Former militia fighters protest killing in E. Timor border zone<\/p>\n
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara<\/p>\n
Former pro-Jakarta militia leaders condemned on Tuesday the
\nkilling of their ex-member, Vegas Bibilitu, by East Timor police
\non the border area between Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara (NTT)
\nand East Timor.<\/p>\n
Other former pro-integration East Timorese, currently living
\nin NTT as Indonesian citizens, also joined the protest against
\nVegas' death on Friday at Turiskain village, Raihat subdistrict,
\nBelu regency.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, hundreds of local residents marched to the border
\narea as the East Timorese authorities planned to hand over Vegas'
\nbody to them on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The pro-Indonesia protesters urged the government to take
\n"firm steps" against East Timor over the incident.<\/p>\n
"Pro-integration East Timorese feel shocked over the loss of
\none of the former pro-integration strugglers, who was shot dead,"
\nsaid Florencio Mario Viera, spokesman for the Association of Pro-
\nIndonesia East Timorese People (Untas).<\/p>\n
"As fellow East Timorese citizens, the shooting incident was
\nextremely savage because it took place within a neutral zone," he
\ntold The Jakarta Post in the border town of Atambua, East Nusa
\nTenggara.<\/p>\n
Vegas, a former militiamen from Turiskain village in Raihat
\nsubdistrict, Belu regency, was shot dead in an area close to the
\nBalibaca River, which falls within the Tactical Coordination
\nZone, Kupang Wirasakti military chief Col. Moeswarno Moesanif
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said on Monday that a preliminary investigation showed that
\nVegas was shot in the chest while trying to sneak into East Timor
\nacross the river, carrying arrows.<\/p>\n
Belu Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Agus Nugroho, quoting a
\nstatement by an East Timorese police officer, said the shooting
\nwas self-defense as Vegas had fired an arrow at another East
\nTimorese police officer on patrol.<\/p>\n
Moesanif accused Vegas of being involved in several cases of
\nsmuggling basic commodities into East Timor via the boarder area
\nin neighboring East Nusa Tenggara.<\/p>\n
Mario Viera further said his association had urged the
\ngovernment to remove its envoy from East Timor in a protest
\nagainst the killing of Vegas.<\/p>\n
The government should also stop exporting Indonesian products
\nto the neighboring country, he added.<\/p>\n
He also demanded that East Timor President Xanana Gusmao
\napologize soon to former pro-integration East Timorese, now
\njoining Indonesia, over the incident.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Belu authorities have increased security in the
\nEast Timor-NTT border area and temporarily closed Turiskain
\ntraditional market, some two kilometers from the scene, to
\nprevent possible revenge attacks by local residents.<\/p>\n
Lt. Col. Joko Setiyono, a security taskforce commander in the
\nborder area, said the market would be reopened soon after the
\nsituation normalized.<\/p>",
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