13 fall victim in 'ninja' scare

13 fall victim in 'ninja' scare

DILI, East Timor: Local Police Chief Col. Andreas Sugianto said yesterday 13 people have fallen victim in the "ninja" scare that has gripped the town over the past week.

He declined to specify how many of the victims were killed or injured but he said that four of them were members of the Armed Forces (ABRI).

Dili has been gripped with fear at news that gangs of unidentified masked men have been roaming the town streets at night, terrorizing pro-independence activists, burning houses and vandalizing vehicles.

Military authorities have denied any connection with the so- called "ninjas", saying that the vandalism is part of rivalry between groups with opposing opinions on the integration of East Timor into Indonesia.

Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo said yesterday he has been overwhelmed by complaints from residents about increasing numbers of irregularities that they fear will lead to human right abuses in the former Portuguese territory. (yac)