Death toll rises as militia seize Timor's capital
FROM PATRICIA NUNAN IN JAKARTA AND DAVID WATTS
ARMED pro-Indonesian militiamen were in control of the East Timorese capital of Dili last night after a weekend of terror in which a loyalist leader called for the "cleansing" of all those in favour of independence from Indonesia.
The weekend of brutality left at least 30 people dead, although the army maintained the total was 12. Witnesses said that militiamen were roaming the streets unchecked by security forces.
"The militiamen are controlling most of Dili," an aid worker told The Times by mobile telephone as a cordon surrounded the home of Manuel Carascalao, a pro-independence activist whose 18-year-old son and eight others died when his house was attacked and burnt on Saturday.
The majority of the 30 victims suffered gunshot wounds, according to the aid worker, indicating that the attackers had access to army weapons.
"The army moves in behind the militia, chats to them and shortly after that leaves them to do their business. The army is clearly in control of things," the aid worker said.
The violence began on Saturday after two militia groups, "Red and White Iron" and "Thorn" gathered in front of the Governor's residence to hold a rally to publicise their belief that the majority of East Timorese want the territory to remain part of Indonesia.
Eurico Guetteres, leader of the Thorn militia, told the crowd: "I command all pro-integrationist militia to conduct a cleansing of all those who betrayed integration. Capture and kill if you need."
After the rally the groups began attacking the homes of pro-independence leaders.
David Andrews, the Irish Foreign Minister, was in a meeting with the Indonesian military commander for East Timor, when Mr Carascalao arrived to tell the commander that 150 militia members were attacking his home, in which 150 refugees had taken shelter.
"It was an extraordinarily tense situation," Mr Andrews said. "Clearly the military were aware of everything going on and didn't do anything to intervene." Shootings continued in areas outside the capital yesterday and the militiamen set about terrorising the media and aid workers into leaving the island. A BBC correspondent was threatened.
Later this week Ali Alatas, the Indonesian Foreign Minister, will meet his Portuguese counterpart in New York to discuss the July ballot of the East Timorese people which is to ascertain whether they desire enhanced autonomy under Indonesian rule or full independence.