Teacher killed, another injured by separatists

DILI, East Timor (JP): A school teacher was killed and another severely injured on Thursday afternoon when two separatist guerrillas allegedly attacked a primary school in Uathohako, Baucau, 160 kilometers east of here.

Jacinto da Piedade, 31, was fatally shot in the chest, while Julio Pereira, 34, was shot in the head in the school yard. The school is about four kilometers from a local military office.

"The two teachers were resting outside when two masked guerrillas suddenly opened fire on them," East Timor Regional Military Command spokesman Capt. Try Yoga said yesterday.

The two victims were immediately taken to Wira Husada Army Hospital in Dili by an Army helicopter, but Jacinto died before receiving medical treatment.

Try said the two guerrillas fled before military troops arrived on the scene.

"This killing is unacceptable by any means. They (the separatists) have acted like terrorists," the spokesman said.

Last month, in two separate incidents, guerrillas allegedly attacked and killed five soldiers and six civilians.

The first attack came when guerrillas shot at a truck carrying villagers working on road construction in Manatuto, 80 kilometers east of Dili.

The second incident occurred several hours later when guerrillas ambushed a military vehicle carrying soldiers and civilians. Five soldiers and one civilian were killed in the ambush.

"They no longer have any idealism left... they've all gone mad, killing randomly like that," East Timor Military Commander Salamat Sidabutar said.

East Timor was integrated as Indonesia's 27th province in 1976. The United Nations, however, still regards Portugal as the administrative power.

In a related development, AFP reported that the United Nations announced Wednesday that the All Inclusive Intra East Timorese Dialogs (AETD) would convene in Austria from Oct. 20 to Oct. 23.

The informal multiparty talks will involve pro-Indonesian groups and exiled anti-integration groups. They held their first meeting in March last year.

The announcement came as Indonesia and Portugal opened a second round of talks at an ambassadorial level Wednesday on the future of East Timor. The talks include special UN envoy for East Timor Jamsheed Marker.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and his Portuguese counterparts have held several negotiations under UN auspices since 1983. (33/prb)