarm renegade troops and police rebelling against the state", East Timor's Foreign Minister, Jose Ramos Horta, said. "We have officially asked for help from Australia, New Zealand, Portugal and Malaysia ... and so far Australia and New Zealand have promised to come immediately," Mr Horta said. He admitted the Government had a "tenuous" hold on power and that asking foreign forces to come would be seen as "an acknowledgment of our inability to lead our people in a wise and effective manner". He said he hoped the Australian troops would not have to engage with rebels, saying their arrival would have an "immediate calming effect". The Howard Government is also talking to the UN about further assistance for an Australian-led intervention almost seven years after Canberra spearheaded the 1999 Interfet mission following East Timor's vote for independence from Indonesia. The National Security Committee met in Canberra last night to finalise plans to send the "battalion-plus" task force, which will include special forces troops, engineers and logistics experts. Up to 50 Australian police are also on standby to assist. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australians could be in East Timor within 48 hours after discussions with the troops on what their "rules of engagement" would be. RAAF C130 Hercules transport aircraft and Blackhawk helicopters were readied for departure in Darwin last night and the navy's two amphibious ships, HMAS Manoora and HMAS Kanimbla, were heading north. "Our objective would be not only to secure the situation in East Timor but, in addition to that, to defend the personal safety of Australians," Mr Costello said earlier yesterday. Non-essential staff from the Australian Embassy in Dili are expected to be evacuated today, possibly by C130 aircraft. Gun battles on the outskirts of Dili between rival ethnic factions of the country's army have claimed two lives since the unrest flared on Monday . The Department of Foreign Affairs has upgraded its travel advice to East Timor, describing the situation as "extremely dangerous". Mr Downer last night cancelled a visit to Japan in the face of the worsening crisis. As fresh fighting erupted on Dili's outskirts, Mr Gusmao and Mr Alkatiri were yesterday embroiled in a "shouting match" over the decision to invite Australian assistance, a diplomatic source in Dili said. The request for help came after a series of lengthy phone calls between Mr Horta and Mr Downer yesterday. The latest violence erupted following protests by 595 ex-soldiers - a third of East Timor's army - over poor service conditions and ethnic discrimination by eastern-born commanders. President Gusmao said yesterday the army would hunt down disgruntled ex-soldiers in the hills surrounding the capital who launched attacks on government troops on Tuesday. He said Major Reinado was leading the uprising. "The people of East Timor did not accept Major Alfredo Reinado attacking of our soldiers," he said. "We will hunt him down to stop the violence." Major Reinado and his supporters took two trucks loaded with weapons and established a base at Aileu, south of Dili, earlier this month. Late last night shots were heard near the army headquarters in Dili. While fearing there was a strong potential for the violence to escalate, Mr Downer said East Timor was not in a state of civil war, but described the security situation as "dangerous". The best hope of resolving current tensions rested with an independent commission investigating the soldiers' grievances, he said. "The East Timor Government and the commander of the military made the decision to dismiss 595 members of the military and that was bound to cause some concern," Mr Downer said. At least five people were killed and dozens injured on April 27-28 when a protest rally in Dili in support of the rebels turned violent. Related links Nelson: East Timor rebels will be brought to heel Dili: City is peaceful one day, in chaos the next Acid test: Australia leads a multinational force Video: SBS journalist caught in the Dili crossfire |
| Posted by:Oztralian |