Three killed in clashes at East Timorese refugee camp
Three killed in clashes at East Timorese refugee camp
JAKARTA (JP): Three people were shot dead and two others
sustained injuries in clashes at a camp housing East Timorese
refugees in Kupang, capital of East Nusa Tenggara, Antara
reported on Friday.
Police investigating the violence have ruled out food
shortages following the Indonesian government's termination of
its aid relief operation, or political motives as being
responsible for the fatal clashes at the Tuapukan refugee camp.
East Nusa Tenggara Police Chief Brig. Gen. Jusuf Sudradjat
said group rivalry was the more probable cause.
Police have deployed additional personnel to secure the area,
he said.
Two dead victims were identified as Melkianus Lilo, 24, a
local resident of the village and Antonio Soares, 60, a refugee
from Baucau regency of East Timor. The identity of the third
victim was not known. The wounded victims were both East
Timorese: Jose Gomez, 37, who served in the Indonesian Military,
and Guido Soares, 18, from Baucau regency.
WZ Johannes General Hospital said the victims were shot by
homemade as well as standard military rifles.
Refugees in Tuapukan said the clashes pitted two gambling
syndicates managed by former servicemen from Viqueque and Los
Palos regencies in East Timor against one another.
Following the clashes, Kupang Police Chief Lt.Col. Agus
Kusnadi led a team to raid the refugee camp, taking several
people for questioning and confiscating firearms from refugees.
The Tuapukan camp has seen its share of troubles in the past.
Many of the remaining 20,000 refugees served in the Indonesian
Military (TNI) units in Viqueque, Baucau, Los Palos, and Aileu
regencies of East Timor.
In Jakarta, Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono challenged
the United Nations to come up with proof to back up their claim
that TNI was responsible for many of the problems along the East
Timor border.
"We have made our demands clear to the chief of UN
Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) and the
commander of the UN peacekeeping forces to stop accusing the TNI
through the media. They have to give us proof of their
allegations," Juwono said.
"We can arrange cooperation between the troops to prevent
unnecessary conflicts along the border," he said.
Air Force Chief of Staff, Marshall Hanafie Asnan, meanwhile
warned the UNTAET against violating Indonesia's airspace.
"We will be stern. We will shoot down violators. We cannot
keep lodging protests because they (UNTAET) have shown unfriendly
responses," Hanafie said.
TNI has claimed that UN peacekeeping forces in East Timor have
committed 16 border violations and two violations of Indonesian
airspace.
The Air Force has intensified surveillance over the Attambua
and Kupang regencies.
"We will deploy more jet fighters at Kupang and improve our
ability to monitor violations of our air space," he said. (dja)