Four suspected rebels held for burning a Dili market

DILI, East Timor (JP): Four of six suspected separatist rebels have been arrested for allegedly setting fire to hundreds of kiosks at the Old Mercado Market here Saturday afternoon.

East Timor Police Chief Col. Jusuf Mucharam told The Jakarta Post yesterday a manhunt had been mounted on the other two escaped rebels. He called on the public to help the authorities track the two down.

The fire gutted 190 of 322 kiosks, according to Siti Rochani of the C.V. Maubura Indah developer. The Suara Pembaruan daily put the number of kiosks that were gutted at 500, causing a financial loss of about Rp 5 billion (US$2.027 million). No casualties were reported.

An eyewitness said police fired warning shots at the escaping rebels, causing panic among kiosk owners struggling to salvage their goods.

Jusuf said the four people captured had admitted to pouring gasoline on a semi-permanent kiosk at the eastern part of the market before setting it on fire. The blaze spread quickly and engulfed the market, making it difficult for the firefighters, who arrived an hour later, to contain it.

East Timor Governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares and Dili Mayor Mates Maia called on the police to investigate the incident and the suspected rebels' involvement.

The market, built in 1910, was left over from the Portuguese colonial era in the province. It had been burned four times, once during the Portuguese colony and three other times after East Timor integrated into Indonesia in 1976.

Police

In a related development Saturday, eight East Timor District Police Chiefs quit their positions and were simultaneously sent back to school.

"The eight police chiefs have performed very well. They have passed the entrance test at the National Police Leadership School and will immediately join the classes," Jusuf Mucharam was quoted by Antara as saying after leading the police chiefs' transfer-of- duty ceremony.

The police chiefs were Maj. Yohanes Wardoyo of Lautem, Maj. Taufik Nur Hidayat of Baucau, Maj. Setyohadi of Manatuto and Maj. Y. Gotti of Aileu.

Also sent to school were Maj. Endang E. Bagus of Ainaro, Maj. Wiguna of Ermera, Lt. Col. Wiliam Lameng of Manufahi and Maj. Ricardo Hutauruk.

Eight other middle-level police officers have been assigned to replace the outgoing district police chiefs. "The replacements are the best graduates of the National Police Leadership School," Jusuf said.

Lt. Col. Bambang Purnomosidi of the National Police Headquarters replaces Yohanes Wardoyo, Lt. Col. Setyanto of the North Sumatra Police replaces Taufik Nur Hidayat, Maj. Suro Jauhari of the Jakarta Police replaces Setyohadi and Lt. Col. Akhmad Hidayat Tampubolon replaces Y. Gotti.

Lt. Kartono V. of the National Police Headquarters replaces Endang E. Bagus, Lt. Col. Rudiard N.L. Tampubolon also of the National Police Headquarters replaces Wiguna, Lt. Col. Bambang Sunarno of the West Java Police replaces Wiliam Lameng and Lt. Col. Dewa Bagus Sukarya of the National Police Headquarters replaces Ricardo Hutauruk.

Also Saturday, Jusuf disclosed that 17 civilians, including children, have been allegedly shot to death by members of the East Timor separatist movement during the May-June period.

He said that 10 of the victims were residents of the Los Palos regency, two were from Baucau regency, another two from Liquisa and the remaining three were from the regencies of Viqueque, Ermera and Ainaro, respectively.

The police chief said security officers have so far caught 120 separatist members, who had conducted a series of armed ambushes and attacks in several East Timor regions. Included in the list were 26 separatist members who had attacked a company of the police's elite force, the Mobile Brigade, at Bairro Pite village, West Dili subdistrict, last Wednesday. (33/05/imn)