Teacher killed, another injured by separatists

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)