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RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI 1870

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DILI 000247 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MTS; USPACOM FOR JOC AND POLAD; JOINT STAFF FOR J5 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  5/23/2016 
TAGS: ASEC PGOV MARR PHUM TT
SUBJECT: EAST TIMOR SITREP #1 FOR MAY 23, 2006 
 
 
DILI 00000247  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Sean Stein, Charge de Affairs, Embassy Dili, 
State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: 
GOET PROPOSAL FOR TALKS FALTERS AS REINADO AND FDTL CLASH 
COMMENTS FROM THE FOREIGN MINISTER 
REQUESTS FROM THE GOET 
POLICE ISSUES 
IDP CAMPS 
SITUATION IN DILI 
End Summary. 
 
GOET PROPOSAL FOR TALKS FALTERS AS REINADO AND FDTL CLASH 
 
¶2. (C) Charge Stein and USDR traveled to Gleno at the request of 
Foreign Minister Horta this morning to meet with representatives 
of the dissident military groups and to persuade them to join a 
proposed dialogue to be lead by President Gusmao and including 
representatives from the Military, Parliament, Catholic church, 
and Police. Once the agreement of the groups was secured, the 
Foreign Minister traveled from Dili and joined the discussions. 
While still meeting with the groups, Ramos Horta received a call 
around 11:30am from Prime Minister Alkatiri notifying him that 
fighting between Maj. Reinado, who had not attended the meeting, 
and a band of AWOL military police and petitioners and the FDTL 
had broken out in the mountain town of Fatu Ahi, several 
kilometers to the south of Dili. The PM reportedly told Horta 
that FDTL had taken control of the situation and was going to 
"see it through to the end". 
 
¶3. (U) According to various reports, the conflict began after 
Reinado came down from his base in Aileu, accompanied by a group 
of petitioners, to convey his demands to an Australian 
journalist.  Reinado was reportedly infuriated that the national 
television channel did not broadcast his message in full last 
night and hoped that the Australian journalist would spread his 
much stronger, inflammatory message. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The first shots were fired at approximately 11:30 am. 
It is not clear which side initiated contact. Shortly after 
hostilities commenced, FDTL deployed troops from Dili and 
Metinaro to the area.  FDTL sources have confirmed that the FDTL 
has initiated a general mobilization of troops from Baucau, 
Metinaro, and Hera. 
 
¶5. (U) At present, a group of soldiers from Tasi Tolu has set up 
a check point near the western edge of the capital city.  Other 
FDTL posts are reportedly being established throughout Dili. 
Currently, the clashes between the two sides do not appear to be 
moving closer to the capital. 
 
¶6. (C) The number of casualties from the clash remains unclear, 
but Government and military sources have confirmed that there 
are at least 7 FDTL injured.  USDR received a brief call from 
Reinado at 3:30pm indicating that he was still alive.  In a 
phone conversation with Embassy staff at approximately 4:00pm, 
Lt. Salsinha reported that two injured members of Reinado's 
group had returned to Aileu.  There are no other reports of 
injuries to members of Reinado's group. 
 
COMMENTS FROM THE FOREIGN MINISTER 
 
¶7. (U) In a briefing for the diplomatic corps, FM Horta stated 
that the government remained committed to carrying out the 
proposed dialogue with all groups with the exception of the one 
led by Maj Reinado. 
 
REQUESTS FROM THE GOET 
 
¶8. (C) After the briefing for the diplomatic corps, Horta asked 
to meet privately with the Charge. In that meeting, Horta 
conveyed his appreciation for assistance in helping to negotiate 
with the dissident groups and requested that the Charge maintain 
contact with Majors Tilman and Tara to encourage them to remain 
 
DILI 00000247  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
calm and to refrain from taking any actions which might be 
considered hostile. Horta also reported that he and Prime 
Minister Alkatiri had met immediately prior to the briefing and 
had decided to request immediate "robust" multilateral or 
bilateral police assistance.  He said that he had spoken to the 
Portuguese foreign minister and had been told that the 
Portuguese president was reconsidering the decision to deploy 
GNR (the Portuguese National Guard) and that he was hopeful that 
Australia would immediately dispatch police.  Timor did not 
intend to request military assistance at this time.  Horta also 
said that the Security Council was not scheduled to consider the 
situation in Timor until June 5 and that Timor was considering 
the possibility of asking the Council to move this date forward. 
 
 
POLICE ISSUES 
 
¶9. (C) On the road from Gleno, Charge and USDR witnessed a group 
of 11 police who reported that they were heading to Ermera to 
join Maj. Tilman.  In addition, EmbOffs sited several of Maj. 
Tilman's followers establishing lookout posts to the west of 
Dili. Australian reporting indicates that there has been a 
standoff between a group of police and military near Tasitolu. 
 
IDP CAMPS 
 
¶10. (U) NGO's working in the IDP camps report that numbers in 
the camps began to sharply increase again today.  So far, new 
arrivals are reporting that they are there to escape the 
outbreak of communal violence in the Becora and Taibesse 
neighborhoods (see yesterday's East Timor Sitrep).  Meanwhile, a 
second day of rain has begun to make life difficult in Dili's 
IDP camps.  NGOs were working to address issues of flooding and 
sanitation. 
 
SITUATION IN DILI 
 
¶11. (U) The atmosphere around the city was tense, but there did 
not appear to be widespread panic.  Government offices and many 
business closed early and workers were sent home.  A yet unknown 
number of Dili residents have begun to flee the city, but there 
does not appear to be a mass exodus as there was earlier in the 
month.  The heavy rains have flooded many parts of the capital 
city and are likely causing people to remain in their homes. 
International flights out of Timor were less than half full, but 
airline offices and travel agencies closed this afternoon after 
the fighting broke out.  American citizens have been notified of 
the current security situation and been strongly advised to 
avoid the affected areas, see EAC cable for more information. 
STEIN