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| Southeast Asia |
| E.Timor Rebel Chief may surrender |
| 2006-06-01 |
| EAST Timor President Xanana Gusmao may convince rebel leader Alfredo Reinado to surrender his weapons, Reinado said today, as Australia's military chief prepares to meet the rebel leader. Reinado leads about 600 soldiers sacked from the country's defence force. They are now based in the mountains south of the capital Dili. Brigadier Mick Slater will attempt to meet Major Reinado today, but has said the rebel leader does not pose a security threat. Graphic: Behind the East Timor chaos » In pictures: Violence on the streets » Major Reinado is digging in at his headquarters and said earlier this week he would not disarm until Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri quit. The rebels claim Dr Alkatiri is a "criminal" who ordered troops to open fire on unarmed protesters a month ago, killing five people. But the rebel leader now said he would lay down his weapons if the president gave him strong reasons for doing so. "The weapons belong to the country and belong to the people, and doesn't belong to me, doesn't belong to the President," Major Reinado said on ABC radio. "But he as the president has the power to ask to me to do so, I will do it." Major Reinado repeated his call for Dr Alkatiri to step down. "I don't have any intention to overthrow him, but he has to step down for the things he has done for the nation," he said. "He has failed in his leadership and he has caused a lot of problems for the country. He has to step down to respond to that." Brigadier Slater said the situation on the ground was getting better day by day, a week after Australian forces arrived in East Timor. "We're slowly getting on top of it," he said. Australian troops were sent in last week to help arrest weeks of violence sparked by the sacking of 600 soldiers who alleged discrimination by their superiors. Brigadier Slater said the major factional leaders wanted peace. "They actually want peace and they have realised that they are not going to get peace through fighting," he said. "What they need is the opportunity to negotiate." |
| Posted by:Oztralian |