ABRI watching new resistance group

ABRI watching new resistance group

DILI, East Timor: East Timor Military chief Col. Tono Suratman
said the authorities would not ban the Conselho National de
Resistancia Timorese (CNRT), a new self-proclaimed resistance
group, if its motive was to unite the people in the province.

"But we will not allow its activities if they lead to
disintegration," Suratman told reporters on Thursday.

CNRT was proclaimed by Father Domingos Sousa on Sept. 9 with
the stated objective of bringing about a reconciliation among the
East Timorese people.

Suratman said the military would not tolerate any organization
that opposes the legitimate government, and warned CNRT to grasp
this point as it embarked on its reconciliation campaign.

The military chief also denied earlier reports suggesting that
Gada Paksi, a paramilitary group, had been dissolved.

Gada Paksi was founded by an organization which has been
putting up school dropouts, orphans and other underprivileged
people and providing them with vocational training and jobs, he
said.

The group now boasts more than 800 members throughout East
Timor. (33)