Military beefs up street patrol in E. Timor capital
Military beefs up street patrol in E. Timor capital
DILI, East Timor (JP): The military has strengthened its
presence in the streets of Dili in order to end once and for all
the terror practiced by an unknown gang.
Residents reported that patrolling troops had been seen on
many street corners of the East Timor capital on Tuesday night
and yesterday.
The additional troops deployed on the streets appeared to have
been effective, they said.
There were no reports of attacks by the gang of hooded men,
dubbed the ninjas, who have been beating people and vandalizing
homes over the past two weeks.
Some residents said that, in view of the uncertainty about the
identity of the attackers, they were not feeling comfortable even
with the strong presence of the military.
The additional security provided by the military comes after
the local Roman Catholic Church reportedly appealed to the
security authorities to step in and end the clashes between the
ninja gang and neighborhood vigilante groups that have been
formed by residents to counter the attacks.
There was no formal announcement about the extra military
patrols but an officer on the street confirmed that they had been
ordered to take control of Dili and bring the chaos to an end.
The arrival of the troops virtually cleared the streets in one
sweep. Public buses ceased operation by five o'clock on Tuesday
afternoon, forcing many people to walk home from their work
places.
The military has also established check points along the main
roads leading to villages like Fatu Meta, Vila Verde, Santa Cruz,
Bidau Mausau, Taebasi and Becora. They have been stopping people
and checking their identity cards.
"I was allowed to proceed after they checked my ID card. They
told me to go home and not to venture onto the streets after
dark," said Josef Mitan, a 27-year old Dili resident.
Police meanwhile have announced that they have captured 12 men
who were believed to have taken part in spreading the ninja
terror, Kompas daily reported yesterday.
Charge
East Timor Police Chief Col. Andreas Sugianto said the 12 men
would be charged with assault and vandalism. "We arrested them
while they were attacking people," he said without giving further
details.
The 12 arrested men had East Timorese names. They were
identified as Carleto Breok, Octavianus, Antonio Caemaluk,
Matheus, Claudio, Filipe, Ximplesio da Casembo, Apollo Mario
Alves, Alves, Joau Babtista, Manuel and Francisco Marthins.
Carleto Breok and Octavianus were identified as the group's
leaders. The two men are believed to have severed the ear of a
Dili resident during one of their attacks, according to results
of the preliminary investigations.
They captured men have also confessed to having started the
rumors that the gang of ninjas were paid by the military to stir
trouble and therefore discredit the authorities, Sugianto said.
Sugianto had earlier said that some 13 people, including four
soldiers, had fallen victim to the attacks by the gang members.
East Timor Military Chief Col. Kiki Syahnakri said on Tuesday
that the ninja scare had been created by people who opposed East
Timor's integration into Indonesia.
These perpetrators intended to create unrest, hoping to give
the world the impression that East Timor was unstable and not
safe, Col. Kiki said.
He said they timed their move to be ahead of the annual
meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva,
scheduled to begin on Feb. 25, to gain maximum publicity from the
foreign press. (yac/emb)