Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
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06DILI299 | 2006-06-07 15:11:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Dili |
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 DILI 000299 |
1. (U) Summary. - Demonstrators return to their districts; - UN envoy Ian Martin departs Dili; - International police force update; - Readout on Ramos-Horta's meetings with dissident leaders; - Australian and New Zealand Defense Ministers visit; - Parliament's continues to function with a bare quorum; - Lobato's new address; - Internally displaced persons; - Security. End Summary. Demonstrators return to their districts -------------------------- 2. (U) Following yesterday's demonstration, it was originally reported that the dozens of trucks carrying around 1500 anti-Alkatiri demonstrators from western districts would camp out in or near Tasitolu, a western suburbs of Dili. However, Embassy received information today that the convoy preceded out of town and returned directly to the demonstrators' home districts. Emboffs traveled to the western suburbs of Dili and found no sign that any of the demonstrators had stayed behind. 3. (C) The head of the Democratic Party (PD), Fernando "Lasama" de Araujo, who is currently residing in the western district of Suai (his house in Dili was burnt down a couple of weeks ago), held a press conference today in Dili. Lasama set forth demands almost identical to those delivered to the President yesterday by Major Tara and the demonstrators, including the dismissal of Prime Minister Alkatiri, dissolution of Parliament, and elections in the near future. See Ref A. In a conversation with Embassy staff after the press conference, Lasama stated that despite the identical platforms PD was not involved in organizing yesterday's demonstration. He explained that the PD coordinator from Maliana district was involved in the demonstration as a "people's representative," not as a party member. However, we have heard from several sources that PD is more directly involved in the anti-Alkatiri mobilization than Lasama admits. Lasama told Emboff he is working on gathering evidence to prove that the Prime Minister authorized the distribution of weapons to civilians. He stated that some of the recipients of these weapons have already spoken out and stated that the physical distribution of the weapons was orchestrated by Border Patrol Unit (BPU) Commander Antonio da Cruz. UN envoy Ian Martin departs Dili -------------------------- 4. (U) In a press conference after the meeting, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's special envoy Ian Martin promised that the "UN will not abandon East Timor" in the middle of this current crisis. He refrained from conveying his specific proposals for a follow-on UN mission, but did stated that the next mission will have to be more robust and include a significant policing contingent. Martin had made similar remarks at a briefing for the Dili diplomatic corps. He said a new UN mission would probably not include peacekeeping forces but that he thought there was substantial support not only for renewed UN police training but also for a UN-mandated police force with operational responsibility. Other areas in which he believed a mission might focus were the upcoming national elections and the judicial system. 5. (SBU) Martin also told the diplomats that there is a consensus within the Government of East Timor (GOET) --- including not only President Gusmao and Foreign/Defense Minister Ramos Horta, but also Prime Minister Alkatiri --- that there DILI 00000299 002.2 OF 004 should be an "independent international commission of investigation" into the violent acts committed during the last few weeks, particularly on April 28 and May 25. He said such a commission could find facts and provide its conclusions to the national legal system which could then take any appropriate legal action. A member of Mr. Martin's team reported to EmbOff that the proposed investigative commission would be similar to the recent UN Commission of Experts that assessed mechanisms for investigating the serious crimes committed in 1999. It would consist of 2 or 3 commissioners who would have a 90-day mandate to investigate, using additional staff and forensics experts, to produce a final, conclusive report on the events in question, with particular emphasis on the allegations of abuses by Timorese security forces. International police update -------------------------- 6. (SBU) Poloff, USDR and RSO today visited the Australian Federal Police (AFP) headquarters in Dili. The AFP conducted joint patrols today with the Australian Defense Force (ADF) soldiers to establish a presence in the capital. In the coming days, AFP officers will become the primary security force visible on the ground and ADF patrols will be scaled back. The visiting Australian Defense Minister reportedly indicated today that the AFP officers intend to remain in East Timor as long as necessary. 7. (C) When asked about their relationship with the Portuguese paramilitary police (GNR), the AFP officers stated that they had no interaction with their Portuguese counterparts and were leaving the liaison challenge to the ADF. 30 AFP investigators arrived yesterday and will begin their formal investigation into the May 25 incident in which FDTL soldiers fired on unarmed PNTL being escorted by UNPOLs, killing ten. Preliminary information on the incident has been gathered during the last week by AFP's intelligence officers, who will now hand their information over to the investigation team. The Australian Embassy reports that the AFP investigation team is waiting for a formal letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs authorizing the group to formally conduct the investigation. The JTF stated that this letter is expected by tomorrow. 8. (C) A Malaysian Defense Force (MDF) representative reported that a five-member advance team from the Malaysian Royal Police is now in Dili and will depart on June 9. A contingent of up to 250 Malaysian riot control police is due to arrive on or about June 16. The MDF representative stated that these police officers would be integrated into the JTF and would coordinate closely with their Australian counterparts. (Note: If 250 Malaysian police do arrive, they will represent the largest police contingent in country by far. Current numbers for other contingents are approximately 110 Australian Federal Police and 120 members of the Portuguese Republican National Guard.) Readout on Ramos-Horta's meetings with dissident leaders -------------------------- -------------------------- -------------------------- 9. (SBU) Foreign and Defense Minister Jose Ramos-Horta traveled to Ermera and Maubisse on June 5 and 6 respectively to meet with dissident military leaders. SRSG Hasegawa and other UN officials joined these trips as observers. On June 5 Ramos-Horta met with dissident FDTL majors Augusto Tara and Marcos Tilman, as well as former Falintil guerrilla "Dudu" in Gleno, Ermera district. According to a UN source who accompanied Ramos-Horta and SRSG Hasegawa to the meeting, Ramos-Horta's attempts to gain the dissidents' cooperation fell mostly on deaf ears. Ramos-Horta's goal was to convince them to suspend plans to mobilize people in the districts to stage anti-Alkatiri demonstrations and to re-engage them in the prospect of dialogue between dissident military, government representatives, the President, and Church representatives. 10. (C) According to the UN source, Major Tara did all the talking and expressed little faith in dialogue with anyone in DILI 00000299 003.2 OF 004 the government or present FDTL structure. He also stated that he would not suspend his plans to organize demonstrations in Dili. (The promised demonstration materialized on the following day. See Ref A.) However, the meeting appears to have strengthened lines of communication. Arrangements for the peaceful and orderly conduct of yesterday's demonstrations were reportedly worked out between Ramos-Horta and Tara while the demonstrators' convoy waited on the edge of town. 11. (C) Ramos-Horta then traveled to Maubisse on June 6 to meet with Major Alfredo Reinado, who leads the group of dissident military police who left their posts on May 3. Ramos-Horta appealed to Reinado to agree to a dialogue designed to de-escalate current tensions. According to UN observers, Reinado expressed his willingness to engage in dialogue involving Ramos-Horta, the Church, and President Gusmao, but stated that he would not talk with "those colonels" (presumably implying Colonels Lere and Falur). Our UN source noted that Ramos-Horta also had a lengthy one-on-one discussion with Reinado before the formal meeting, the contents of which he has not shared. Australian and New Zealand Defense Ministers visit -------------------------- -------------------------- 12. (U) The Defense Ministers of Australia and New Zealand visited Dili together today and met with President Gusmao, Prime Minister Alkatiri, Foreign/Defense Minister Ramos-Horta, and UN officials. The two defense ministers also visited their national contingents and held internal discussions concerning next steps for the JTF. During a brief press encounter the ministers stated that their national forces will remain in East Timor as long as they are needed to ensure stability and security. The two men asked the Timorese people to refrain from further violence during the difficult reconciliation and investigation process that lies ahead. Parliament's continues to function with the minimal number of MPs necessary. -------------------------- -------------------------- -------------------------- 13. (SBU) Plenary sessions of Parliament are not held on Wednesdays, but an EmbOff visit to Parliament did reveal that Committee A, whose jurisdiction includes constitutional issues, was doing a preliminary review of the draft electoral law that was sent to Parliament by the Council of Ministers just before violence broke out on April 28. EmbOff spoke with two opposition MPs who said that they did not feel there was any physical threat to themselves by Fretilin MPs or party militants. Meanwhile, other opposition members have reported receiving threats verbally and via SMS and do not yet feel it is safe for them to return to Parliament. Lobato's new address -------------------------- 14. (SBU) Malaysian Defense Force sources report that former Minister of Interior and newly-designated Vice President of Fretilin, Rogerio Lobato, is currently residing with the Prime Minister at his residence in the upscale Farol area of Dili. There had been reports prior to Lobato's resignation that he was under quasi-house arrest at Alkatiri's house because Alkatiri no longer trusted him. Internally Displaced Persons -------------------------- 15. (U) UNHCR officials continue to make preparations to open two new internally displaced persons (IDP) camps to receive IDPs from overcrowded existing camps. Local NGOs have begun working on a "socialization campaign" in the camps to respond to the concerns of IDPs who remain afraid to move from their current location. In particular, many IDPs have resisted moving from church-run sites to other sites because they believe attacks on churches and other church-run facilities to be less likely than attacks on other locations. UNHCR representatives have contacted DILI 00000299 004.2 OF 004 the JTF command to discuss establishing clearer communications between the two entities so that response time to any possible attacks on or threats against IDP camps (even though such threats have become less frequent in the past few days) is minimized. 16. (SBU) The Ministry of Labor and Solidarity, Arsenio Bano, and UN agencies briefed the diplomatic community and NGOs on the immediate humanitarian needs and the UN's "Flash Appeal" for donor assistance. Minister Bano did not seem to be aware of the flash appeal, which will ask for up to $14 million. Donors were particularly careful to emphasize that the relief effort would be led by GOET rather than by UN agencies. The Minister shared a document from the Crisis Cabinet, a GOET working group led by the Prime Minister, which outlined the most basic needs for caring for people in the IDP camps and preparing for IDPs to return to their homes. Security 17. (SBU) EmbOffs and international aid workers continue to have access to all areas of the capital necessary to carry out diplomatic work and to address the IDP crisis. The few checkpoints maintained by international forces do not hinder movement. A reduced number of arson attacks continue, but only in the most disfranchised and historically violent neighborhoods. Several grocery stores and restaurants have reopened and the streets are significantly livelier than during previous days. However, looting of unattended stores, offices, and homes continues to be a problem in various locations around the city. 18. (C) JTF forces report that no firearms were found in yesterday's search operation in the Comoro area, see Ref A, but that significant numbers of knives and machetes were seized. JTF forces are still searching for specific gang leaders who were not located in yesterday's raid. 19. (SBU) One American citizen returned from evacuation today, raising the number of AmCits to 57. REES |