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)