EAST TIMOR SITREP FOR MAY 26, 2006

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 DILI 000268

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/MTS
NSC FOR HOLLY MORROW
USPACOM FOR JOC AND POLAD
JOINT STAFF FOR J5

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/28/2016
TAGS: ASEC PGOV MARR PHUM CASC TT
SUBJECT: EAST TIMOR SITREP FOR MAY 26, 2006

REF: Dili 263

DILI 00000268 001.2 OF 004


CLASSIFIED BY: Grover Joseph Rees, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy
Dili, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
NOTE: THIS CABLE DUPLICATES A CABLE THAT WAS SENT YESTERDAY, MAY
26, AND AGAIN THIS MORNING, MAY 27. IT IS BEING RE-SENT BECAUSE
THE ORIGINAL CABLE HAS NOT YET BEEN RECEIVED BY EMBASSY DILI.


1. (U) SUMMARY
-- AUSTRALIAN PATROLS COMMENCE, SOME VIOLENCE CONTINUES
-- GOVERNMENT DEFIES PRESIDENT
-- PRESIDENT INTENDS TO DISMISS THE GOVERNMENT
-- FOREIGN MINISTER: PRIME MINISTER SHOULD RESIGN
-- SECURITY ENVIRONMENT IMPROVES BUT REMAINS TENSE
-- NATIONAL HOSPITAL STRUGGLING TO CARE FOR WOUNDED
-- MINIMAL POLICE PRESENCE
-- UNOTIL MAY EVACUATE NON-ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES
-- INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPs) OVERWHELM CAMPS
-- AMERICAN CITIZEN UPDATE
End summary.

AUSTRALIAN PATROLS COMMENCE, SOME VIOLENCE CONTINUES
-------------- --------------

2. (SBU) The Australian Defense Force (ADF) has secured the
airport, national police (PNTL) headquarters, and UN
headquarters, and have commenced limited foot patrols in Dili.
More substantial patrols will commence tomorrow after ADF's
vehicles and armor arrive. The ADF intends to establish its
force in Tasitolu, the current headquarters of the Timorese
military (FDTL). Despite the patrols, some violent attacks ---
often perpetrated by FDTL members and/or by civilians wearing
FDTL uniforms and armed with FDTL weapons --- continue today in
Dili's outskirts.

GOVERNMENT DEFIES PRESIDENT, MAINTAINS CONTROL OF THE MILITARY,
AND MAY DISHONOR AGREEMENT WITH AUSTRALIA
-------------- --------------

3. (C) A meeting today at FDTL's Military Police headquarters
with Defense Minister Roque Rodrigues confirmed that the
government remains in control of the military, despite the
President's declaration that he had taken control of them. FDTL
and/or the Prime Minister may also intend to resist implementing
the agreement with the Government of Australia(GOA),which
according to GOA sources and to Foreign Minister Ramos-Horta
specifies that FDTL will withdraw from Dili. During the meeting
with Emboffs, Rodrigues emphasized that he appreciated the
Australians' assistance but that he did not think it was
necessary, because FDTL has already "secured" Dili. Even so, he
said, the military is coordinating its actions with the
Australian Defense Forces and had identified several areas where
the Australians should patrol, including the port and a power
station.


4. (C) FDTL will eventually relocate its Tasitolu headquarters
to Hera to make room for the Australians, he said, but "it won't
be tomorrow" because the FDTL still needs to concentrate on
maintaining security. FDTL also intends to relocate its other
Dili-based operations to Hera as well, including the MP and
logistics operations, but that it was impossible to do so in the
current environment because the Australians were not yet able to
guarantee the safety of the city or the security of the
retreating soldiers.


5. (C) During the meeting Rodrigues received a call from the
Prime Minister in which they briefly discussed the military
situation - making it perfectly clear that the Prime Minister
remains in charge of military operations. Later in the day the
Prime Minister issued a press release stating that he remains in
charge of the security forces and stating that FDTL would
continue to patrol the perimeter of Dili as well as key
Government officers, in "coordination" with the Australian
forces.


6. (U) Contrary to numerous credible eyewitness reports, the
Government's press release attributes yesterday's attack on
unarmed police and UN officials to a single soldier who "has now
been detained".

DILI 00000268 002.2 OF 004



PRESIDENT INTENDS TO DISMISS THE GOVERNMENT
--------------

7. (C) Several sources close to President Xanana Gusmao
indicated that the President still intends to exercise his
constitutional powers to dismiss the Prime Minister and possibly
to dissolve the Parliament. However, these sources told the
Ambassador today that the President will likely delay taking
these actions for two to three weeks. This course of action
appears to have been determined, in part at least, by the
President's desire to avoid taking actions that might cause
further confusion during the early days of the Australian
intervention. Despite the President's firm intention to dismiss
the Alkatiri Government --- with the apparent concurrence of
Foreign Minister Ramos-Horta, the country's two Catholic
Bishops, and the overwhelming majority of the Timorese people
--- the likely effect of a delay will be to give Alkatiri time
to consolidate his position and perhaps to erode the
constitutional justification for dismissal of the government,
which is that it must be "necessary to ensure the normal
functioning of the democratic institutions."

FOREIGN MINISTER: PRIME MINISTER SHOULD RESIGN
-------------- -

8. (U) Foreign Minister Horta gave a speech at UN Headquarters
(Obrigado barracks) this morning in which he essentially called
for Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri to resign. In Portugal, said
Horta, past governments have been dissolved for far less
significant problems. Someone in the Government, he said, must
take responsibility for the current crisis.


9. (C) Meanwhile, the Prime Minister stated that he has no
intention of resigning so long as he has the support of the
party and that doing so would only deepen the crisis. Senior
members of Fretilin close to the Prime Minister are reportedly
trying to arrange a meeting of Central Committee members to
discuss the current situation but have not been able to do so.

SECURITY ENVIRONMENT IMPROVES BUT REMAINS TENSE
-------------- --

10. (U) Attacks and violence in Dili continue, particularly in
the areas surrounding Becora and the southern outskirts of town.
Sources at UNOTIL headquarters report that they heard sporadic
gunfire throughout the day and there were clashes in the hills
to Dili's south and southeast. There was also an apparent attack
on UNOTIL headquarters by at least eight armed men in FDTL
uniforms, some of whom reportedly managed to enter a
UNOTIL-controlled area adjacent to the main UN compound in an
apparent search for PNTL who had taken refuge there. UN staff
heard gunfire at close range during this assault, but none saw
who fired the shots.


11. (U) The road between the Embassy and the airport is clear,
but gangs of youth armed with guns, machetes, and slingshots are
active in many neighborhoods and market areas. By nightfall,
these gangs controlled several large neighborhoods, including
some near the city center. Many communities have organized their
own self-defense forces to protect themselves from the gangs.


12. (SBU) Despite continued threats and intimidation by gangs
and by elements of FDTL, there appears to have been a reduction
in community violence compared to yesterday. This view was
confirmed by emergency room staff at the national hospital who
report that the number of patients they treated today was much
lower than yesterday and that in general the wounds were less
severe. They also said that some of today's most serious cases
were people injured in yesterday's violence but who were too
frightened to see medical treatment. There continue to be
reports of civilians caught in firefights over the last few
days. One of the priests running an IDP camp was shot in the
shoulder yesterday when he traveled to the hospital to deliver
last rites, but he is reported to be recovering.

NATIONAL HOSPITAL STRUGGLING TO CARE FOR WOUNDED

DILI 00000268 003.2 OF 004


-------------- ---

13. (U) The national hospital continues to struggle to treat the
wounded. The hospital is now treating patients from both the
police and military. Earlier in the day the hospital was very
tense after a military patrol entered the hospital. Some
members of the patrol reportedly told hospital staff that they
were looking for a particular severely wounded police officer,
and hospital staff expressed fear of a massacre of wounded
police. Many patients were terrified. Embassy staff witnessed
patients who physically trembled and sobbed at the sight of
military personnel, and several patients, including some who
were severely wounded, asked to be released because they
believed it was more dangerous in the hospital than out in
hiding, even with untreated wounds. However, as of late
afternoon the environment at the hospital appeared to have
improved. Military patrols were no longer present and the
co-location of injured military and police (PNTL) within the
hospital no longer appeared to be a source of concern.


14. (U) Bodies continue to pile up outside the hospital as the
morgue has extremely limited capacity. Several bodies,
including one of a uniformed soldier, are lying on the ground
outside because there is no more room inside.

MINIMAL POLICE PRESENCE
--------------

15. (C) The national police service (PNTL) has virtually ceased
to function as an organization, due in large part to yesterday's
systematic attacks by FDTL on PNTL facilities and personnel.
See Reftel. Approximately 50 police officers are currently
taking refuge in the UN compound because of the threat of
further attacks by the military. More police officers arrive
regularly; after the attack described in paragraph 10 the UN
evacuated at least 50 PNTL members to the airport where they can
be protected by Australian forces. Members of the elite police
Rapid Intervention Unit are afraid to depart their compound for
fear that they will be attacked by the military. Emboff
successfully located the supervisor of the PNTL armory, took him
to PNTL headquarters, and was able to confirm that the police
weapons stocks had not been looted.


16. (C) Emboffs today spoke with both Deputy Police Commissioner
Ismael Babo and the head of the Police Reserve Unit (URP),
Apolinario. Both have relocated to the Aileu PNTL headquarters,
not far from Major Reinado's original base, and are presumed to
have joined the dissident military group. A UN source indicated
that Babo and Apolinario may be sheltering Major Reinado at the
headquarters.

UNOTIL MAY EVACUATE NON-ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES
--------------

17. (SBU) UN staff were all consolidated at the UN compound last
night and were told to remain there through the day. UN sources
report that they are officially on evacuation status for
non-essentials, but are not currently evacuating anyone. Many
UN staff are still in shock over yesterday's attack on two
United Nations police advisors (UNPOLs),although both injured
UNPOLs are reported to be doing well.

INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPs) OVERWHELM CAMPS
-------------- --------------

18. (SBU) Due to the recent violence, the number of IDPs has
ballooned to around 50,000 within Dili. The Government is no
longer able to respond to their needs and the Red Cross is only
able to respond to injuries. International NGOs reported that
they must conduct a complete survey of current needs, but have
been severely constrained in their ability to do so by security
concerns and reduced staffing due to evacuation of non-essential
employees.


19. (U) Organizations operating IDP camps report that the
sanitation and food situation is becoming critical because of
over-crowding and the inability of aid organizations to
re-supply the camps due to security concerns. Hostile youth

DILI 00000268 004.2 OF 004


groups have reportedly moved into the neighborhoods surrounding
some of the camps. The United Nations and several Embassies were
giving temporary refuge to their Timorese employees, employee
family members, and some other Timorese.

AMERICAN CITIZEN UPDATE
--------------

20. (SBU) Emboffs continue to be in contact with as many Amcits
as possible. All Amcits with whom we spoke to today report that
they remain safe. About a dozen departed on today's commercial
flight to Bali, and two on an Australian C130 to Darwin. A
number are scheduled to fly out in the coming days. The current
headcount of Amcits remaining in East Timor is 83.
REES