Marker airlifted from Dili amid protest<\/p>\n
DILI (JP): UN Special Envoy for East Timor Jamsheed Marker was
\nhurriedly airlifted by helicopter from this provincial capital on
\nSunday after hundreds of proindependence demonstrators stored the
\nairport demanding to speak with him.<\/p>\n
His dramatic evacuation to nearby Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara
\ncame at the end of a two-day visit to the province.<\/p>\n
About 500 people, mostly students, broke through two security
\ncordons at the airport as Marker waited to board a commercial
\nflight to Bali.<\/p>\n
They demanded Marker hold a dialog with them.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Marker had separately met with influential Dili
\nBishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo and Baucau Bishop Basiliodo
\nNascimento to receive latest reports on the situation in East
\nTimor.<\/p>\n
He also met representatives of the CNRT group.<\/p>\n
The protesters were supporters of the Falintil group. They
\ncried \"Viva Xanana Gusmao\" -- referring to jailed East Timorese
\nrebel leader Alexandre Jose \"Xanana\" Gusmao -- as Marker was in
\nthe meetings.<\/p>\n
Demonstrators in the thousands formed a convoy of motorbikes,
\ntrucks and buses, chanting denunciations of the government and
\nthe Armed Forces (ABRI).<\/p>\n
Marker's meeting with the bishops was held at his
\naccommodation at RT Pang, the residence of the East Timor
\nMilitary Chief, Col. Tono Suratman, in West Dili.<\/p>\n
Marker was accompanied during the visit by one of his staff,
\nFrancis Vandrel, Col. Tono, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff
\nmember, Dino Patti Djalal, and a representative from ABRI
\nheadquarters.<\/p>\n
Protesters had rallied at the residence of Bishop Belo in
\nLecidere in East Dili, intending to meet Marker.<\/p>\n
They continued to Komoro Airport after the plan failed.<\/p>\n
A cordon of mobile brigade police and troops halted them about
\n700 meters from the airport.<\/p>\n
\"Shoot me\" some of the protesters taunted the security
\npersonnel as others yelled \"Viva Xanana\" and \"Viva Timor Leste\"
\n(Long Live East Timor).<\/p>\n
Traffic came to a standstill.<\/p>\n
Protesters eventually forced their way through the security
\ncordon and rushed to the airport, smashing some of the building's
\nwindows.<\/p>\n
Marker -- who was driven to the airport on an alternative road
\n-- was finally airlifted to Kupang after his scheduled commercial
\nflight was unable to land due to the commotion.<\/p>\n
After Marker left, the protesters were persuaded to disperse.<\/p>\n
Col. Tono, who was at the airport to see the UN envoy off,
\ntried to calm the crowd. \"Marker has already met with various
\nsides in East Timor and their respective aspirations have been
\nheard\". The situation returned to normal by 3 p.m.<\/p>\n
Marker, who was greeted by some 1,000 proindependence
\nsupporters when he arrived here Saturday, met with military and
\ngovernment leaders in East Timor as well as representatives of
\nvarious factions.<\/p>\n
He arrived in the country last Tuesday for a nine-day visit
\nand spent the first three days meeting with top Indonesian
\ngenerals and Xanana, serving a 20-year prison sentence in a
\nJakarta jail. (imn\/aan\/33)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/marker-airlifted-from-dili-amid-protest-1447893297",
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