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