FOREIGN MINISTER REPORTS PROGRESS IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DILI 000236

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, USPACOM FOR JOC AND POLAD, JOINT STAFF FOR J5

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ASEC KPKO KDEM TT
SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER REPORTS PROGRESS IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH
DISSIDENT MILITARY AND THE INVESTIGATIONS INTO MAY 28

REF: Dili 233

DILI 00000236 001.2 OF 002



1. (SBU) Summary: In a May 13 meeting with the Diplomatic Corps,
Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta reported that significant
progress was made over the weekend to ease tensions with the
dissident military groups including the group led by Major
Reinado and the 591 Petitioners led by Lt. Salsinha. Reinado's
group met with the President and, while they did not agree to
surrender their arms, Reinado formally renounced the use of
violence and agreed to implement several confidence building
measures, including minimizing the visibility of weapons and
conducting all patrols jointly with the National Police (PNTL).
Separately, Salsinha's group agreed to take concrete steps to
cooperate with the government commission investigating their
complaints. Horta also reported that the government's
investigation into April 28 has concluded that there is no
evidence that more than 5 people were killed, but, to ensure
that the results are widely accepted, the government has
requested that an independent, international investigation be
conducted.

Maj. Reinado and the MPs
--------------

2. (SBU) Early on the morning of Saturday, May 13, Major Alfredo
Reinado and members of his group traveled to Dili accompanied by
Foreign Minister Jose Ramos-Horta to meet with the President and
to discuss their grievances and possible confidence measures
which could be implemented to deescalate tensions.


3. (SBU) According to Horta, the President asked Reinado and his
men to return to Dili and to surrender all weapons. Reinado
replied that he couldn't do that until the events of April 28
had been thoroughly investigated and the guilty parties
punished.


4. (SBU) The President then asked Reinado's group to undertake
several measures to ease tensions, minimize the possibility that
miscalculation or misunderstanding might result in violence, and
facilitate communication with the regular military. According
to Horta and confirmed in a telcon with Reinado, Reinado agreed
to all of the president's proposals, including:

-- pledging loyalty to the state and rejecting the use of
violence except for self-defense;
-- minimizing the visibility of weapons outside his headquarters;
-- conducting all movements jointly with the National Police
(PNTL);
-- accepting the presence of a military "liaison officer" at his
headquarters to facilitate communication and coordination with
regular armed forces (F-FDTL) units and General Taur Matan Ruak;
and
-- encouraging other armed elements, such as PNTL members who
fled to Aileu with their families and weapons, to remain calm
and peaceful.


5. (SBU) After the meeting, Horta met with General Taur Matan
Ruak (TMR) to confirm that he agreed with these measures and to
ask him to restate publicly that there would be no military
operations whatsoever against Reinado and his group. General
Ruak, said Horta, readily agreed. Separately, National Police
Chief Paulo Martins confirmed that his men have been instructed
to not attempt to arrest Reinado at this time.

Petitioners
--------------

6. (SBU) According to Minister Horta, Salsinha has again
formally rejected the use of violence and renewed his pledge to
cooperate fully with the commission led by Minister for State
Administration Ana Pessoa to evaluate the group's grievances. As
a show of good faith, Salsihna reportedly told Horta that he
would have 50 of his men present themselves in Maliana this week
to be interviewed by commission members. (Note: Please see Dili
233 for an update on Salsinha's recalcitrance in cooperating
with the Government-led commission.)

Investigation into May 28
--------------

DILI 00000236 002.2 OF 002



7. (SBU) The government has completed its investigation into the
events on May 28 and concluded that there is no evidence that
more than 5 deaths occurred as a result of military operations
in Tasitolu. Despite this, said Horta, many people refuse to
accept the results because the investigation was carried out by
the government.


8. (SBU) To remedy this, Horta said that he has requested the
Office of the UN Commission for Human Rights conduct a formal
investigation and issue a public report. The body agreed, said
Horta, but is not able to begin the investigation until early
August - too late to help ease the current tensions. Horta said
that the government is exploring other options to conclude the
investigation more quickly, including the possibility of
requesting assistance from the International Commission of
Jurists, Judge Philip Rapoza (an American judge from
Massachusetts who previously served as the President of the
Special Panels for Serious Criems),and elsewhere. UNOTIL is
also planning to carry out an investigation.


9. (SBU) Comment: Despite the recent progress in bringing the
dissident military groups back to the table, the situation is
far from resolved. Two armed groups and numerous individual
police are still AWOL in the mountains outside Dili, and
although dialogue has been restored, there does not appear to be
any progress in getting these groups to return to the capital.
Moreover, several sources have expressed concern over the
commission led by Minister Ana Pessoa as too little too late. In
addition, dissident groups state that the current government
(read: Alkatiri government) lacks the credibility needed to
resolve the crisis. So long as they hold this position, it is
unlikely that there will be meaningful negotiations before the
outcome of the FRETILIN Congress is known. End Comment.
STEIN