East Timor PM downplays violence threat from report
Source: Reuters
By Rob Taylor CANBERRA, Oct 12 (Reuters) - East Timor Prime Minister Jose Ramos-Horta on Thursday played down the chance of violence next week with the expected release of a U.N. report into ethnic clashes, but urged foreign forces to stay until 2007 elections. The report, which Ramos-Horta expects on Monday, could recommend prosecutions for those responsible for the April-May violence in Dili. More than 30 people were killed and more than 150,000 displaced from their homes. "I'm confident that we will react to it with serenity, because the vast majority of the people do not want violence," Ramos-Horta told reporters following talks in Canberra with his Australian counterpart John Howard. "The political leaders (in) the last few weeks have shown responsibility and maturity, so I am more confident than some observers," he said. Security analysts expect the report, prepared by the U.N.-appointed Independent Special Commission of Inquiry, to name as many as 100 police and senior officials, although dumped Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri was expected to be cleared. "Everyone is waiting to see who is going to be held responsible," the International Crisis Group's (ICG) Sidney Jones told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio. East Timor's majority Fretilin Party called for the immediate release of the report on Thursday and warned delays were fuelling rumours of unrest and violence. "The delays in releasing the final report only endanger the most vulnerable in East Timor," spokesman Sahe da Silva said in a statement released in Australia. Ramos-Horta said the government would not interfere if the report called for prosecutions because "the country demands to know the truth". "But primarily for us it is an important report so that we do some soul-searching, look at the weaknesses of the institutions, the responsibility of individuals, so that we learn and this type of situation does not happen again," he said. Australia in May led a force of 3,200 foreign peacekeepers, to end the fighting, which pitted ethnic gangs and East Timor's fledgling police and military against one another. Ramos-Horta said the security situation had calmed, while political tensions were significantly lower in recent weeks. But Howard said around 950 Australian peacekeepers would remain in the country at least until elections due in May 2007 at Ramos-Horta's request. The Brussels-based ICG has called for Alkatiri and popular President Xanana Gusmao not to run again to help lower tensions, but Ramos-Horta said no East Timorese wanted Gusmao to quit politics.
| AlertNet news is provided by |  |
