East Timor fires 27 soldiers

East Timor fires 27 soldiers

EAST TIMOR: East Timor's tiny military has discharged 27 soldiers
and will soon fire more than 60 others for being absent without
leave or skipping training, a spokesman said on Wednesday.

The country's 1,500-strong East Timor Defense Force is slowly
taking over responsibilities from UN peacekeepers in the newly
independent nation.

On Tuesday, 27 soldiers were fired for being absent without
leave for more than 15 days or for skipping training sessions,
said Col. Lere Anan Timur. He said another 63 will be dismissed
over the same charges in January.

"We don't want to keep undisciplined soldiers in our military
force," Maj. Jose Maubuti said at the dismissal ceremony. "It is
a strong warning for all our soldiers."

East Timor's army is being trained by international
instructors from Australia, Portugal, New Zealand, South Korea
and the United States. It has two active and two reserve infantry
battalions, as well as a naval unit consisting of two coastal
patrol vessels. -- AP