As I sit here, typing this post, I can hear the sound of gun and mortar fire. It’s been going on for four hours already. Senyor Raphael told us that it is coming from the military compound next to Tasi Tolu Peace Park, less than two kilometres from our home, and where most Sundays, we take a leisurely pasiar (stroll). It is the first time in my life that I have heard exchanges of actual gunfire, up until now, such sounds have been confined to news reports from far away places.
Go check out Sam and Daniel’s Dilli-Dallying.
What is happenning in ET is extraordinarily sad.
Ive just spoken with a Timorese friend hiding out just outside Dili. Basically, the situation is complete anarchy, and it ll deteriorated markedly once the FDTL were returned to their barracks. The gangs have worked out that Australian troops have strict orders to disarm only. There’s very little gunfire now, but he’s seen several episodes of Australian troops witnessing house fires being set, and doing nothing, as its outside their terms of engagement.
There’s essentially no policing at all.
The ADF is doing a good job – but that job is far too narrowly defined. They’re basically patrolling the main roads while houses are being burnt in the backstreets. The net effect is that law and order got worse (while internecine gun play has ceased). People are pretty frustrated with the decline in law and order since the intervention.
View on the ground is that the Portuguese Guard will do a better job of rounding up the gangs – unfortunately most of them are still travelling from Lisbon.
Here’s a very disturbing report Ive just received by email. Suggests the ADF isnt even disarming the newly formed ‘militias’ (could be soldiers in plain clothes. *If* this has substance, and its obviously unverified, then there’s something very wrong behind the scenes we’re unaware of, and this needs behaviour to be accoutned at by the highest levels of the Australin government.
“the city is on the verge of returning to it’s ruinous burned out state post 1999. this isn’t just random action, it’s largely orchestrated by the dismissed general Alfredo Reinado as an attempt to stretch the australian troops beyond capacity. the population are hysterical and traumatised beyond belief, the situation is worsening right now rather than stabilising.
[An Australian NGO worker] was witness to an event today which would be hard to believe if you weren’t there…a mob of fully armed men (guns and grenades, allied to Alfredo) firing on the church at belide where hundreds of
people were sheltering…the australian troops roll up in troop carriers, armed to the teeth, the militia point their weapons at the ground and melt in to the surrounding buildings, troops nod, wave and drive off, oblivious to remonstration, milita returns within a few minutes to its previous thuggery (this was if you care about this and want to do something, then ask somebody (radio station), prime ministers office
(http://www.pm.gov.au/email.cfm), minister of defence 02 6277 7800, ministerfordefence@defence.gov.au ) why are the australian troops not fulfilling their stated intention and disarming the militias?
Gee, this is nice of us – chaffeuring rebel leaders a lift into town for a meeting with Gusmao. http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/timor-president-calls-for-calm/2006/05/29/1148754908346.html
Clearly, rebels forces are attempting to make to extend the disorder as far as posssible to add further pressure on Alkatiri.
I DO hope we arent assisitng in that by going easy on the militia, as unverified reports suggest above. Because this would look very, very shabby in retrospect, and will certainly not impress the 100,000 Timorese sheltering around the city.
Meanwhile, at least one ALP MP is bucking the Howard-approved script. http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200605/s1649560.htm
Confused reports emerging that ET “Defence Minister Rogerio Lobato” has been sacked.
I say confused, as (the grossly incompetent) Roque Rodrigues is the holder of that office. Lobato is the Interior Minister, a major player and general troublemaker inside the Fretilin government, linked with Salsinha, and probably behind some of recent divisions in the police and army.
Id say they mean Lobato, and have got his job title wrong.
Elsewhere – it seems likely Gusmao lacks the reserve powers to sack Alkatiri.
Everyone:
The single word that comes immediately to my mind is “overcommitted”. Of course we should be there; no question in my mind ….. but hell, haven’t we squandered some opportunities to get our affairs in order before something thoroughly preventable like this happened!
Good point Graham. And if Alkatiri is pushed out against his will, we may see new disturbances outside Dili – where Fretilin has a very high level of support and things have hitherto been quiet. That might require 5000 troops or more.
Im no great fan of Alkatiri myself, but there’s a lot of unrealistic thinking going on in Australia about this. Check out this rank propaganda from our docile media http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200606/s1652435.htm
Im sorry? Reinado reckons Alkatiri’s a criminal? Maybe – but Reinado certainly is. Since when do we support armed uprising against popularly elected governments? Isnt anyone a little suspicious of a guy leading 30 armed men claiming to embody the will of the people? Fact is, if Howard didnt hate Alkatiri’s economic nationalism so much, the press would be castigating Reinado as a Harold Keke style ‘terrorist’. Pure hypocrisy.
Lets try to avoid the zero-credibility zone, OZ press.
Appreciate your regular updates L.E
Just a wee update: Reinado has just been arrested for possessing arms after the end of the amnesty period.
Here’s an interesting media twist, too: AP is reporting that ‘ADF troops’ arrested him and his gang. Which is rather interesting news, as people I know in Dili saw Reinado being arrested this morning by Portuguese police. Across the road from the Australian barracks. Where he lives. With his merry band of 20 rebels. And all their guns. Which they allegedly handed to the ADF on June 16.
Well, he may be a “good bloke” with his cricket and VB and all that, but I did warn you he’d become a liability, ADF. You never listen to me!
And here’s a cracker – bit of forward defence in case anyone recalls all the mateyness: “The treatment that Major Reinado and his group receives from the multinational force will be exactly the same as any other group in Dili with unauthorised weapons,” Major Gilmore said.
ehehehe. Nice one Gilly.