Police provide last sanctuary for Timorese

DILI, East Timor (JP): Terrified residents and refugees in East Timor are now only under the protection of Indonesian police, as local and international red cross workers (ICRC) have been forced to vacate the province, along with most journalists and United Nations staff.

Other humanitarian agency workers were also evacuated after prointegration militia attacked ICRC headquarters.

At about 12:15 the residence of Dili Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo was set on fire and thousands of 2,000 refugees sheltering in the grounds fled. Some ran to Metiaut, about 500 meters from the Bishop's residence, and were chased.

Antara reported that about 30 people died on Monday at about 5 p.m. during an attack in the Metiaut area, East Dili.

The death toll could not be confirmed.

Staff at the Motael clinic, the Dili General Hospital and the army's Wira Husada hospital separately told The Jakarta Post late Monday that no corpses from the shootings had been received at the hospitals.

The Dili hospital was the only one of the three to admit a wounded person -- a girl about seven years old who sustained a gunshot to the head.

"The bullet hit the ground and ricocheted, hitting the girl," the hospital worker said, adding that the girl, who he could not name, was admitted at 2 p.m.

The Bishop was unharmed and was flown to Baucau, some 115 kilometers east of Dili. A priest at the Baucau Diocese told the Post that Belo had taken refuge for the day at the residence of Baucau Bishop Basilio dos Nascimento.

Antara quoted East Timor Police chief Col. Timbul Silaen as saying the prointegration militia were searching for proindependence political leaders who were hiding.

Police were quick to help evacuate refugees to police headquarters. There were no reports of arrests following the arson and shootings.

Most rights activists have also been forced into shelters and out of the province. Locals said the prointegration militia continued to roam unchecked, shooting and burning property until late Monday.

"There are few homes still standing," a resident said. After taking shelter at a seminary he had gone home only to find his house destroyed in a fire.

Some locals said they could identify security personnel among the militia. "There are no clashes here ... prointegration militias along with security personnel are terrorizing the people, looting their houses before burning them down," another refugee said.

At the police dormitory, a refugee said food supplies were scarce. "Children who are given only water are crying," he said. The International Red Cross Commission last provided food on Sunday.

An ICRC spokesperson said armed militias attacked its Dili headquarters at 11 a.m. There were over 2,000 refugees sheltering inside the compound.

"The ICRC remains extremely worried regarding the fate of the resident population," its statement said. "We don't know the whereabouts of the refugees now. Before the attack we asked police to guarantee security in the compound, but apparently they did not do it," spokesperson Sri Endah Wahyuni said.

She said the closest ICRC delegate was in Atambua on the border with East Nusa Tenggara. "One person is there with Indonesian Red Cross staff."

"With the ICRC continually receiving calls from throughout the territory, there seems to be no safe haven, either in the capital or outside Dili," ICRC's statement said.

From Canberra, Antara reported the Australian Defense Force sent on Monday morning a Hercules to Dili to evacuate 300 staff of United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) and Australian citizens to Darwin, Australia.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the evacuation was conducted at the request of UNAMET chief Ian Martin.

Reuters reported that Australia's Ambassador to Indonesia John McCarthy was shot at on Monday while traveling in a car in Dili. Quoting an "outraged" Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, the news agency said the envoy was not hurt.

A lack of security is feared for refugees heading for West Timor, where there is even less protection -- but a refugee holed up in one Dili shelter said the danger for Dili refugees, who are also found at the port, was the threat to their lives, given continued shooting near shelters.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Togar M. Sianipar said 25,000 refugees were sheltering at local police headquarters awaiting evacuation from the territory.

Togar said at least 75,000 people have fled Dili by land, sea and air since the result of the Aug. 30 ballot on self- determination was announced on Saturday.

From Maumere, East Nusa Tenggara, it was reported that almost 22,000 refugees arrived on Monday. Tents were erected near the military command. An official said settlement would be available for some 300 refugees.

Charges of the ballot being rigged have led to request for arms from the military by the South Sulawesi chapter of the prointegration Forum for Democracy, Peace and Justice.

Guilhermino Lopez, the Forum provincial chairman, told the Post in Ujungpandang the arms were needed for their militia to be sent soon to East Timor.

"We asked for arms... we don't want to die just like that.

"We must go because the government is hesitant to defend East Timor from Portuguese henchmen."

Wirabuana military commander, through his chief of staff Brig. Gen. M. Husni Thamrin, told the Post, "We understand their complaints but we cannot give them arms; but we definitely provide them moral support.." (33/das/anr/yac/edt/rms/27/ylt)