Former militia fighters protest killing in E. Timor border zone

Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara

Former pro-Jakarta militia leaders condemned on Tuesday the killing of their ex-member, Vegas Bibilitu, by East Timor police on the border area between Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and East Timor.

Other former pro-integration East Timorese, currently living in NTT as Indonesian citizens, also joined the protest against Vegas' death on Friday at Turiskain village, Raihat subdistrict, Belu regency.

Meanwhile, hundreds of local residents marched to the border area as the East Timorese authorities planned to hand over Vegas' body to them on Tuesday.

The pro-Indonesia protesters urged the government to take "firm steps" against East Timor over the incident.

"Pro-integration East Timorese feel shocked over the loss of one of the former pro-integration strugglers, who was shot dead," said Florencio Mario Viera, spokesman for the Association of Pro- Indonesia East Timorese People (Untas).

"As fellow East Timorese citizens, the shooting incident was extremely savage because it took place within a neutral zone," he told The Jakarta Post in the border town of Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara.

Vegas, a former militiamen from Turiskain village in Raihat subdistrict, Belu regency, was shot dead in an area close to the Balibaca River, which falls within the Tactical Coordination Zone, Kupang Wirasakti military chief Col. Moeswarno Moesanif said.

He said on Monday that a preliminary investigation showed that Vegas was shot in the chest while trying to sneak into East Timor across the river, carrying arrows.

Belu Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Agus Nugroho, quoting a statement by an East Timorese police officer, said the shooting was self-defense as Vegas had fired an arrow at another East Timorese police officer on patrol.

Moesanif accused Vegas of being involved in several cases of smuggling basic commodities into East Timor via the boarder area in neighboring East Nusa Tenggara.

Mario Viera further said his association had urged the government to remove its envoy from East Timor in a protest against the killing of Vegas.

The government should also stop exporting Indonesian products to the neighboring country, he added.

He also demanded that East Timor President Xanana Gusmao apologize soon to former pro-integration East Timorese, now joining Indonesia, over the incident.

Meanwhile, Belu authorities have increased security in the East Timor-NTT border area and temporarily closed Turiskain traditional market, some two kilometers from the scene, to prevent possible revenge attacks by local residents.

Lt. Col. Joko Setiyono, a security taskforce commander in the border area, said the market would be reopened soon after the situation normalized.