Punish Dili market arsonists: Governor<\/p>\n
DILI, East Timor (JP): The governor urged law enforcers
\nyesterday to take stiff action against the suspected separatist
\nrebels who allegedly torched the Old Mercado market on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Abilio Jose Osorio Soares said the culprits deserved hefty
\npunishment because their crime had stopped hundreds of innocent
\npeople making a living.<\/p>\n
\"Not only that, their act has also inflicted a great loss on
\nthe state,\" Abilio said.<\/p>\n
Police said five of the six alleged arsonists had been
\narrested.<\/p>\n
The arson at the market, built in 1910 by the Portuguese
\ncolonial administration, was the latest of Fretilin separatist
\nrebels' escalating attacks on military and civilian targets in
\nthe past two months.<\/p>\n
Fretilin rebels, who have waged low-level guerrilla warfare
\nsince East Timor became part of Indonesia in 1976, are suspected
\nof carrying out attacks that have killed more than 30 people in
\nthe past month.<\/p>\n
The flurry of attacks has drawn concern from foreign
\ngovernments and human rights campaigners.<\/p>\n
In Wellington, New Zealand's Foreign Minister Don McKinnon
\ncondemned yesterday reports of renewed violence in East Timor,
\nAFP reported.<\/p>\n
He said he was concerned by reports that about 30 civilians,
\npolice and soldiers had been killed in past weeks, apparently in
\nattacks by the independence movement Fretilin.<\/p>\n
\"The government condemns the use of violence for political
\nends. It is not acceptable anywhere, or by anyone,\" he said.<\/p>\n
McKinnon said New Zealand would continue to support United
\nNations efforts aimed at a just, comprehensive and
\ninternationally acceptable settlement of East Timor's
\nsovereignty.<\/p>\n
\"I have asked the New Zealand embassy in Jakarta to continue
\nto monitor developments in East Timor closely,\" McKinnon said.<\/p>\n
Saturday's fire destroyed about 500 kiosks, causing a loss of
\nabout Rp 5 billion (more than US$2 million).<\/p>\n
Local authorities relocated traders to Comoro market in the
\nwestern suburbs and Becora market on the eastern outskirts of the
\ncity.<\/p>\n
Abilio said it would be too expensive to rebuild the market,
\nand the most that the government could do was to restore it.<\/p>\n
He said the market arson was politically motivated and not a
\nform of protest over economic disparity between locals and
\nmigrants.<\/p>\n
\"I believe all the incidents will not deter investors to
\ninvest in East Timor,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He claimed self-exiled proindependence leader Jose Ramos Horta
\nwas behind the recent attacks and was trying to keep his idea of
\nan independent East Timor on the international agenda.<\/p>\n
East Timor police chief Jusuf Mucharam told The Jakarta Post
\nthat police had arrested five of the six people suspected of
\nsetting fire to the Old Mercado market.<\/p>\n
The suspects admitted to police they worked for Fretilin
\nleader David Alex, who coordinates activities in central East
\nTimor.<\/p>\n
All of the five arrested have admitted involvement in the
\nambush of a military truck in Quelicai, Baucau, on May 31.<\/p>\n
After burning the Old Mercado market, the rebels had planned
\nto attack more military targets in Dili, Jusuf said.<\/p>\n
\"I don't mean to say for sure that they are security
\ndisturbers but they admitted they were under the command of David
\nAlex,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Dili Mayor Mateus Maia said his administration
\nwould lose Rp 1.5 billion a year in taxes from the Old Mercado
\nmarket.<\/p>\n
He said local government had agreed to provide alternative
\nmarket places but had refused to compensate those who had lost
\ntheir livelihood.<\/p>\n
\"I propose that the customary laws be imposed on the suspects.
\nThey should be tied to a pole in public places and people
\naffected by their criminal acts give their opinion on what should
\nbe done to the culprits,\" he said. (33\/pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/punish-dili-market-arsonists-governor-1447893297",
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