Reporters help stage demonstrations: Military

Reporters help stage demonstrations: Military

JAKARTA (JP): Military authorities said Saturday that the recent spate of demonstrations in the East Timor capital of Dili was fanned by visiting foreign journalists.

"There were indications that some foreign journalists intentionally linked up with the demonstrators," said Wiradharma military command spokesman L. Simbolon. The command oversees security in the former Portuguese colony.

He told local reporters that some foreign journalists had helped stage the demonstration.

Dili was recently rocked by a series of demonstrations triggered by the murder of an East Timorese by a fellow trader of Bugis decent. Most of the protests took place at the East Timor University and at the Dili Cathedral. The protests coincided with the high-profile APEC meeting in Jakarta.

Simbolon said local security authorities observed that foreign journalists had gathered at the demonstrations sites hours before the protesters moved in. This, he said, indicated that the protests may have been prearranged.

He said two Japanese NHK journalists at the campus demonstration kept two posters outlining the students' opposition to integration with Indonesia instead of handing them over to the military.

"Before the demonstration at the Dili Cathedral, heavily laden journalists kept a lookout from early in the morning, suggesting that they had worked out some sort of scenario with the protesters," he said.

He said that two tripods and a bag full of anti-government posters found at the cathedral supported his accusation. Simbolon added that security authorities also saw two journalists escaping through the cathedral's backyard.

"Why would they run when there was nothing to fear?" he was quoted by Antara news agency as asking. He added that he was displeased with the journalists' actions.

"Was this how they repaid the (Indonesian) central government's favor of giving them the freedom to report from East Timor?" he asked.

He said that East Timor is still open to foreign journalists.

In a related development, immigration authorities in Dili have expelled an Australian tourist they say misused his visa for political purposes.

Local immigration office chief, J. Triswoyo, said Australian Andrew Ian McNaughtan was caught recording a demonstration with his video camera near a church.

He said McNaughtan was "actively involved" in the protest because the tourist was in the mob recording the activities. He declined to say which church the demonstration took place near. (pan)