Gusmao thanks Brunei soldiers

Mon, 29 May 2000 | Source: AP

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (AP): East Timor freedom fighter Xanana Gusmao thanked on Sunday a Gurkha battalion in Brunei who helped patrol the war-torn territory as part of the UN peacekeeping force.

Gusmao, who arrived in Brunei on Sunday, thanked the battalion of the Royal Rifles for their help during a critical period for East Timor.

Pro-Indonesian militias went on a looting and killing rampage in East Timor after the vast majority of East Timorese voted for independence from Indonesia in a UN-organized referendum last year. The violence stopped after an Australian-led force moved in.

Gusmao will meet the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Monday to exchange views on regional and international matters and then visit University Brunei Darussalam before departing on Wednesday.

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