Councilor supports arming militia

Councilor supports arming militia

DILI, East Timor: A leading member of the East Timor
legislative council said he supported the military's decision to
arm the local militia, but warned against possible misuse of the
weapons.

Gabriel da Costa, the council's deputy chairman, said that if
the weapons were misused, Col. Tono Suratman, the chief of the
East Timor Military Command, should be held responsible, Antara
reported on Thursday.

The decision to arm the militia was taken to beef up security
in a number of villages against the possibility of rebel attacks,
the news agency said.

On a separate occasion, Col. Tono told Antara that a variety
of firearms had been distributed to the militia, known locally as
the Perlawanan Rakyat (People's Resistance). (01)