E. Timorese rebel leader buried without incident<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): David Alex, the separatist rebel who died in
\nhospital Wednesday after a shootout in Baucau, has been buried in
\nDili without incident, reports said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Local military chief Col. Slamat Sidabutar said that Alex was
\nburied at about 4 p.m. Thursday in a public cemetery in an
\neastern suburb of the capital Dili.<\/p>\n
The burial was led by Catholic priest Amandus Biri and
\nattended by Alex's relatives, Antara quoted Sidabutar as saying.<\/p>\n
Alex died of blood loss in Dili's Wira Husada Hospital at
\nabout 7 p.m. Wednesday after intensive care treatment, Sidabutar
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Alex was shot and critically wounded Wednesday morning in a
\nraid on his cave hideout near Baucau. Five other separatist
\nrebels in the hideout were captured alive.<\/p>\n
The military had identified Alex as the deputy commander of
\nthe Fretilin separatist movement's armed wing. He reportedly
\noperated in the rebels' Region II, covering Viqueque, Lautem and
\nManatuto.<\/p>\n
His group is believed responsible for the recent wave of
\nattacks on military and civilian targets in various regencies
\nEast Timor.<\/p>\n
Sidabutar said the authorities had confiscated the rebels'
\ndocuments and amulets.<\/p>\n
East Timor was integrated into Indonesia in 1976 but the
\nUnited Nations still recognizes Portugal as the territory's
\nlegitimate administrator.<\/p>\n
An estimated 200 poorly armed Fretilin separatists are waging
\na small rebellion.<\/p>\n
Still alive?<\/p>\n
AFP reported from Sydney yesterday that separatist sources in
\nAustralia believed that Alex was still alive despite reports that
\nhe had been killed.<\/p>\n
Quoting sources at Darwin's East Timor International Support
\nCentre, the news agency said that contrary to Indonesian claims,
\nAlex and three others were captured uninjured and taken in
\nmilitary vehicles to Baucau where they are likely to still be
\nalive.<\/p>\n
"We have good reason to believe that the Baucau commander of
\nthe East Timor armed resistance, David Alex, is still alive
\ncontrary to claims by the Indonesian Armed Forces that he was
\nkilled in battle," centre spokesman Donny Inbaraj said.<\/p>\n
Inbaraj said his group had spoken to witnesses who said that
\nAlex and three others -- Jose Antonio Belo, Manuel Loke Matan and
\none identified only as Gil -- had been intercepted by a patrol
\nWednesday morning while searching for medicine in Kaibada near
\nBaucau. Alex, who was sick, had needed the medicine. (pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/e-timorese-rebel-leader-buried-without-incident-1447893297",
"image": ""
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