Peaceful demo staged in Dili

DILI, East Timor (JP): At least 30,000 people demonstrated here on Sunday, demanding that Governor Jose Abilio Soares step down following his statement that civil servants who did not support the government's proposal on autonomy for the province should resign or be fired.

Security forces stood guard but did not intervene in the rally that went around the town. It proceeded peacefully but migrants, fearing for their safety stayed home. The protesters failed to occupy the governor's office but pledged to continue their demonstrations on Monday.

Last Monday the governor, while addressing his staff on a recent reconciliation agreement between diverse East Timor groups and individuals, said civilians who did not support the government's proposal could also "take leave without pay," if they rejected resigning or being dismissed.

Many of the protesters came from two groups supporting a referendum on self-determination for the former Portuguese colony, CNRT and the Graduates' Pro-Referendum and Development of Timor Leste (Forsarepetil) Forum, whose members were mainly civil servants.

Representatives of the two groups said Abilio's statement "violated the spirit of the Dare agreement." They were referring to the Dare 11-point communique, issued in Dare, West Dili after a meeting on Sept. 12 and Sept. 13.

It concluded that participants acknowledged there were two views regarding East Timor -- those who favored autonomy and those who favored a referendum on self-determination.

Others stayed home and refused to go to work.

Many participants carried posters hailing CNRT president Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao, the resistance leader in Jakarta's Cipinang Jail.

The convoy started from the CNRT office in West Dili and went toward East Timor University where the crowd swelled. It headed for Dili Cathedral and continued to the governor's office, where they were joined by hundreds of others at noon. (33/anr)