DILI UPDATE: FIGHTING IN DILI INCREASES, PRESIDENT ASSUMES

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 DILI 000263

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/25/2016
TAGS: ASEC PGOV MARR PHUM CASC TT
SUBJECT: DILI UPDATE: FIGHTING IN DILI INCREASES, PRESIDENT ASSUMES
CONTROL OF SECURITY FORCES

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CLASSIFIED BY: Grover Joseph Rees, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy
Dili, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)



CLASSIFIED BY: Sean Stein, TDY Poloff, Embassy Dili, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)


1. (U) Summary:
-- President Assumes Control of the Military (on Paper)
-- FDTL Soldiers Shoot Unarmed Police and UN Personnel
-- Violence in the Capital Worsens
-- Casualty Information
-- Military Reportedly Arming Civilians
-- Status of Amcits
-- Special Police Unit Requests Embassy Assistance
-- Internally Displaced Persons
-- The First Australian Military Forces Arrive
End summary.

President Assumes Control of the Security Forces
-------------- ---


2. (S) At approximately 4:00 pm the president announced that he
had assumed control of the security forces in accordance with
his constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and in
response to the "deteriorating national security situation".
Having assumed control of the military (FDTL),the President is
expected to order that FDTL return immediately to their bases.
However, Foreign Minister Jose Ramos-Horta told Ambassador Rees
that he is concerned about whether General Taur Matan Ruak will
go along with the President's assumption of control over the
security forces. Earlier today, before the President's
announcement, the General reportedly declined to meet with the
President because he "didn't want to get involved in politics"
and wanted to focus on "securing the city". Nevertheless,
Ramos-Horta said he believes General Matan Ruak is fundamentally
a good person --- unlike some of his subordinates --- and that
it is important to persuade him to work with rather than against
the President. Gusmao, Ramos-Horta, and possibly Catholic
Bishop Alberto Ricardo DaSilva will be making overtures to Matan
Ruak in the coming hours.


3. (SBU) One immediate effect of the President's declaration is
that the President and Foreign Minister Ramos-Horta, rather than
Prime Minister Alkatiri, will represent the Government of East
Timor in discussions with the Government of Australia (GOA)
about the terms of the impending military intervention.
According to a senior advisor to Ramos-Horta and to preliminary
reports from Australian sources in Dili, the GOA representatives
understand this new development and are happy with it.


4. (C) Both Foreign Minister Ramos-Horta and Special
Representative of the UN Secretary General (SRSG) Sukehiro
Hasegawa told Ambassador Rees today that they had spoken to
Prime Minister Alkatiri and that he does not oppose the
President's assumption of control over the security forces.
According to Ramos-Horta, Alkatiri said he had tried and failed
to control the deteriorating security situation and that now the
President could try.


5. (C) Both Ramos-Horta and President Gusmao's Chief of Staff,
Agio Pereira, told Ambassador that within the next day or two,
as soon as the Australian defense forces have secured the
capital, the President plans to dismiss the Alkatiri government
and appoint Foreign Minister Ramos-Horta as interim Prime
Minister until a new round of elections can be held.

FDTL Soldiers Shoot Unarmed Police and UN Personnel
-------------- --------------


6. (C) Several dozen police (PNTL) and a handful of UN police
officers (UNPOL) were trapped in the National Police
Headquarters today after the building was attacked by the
military (FDTL). Military sources claim that they attacked the

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building because snipers there had been shooting at a nearby
FDTL logistics base, a claim denied by an UNPOL who was on the
police compound. It is more likely that the attack on police
headquarters was in retaliation for incidents during the last 48
hours in which some PNTL members fought on the opposite side
from FDTL in various engagements, possibly including an incident
earlier today in which PNTL reportedly fired on FDTL in the
Comoro area. The UN negotiated with General Matan Ruak for safe
passage for the trapped PNTL officers. After receiving the
General's assurances that the PNTL officers could depart
provided they were unarmed, the UN dispatched additional UNPOL
to the building to disarm the PNTL and escort them out of the
building. As the group marched out of the building and down the
street, one police officer reportedly became frightened and
began to run when he saw the line of soldiers with weapons
drawn. As he did, the FDTL opened fire, killing at least three
and injuring many others, including two UNPOLs, one from
Portugal and one from the Philippines. Eyewitnesses report that
before the soldiers opened fire, the Chief UNPOL had repeatedly
told them that the PNTL were unarmed and that they were under UN
escort.


7. (C) Three of the injured police officers were taken to the
U.S. Embassy by an UNPOL. Embassy personnel provided first aid
outside of the embassy compound and sent the men to the UN
compound. The national hospital staff were reportedly refusing
to treat injured police officers because they feared fighting
will break out with the soldiers already being treated or with
their families. However, a hospital source later stated that
the hospital was taking all patients.

Violence in the Capital Worsens
--------------


8. (C) Battles between police and military were reported in many
parts of the city throughout the day and there were numerous
reports that mobs of easterners or westerners had formed to
intimidate and attack people from the opposite region. A number
of houses were burned, including that of the Deputy Police
Commissioner, who is credibly reported as having joined the
dissident forces. In another case a family of four reportedly
died after their home was set ablaze. There was considerably
more fighting today than in previous days. At least one Embassy
FSN had her home burned, reportedly because her family is from
the east.

Casualty Information
--------------


9. (U) According to currently available information, there are
three confirmed dead at the UN compound and three confirmed dead
at the national hospital. An unknown number of injured are
still being treated at the UN compound while the hospital
reports 29 wounded. In addition, seven dead are confirmed to
still be in Tibar as a result of yesterday's hostilities,
including at least two community members apparently caught in
the crossfire. Several bodies are in the ocean and community
members have attempted to retrieve them but have come under fire
when doing so and have abandoned the effort. We expect casualty
numbers from both today's and yesterday's fighting to increase
as more information becomes available.

Military Reportedly Arming Civilians
--------------


10. (C) There were numerous reports that some members of the
military may have given weapons to easterners who are known to
be sympathetic to their cause, including radical veteran leaders
"L7" and "L4" and some of their followers, in order to augment
FDTL forces. This mirrors credible allegations that the Minister
of the Interior may have also been arming civilians from the
western parts of the country. Late this afternoon the Embassy
received a report that the L7 followers gathering in the east
had dispersed after calls from General Ruak and the Prime
Minister requesting them to refrain from getting involved.
However, one Embassy employee reported that several men in her

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neighborhood who are from the eastern districts, including her
cousin, had been given automatic weapons by L4.

Status of Amcits
--------------


11. (SBU) There are currently estimated to be 102 American
citizens in country. A handful departed on today's Merpati
flight. Embassy helped escort five Amcits to the airport today.
Embassy has sent several warden messages via SMS and email
addresses to inform Amcits of areas experiencing violent
incidents. Mid-day on May 25, Embassy advised Amcits to stand
fast since clashes were becoming increasingly sporadic and
unpredictable. Embassy has also continued to telephone and
email Amcits to ask them about their security situation and
plans for the future.


12. (SBU) One Amcit in Aileu reported that at least eight Amcits
resided there. He stated that Aileu remained quite despite some
barricades being set up and some men in uniform passing through.
Another Amcit in the Villa Verde section of Dili reported that
one of his employees, a Korean national, was hit by a stray
bullet in the neck while outside his workplace. An Amcit nurse
working and residing in the Tibar area stated that she will
remain there for the time being. Embassy has recommended to one
Amcit residing in the exclave of Oecussi to stand fast there
since it is has so far remained calm and not experienced the
turmoil affecting Dili and its environs. One of the two
international schools in Dili officially closed today until
further notice and the remaining American staff member at the
school will depart tomorrow. Several Amcits have reservations
on outbound flights over the next few days. Embassy will
continue to monitor the status of Amcits.

Internally Displaced Persons
--------------


13. (U) The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in
Dili has increased significantly in recent days and a large
number of new IDPs were observed running into camps during the
hostilities within Dili today. Many camps are severely
overcrowded. NGOs working in the camps report that many IDPs are
so traumatized and terrified that they refuse to move to nearby
sites with more space and better facilities if they believe that
they offer less protection. Heavy rains overnight led to severe
flooding in some camps, and there were reports of individuals
trying to smuggle weapons and to raise ethnic tensions in at
least one IDP center. Fighting reportedly came very close to
one IDP center, whereupon a large number of the center's
population fled.

Australian Advance Forces Arrive
--------------


14. (U) The Australian Frigate Adelaide arrived in the late
afternoon in what Australian defense representatives in Dili
described as "a show of force". Many Timorese lined the beach to
watch the ship, and word of its arrival quickly spread through
Dili. In addition, a small Australian advance force ---
evidently smaller than the 150-member advance force that had
been anticipated --- have arrived and have begun efforts to
secure the airport. Discussions are underway between a senior
Australian defense official, accompanied by diplomats including
the Australian Ambassador to East Timor, and President Gusmao
and Foreign Minister Ramos Horta about the terms of the
Australian intervention.
REES