EAST TIMOR WEEKEND UPDATE: JUNE 3-5, 2006,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 DILI 000293 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MTS NSC FOR HOLLY MORROW USPACOM FOR JOC AND POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/2/2016 TAGS: PGOV MOPS ASEC PHUM UN CASC KPKO AU PO TT SUBJECT: EAST TIMOR WEEKEND UPDATE: JUNE 3-5, 2006, DILI 00000293 001.2 OF 005 CLASSIFIED BY: Grover Joseph Rees, Ambassador, EXEC, State. REASON: 1.4 (a),(b),(d) ¶1. (U) Summary: Pro-Xanana security ministers are sworn in; Superior Council endorses President's security plan; Ramos-Horta begins Defense Minister duties; FRETILIN Central Committee endorses Alkatiri, promotes Lobato; Australia on post-UNOTIL planning; Anti-Alkatiri demonstration reportedly cancelled at President's request; Parliament reconvenes to address crisis measures; Portuguese paramilitary police unit arrives; Security conditions in the city; Judiciary attempts to regroup; SCU files recovered, damage assessment in progress; Internally displaced persons; American citizens and Embassy security. End summary. -------------- Pro-Xanana security ministers are sworn in -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On Saturday, June 3, Jose Ramos-Horta was finally sworn in as the new Minister of Defense (which he will hold together with his Foreign Affairs portfolio) and former Vice Minister Alcino Baris was sworn in as Minister of the Interior. Both are regarded as loyal to President Xanana Gusmao and likely to follow his instructions even in the event they receive conflicting instructions from Priime Minister Mari Alkatiri. The President presided at the swearing-in ceremony, which was attended by the Prime Minister, by President of the National Parliament Francisco "Lu'Olo" Guterres and by other Timorese and international dignitaries. Among those in attendance was the commander of the armed forces (FDTL),Brigadier General Taur Matan Ruak, a former Gusmao protege who had been estranged from the President. Gusmao and Matan Ruak met privately before the ceremony for what was described as a tearful reconciliation, and Matan Ruak exchanged a heartfelt embrace after the ceremony with his old friend and new boss Ramos-Horta. Superior Council endorses President's security plan -------------- ¶3. (U) Immediately after the swearing-in ceremony President Gusmao convened a meeting of the newly reconstituted Superior Council on Defense and Security. The Council, including the new ministers, the police (PNTL) and FDTL commanders, Alkatiri, and �00A;Lu'Olo, unanimously endorsed a plan the President presented for ending the security crisis. The plan reportedly contains no surprises. In particular, FDTL members are to remain in their barracks for the time being while PNTL activities in Dili will consist of office work and unarmed patrols in co-ordination with intenational forcs. Embassy Dili is expecting to receive a copy of the plan momentarily and will report further details in septel. Ramos-Horta begins Defense Minister duties -------------- ¶4. (U) On Sunday, June 4, the day after he was sworn in as Minister of Defense, Jose Ramos-Horta began work on this portfolio with a visit to the armed forces (FDTL) base in Baucau accompanied by the FDTL commander, General Taur Matan Ruak. While in Baucau he also welcomed the newly-arrived contingent of Portuguese GNR (National Republican Guard),see paragraph ##. Today Ramos-Horta held meetings with the representatives of the four international military/police forces operating in East Timor and then proceeded to Ermera district to meet with leaders of dissident military and ex-military forces. He reportedly wants to return to "day zero" and offer the dissidents the same dialogue option that was on the table prior to the outbreak of hostilities on May 23. According to Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (SRSG) Sukehiro Hasegawa, who DILI 00000293 002.2 OF 005 accompanied Ramos-Horta to Ermera, the new Defense Minister was warmly received by the dissidents as well as by the general population, and Lieutenant Gastao Salsinha, the leader of the 595 ex-FDTL "petitioners", seemed favorably disposed to Ramos-Horta's suggestion of an all-inclusive dialogue in Dili next week. ¶5. (SBU) In a meeting with US Defense Representatives last night, Ramos-Horta stated that the lines of authority for the military now clearly run from President Xanana Gusmao through him to General Matan Ruak. Commenting on his visit to Baucau, he noted that he is satisfied with the conduct of the FDTL troops he reviewed in Baucau. Regarding the international forces, Ramos-Horta expressed frustration with their inability thus far to stop the gang violence plaguing Dili. He is happy to have the Portuguese GNR on the ground and expects that their more forceful approach will be effective in controlling gang violence. FRETILIN Central Committee endorses Alkatiri, promotes Lobato -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) A meeting of the ruling FRETILIN party's central committee (CCF) was held on June 4 in order to set up the revised party structure mandated by amendments to the party constitution at the May 17-19 congress. Just-sacked Minister of the Interior Rogerio Lobato was elected unanimously as the party's new vice president. This appears to be compensation for his forced resignation and clearly indicates that he will continue to play an important role in national politics. Two Alkatiri loyalists, Jose Reis and Jose Manuel Guterres, were elected to fill two deputy secretary general positions. In addition, the CCF determined the membership of several other party bodies, including the political, financial oversight, and judicial committees. ¶7. (SBU) There was some speculation in the days before the CCF meeting that members of the party were trying to organize a CCF meeting to push for Alkatiri's resignation. The meeting's conduct and outcome instead clearly demonstrated Alkatiri's continued dominance of the CCF. During the meeting, CCF members made a formal statement for the record noting that there had been specious rumors that the party would pressure Alkatiri to resign but that the party's "position is clear" that changes can only be made "through the democratic process," presumably meaning that Alkatiri the committee wants Alkatiri to remain as Prime Minister at least through the 2007 election. Australia on post-UNOTIL planning -------------- ¶8. (C/NF) In a conversation with Poloff, an Australian Embassy source relayed that Foreign Minister Downer yesterday presented a confidential GOA working paper on post-UNOTIL planning to Alkatiri, Gusmao, and Ramos-Horta. A UN source has also discussed this GOA paper in confidence with members of the diplomatic corps including the U.S. Ambassador. The main components of the paper are: 1) That Australia continue to run the military intervention, in cooperation with other international forces, outside of the UN structure but possibly with a mandate such as the one under which Interfet operated. 2) That international forces should retain primary authority for policing in East Timor for some time to come --- either under the same non-UN umbrella as other security forces (in the Australian source's version of the paper) or as part of a post-UNOTIL UN mission (in the UNOTIL source's version of the paper). 3) That the UN mission should focus its activities on governance and reconciliation. We anticipate obtaining a copy of the paper soon and will then relay additional information on its contents. Anti-Alkatiri demonstrations reportedly cancelled on President's request -------------- -------------- DILI 00000293 003.2 OF 005 ¶9. (SBU) Rumors that a large anti-Alkatiri demonstration would today take place near the Palacio de Governo (main government offices) circulated throughout the weekend. Emboffs received reports that Lt. Salsinha and the "petitioners" group, along with other dissident military, were behind the plans. According to Salsinha, he cancelled the planned demonstration after receiving a call from President Gusmao requesting that he do so. Ramos-Horta reportedly made the same appeal to other dissident military leaders during his trip to Ermera district today. No demonstrators were seen at the Palacio throughout the day. However, SRSG Hasegawa conveyed reports that 120 people were seen en route from Maliana in four trucks, and Hasegawa said that Prime Minister Alkatiri told him that he anticipated an anti-Alkatiri demonstration consisting of "no more than 1000 people." (Comment: Hasegawa's and Alkatiri's information may or may not predate the President's request to cancel the proposed demonstration. In the opinion of Embassy Dili, it would be extremely difficult for anyone to persuade thousands of people to come to Dili under the current circumstances, no matter how popular the cause. End comment.) Parliament reconvenes to address crisis measures -------------- --- ¶10. (U) The National Parliament today reconvened to begin a two-day session to address the President's statement of crisis and to deliberate on whether to declare a formal state of emergency. There were doubts late last week that many MPs would show up this morning, but 55 of the 88 members reportedly attended. The members present unanimously endorsed the President's security plan that was endorsed by the Superior Council on Defense and Security during its meeting on Saturday, see paragraph 3. Most leading opposition figures stayed away from the session; several told Emboffs that they had received threats on their lives and did not believe security at the Parliament was adequate to guarantee their safety. Portuguese National Republican Guard arrives -------------- ¶11. (C) 120 members of Portugal's National Republican Guard (GNR),a paramilitary police unit, and 18 members of another special Portuguese police unit (the "Special Operations Group" or GOE) are now in Dili following their arrival in Baucau yesterday. The GNR expects a second plane carrying their equipment to arrive shortly. The GNR's arrival has been met with hope that they will be effective in curbing Dili's gang violence, but also with concern that their go-it-alone approach may create problems. The Portuguese Embassy is adamant that the GNR and Portuguese police will not fall under the authority of the Australian force commander and that they will work directly for both President Gusmao and Prime Minister Alkatiri. This, together with the pro-Alkatiri sympathies of most Portuguese diplomats and international advisors in Dili, has raised concerns that the GNR may be called upon by Alkatiri to undermine the President's recent assumed authority over secuirty and perhaps even to perform partisan head-cracking. In addition, there has been some concern on the part of Australian troops that lack of coordination could result in friendly fire incidents. However, Australian sources have also expressed optimism that the common sense of commanders on the ground will prevail. Security conditions in the city -------------- ¶12. (C) The Australian forces are conducting sweep operations in their zone of Dili on 5 and 6 June to reduce gang activity. Though the general level of violence has decreased, there are still a few house burnings and gunshots each day and night, especially in the Becora neighborhood, in several neighborhoods south of Comoro road, and near the Comoro River. Approximately once each two days the Joint Task Force (JTF) has found it DILI 00000293 004.2 OF 005 necessary to deploy to the Comoro market area in order to break up gang fighting. Judiciary attempts to regroup -------------- ¶13. (U) On Saturday, June 3, Court of Appeals Judge Claudio Ximenes presided at the swearing-in of 11 Timorese judges, 9 prosecutors, and 7 defense attorneys. These officers, most of whom served in the same capacities prior to November 2004 when they were removed from the bench and required to undergo a lengthy retraining process, will now serve as "probationary" judicial officers while undergoing further evaluation. During the eighteen months the Timorese judges have been absent from the bench, the caseload formerly handled by 20 Timorese judges has been assigned to a much smaller number (ranging at various times from 2 to 5) of international judges, all from Portugal and other Lusophone countries. Although Judge Ximenes (himself a Portuguese judge of Timorese extraction),Prime Minister Alkatiri, and some UN advisors have taken the position that the international judges have improved the quality and quantity of judicial decision making, the public perception is that the judicial system has slowed to a crawl and that most of the international judges have made no effort to understand the people whose cases they are deciding. The return of the Timorese judges and other judicial officers is therefore generally regarded as a positive step toward increasing public confidence in the legal system, and the swearing-in was reportedly advanced by several weeks in order to deliver some good news during this difficult period. Two judges (one Timorese and one international) have reported to Emboffs that there was extensive damage to judicial system files during the looting rampage in Dili last week. Moreover, without an operational police force and with the continued absence of many government employees, the work of the judiciary has come to a virtual standstill. However, in recent days members of the judiciary have attempted to revive its operation. In addition to Saturday's swearing-in ceremony, a meeting of the Supreme Council of Magistrates was held late last week to begin discussions on running the judiciary under current circumstances. SCU files recovered, damage assessment in progress -------------- ¶14. (SBU) The UN advisor for the Serious Crimes Unit (SCU) files reported to POLOFF that the UN has begun an assessment of the loss or damage to the original SCU files, which had been compromised when looters broke into the SCU storage facility last week. The assessment will consist of a page-by-page comparison with the secured copies under UN custody and will take several weeks to complete. The advisor reported that there was no access to or damage of the servers containing the electronic SCU files during the looting. The servers have now been moved to the UN compound for safekeeping until adequate security at the Prosecutor General's office has been restored. In a related development, Prosecutor General Longuinhos Monteiro reports that he has secured the return of some or all of the stolen SCU files. He was contacted by someone who claimed to know the looters and who said the looters had taken the files only after finding that the computers and other office equipment they had hoped to obtain had already been taken by others. Monteiro agreed to give the intermediary a refrigerator if he would return the missing files. He called Ambassador this morning to report that the trade had been completed. The returned files will be subjected to the page-by-page scrutiny of the UN experts to determine whether they are in fact SCU files and whether they are the only ones that were stolen. Internally displaced persons -------------- ¶15. (U) The situation in the Internally displaced persons (IDP) camps remains unchanged. Various estimates place the number of DILI 00000293 005.2 OF 005 IDPs in Dili as high as 65,000, with an estimated additional 35,000 Dili residents having fled to the countryside. USAID through partner organizations CARE and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is providing about $500,000 worth of relief supplies to the IDPs. An airlift of additional supplies from AID's office of disaster assistance (OFDA) will arrive early tomorrow morning, June 6. Embassy Dili and the USAID mission in East Timor have also requested a $1 million replensihment of Food For Peace (FFP) stocks to replenish local World Food Program supplies. Additional support is under consideration, both for emergency relief and for medium-to-long-term needs. American citizens and Embassy security -------------- ¶16. (SBU) The Embassy is in contact with the 57 private American citizens remaining in East Timor. The Embassy continues to operate with 12 American employees, 29 Marines, and six Mobile Security Division (MSD) members. The USAID compound is open for business during regular working hours. Absenteeism in the local guard force is not higher than five percent per shift. Several other local staff at the Embassy and USAID are not reporting for duty due to conditions in the city. REES