VZCZCXRO9195
OO RUEHCHI RUEHNH RUEHPB
DE RUEHDT #0194/01 1201504
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O P 301504Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY DILI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2452
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RHHMUNA/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 0423
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0361
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON PRIORITY 0350
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0207
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0221
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 0292
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 0093
RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI 1773

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 DILI 000194 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ASEC MARR TT
SUBJECT: DILI REMAINS CALM, BUT THOUSANDS STILL DISPLACED AS RUMORS 
ABOUND 
 
REF: A) DILI 193 B) DILI 192 
 
DILI 00000194  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
¶1. Summary: The situation in Dili was relatively calm last 
night, but there were still several disturbances reported, 
including shots fired in two Dili neighborhoods, reported 
clashes in the hills outside of Dili, and fighting at one of the 
major markets.  There was another fight between groups of youths 
reported today, but otherwise the city was calm.  The Government 
announced that law and order enforcement is now solely the 
responsibility of the police (PNTL), but some military presence 
still remains in the city and vicinity.  There are concerns that 
the military (FDTL) may still be carrying out search and seizure 
operations, although a senior military official denies this. 
Obtaining accurate information on detentions, injuries, and 
deaths has been difficult, with official sources stating that 
there are between two and five confirmed deaths, while rumors 
are circulating of much higher numbers.  Official accounts also 
state that 86 people have been detained to date.  Information on 
the whereabouts of the 595 dismissed soldiers is elusive, though 
a number are said to have returned to their homes or seeking to 
turn themselves in to the police, and others are known to be in 
hiding.  A large number of people are still taking refuge away 
from their homes, including several thousand in Church 
facilities.  All 200 of the U.S. Embassy employees and family 
members who had taken refuge last night on the Embassy compound 
had left by the end of today.  Although the climate of fear 
seemed to be subsiding during the day, at nightfall reports of 
fears regarding possible attacks or actions planned for the 
evening began to proliferate.  End summary. 
 
Situation much calmer overnight, but some incidents reported 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
¶2. The situation in Dili and vicinity was mostly calm last night 
(Saturday, April 29), but with a few violent incidents reported. 
 There was one report around 11 pm of gunfire heard in the 
neighborhood near the Pertamina Pier (in the vicinity of the 
Embassy) which was attributed to gang activity.  Near the 
airport, in the Comoro area adjacent to Tasi Tolu, there was one 
report of gunfire and of a gunshot injury confirmed this 
morning.  The injured man was reportedly an ex-FDTL "petitioner" 
who had been shot by an active duty FDTL member.  Sources also 
reported that gunfire was heard intermittently in the hills 
outside of Dili just south of Tasitolu where some of the 
petitioners are believed to have fled.  The Comoro Market was 
also reported to have seen some fighting overnight, and in the 
morning Emboff observed that the entrance to the market was 
blockaded.  However, through most of the rest of Dili, there 
were no reports of disturbances and the overall volume of 
reported clashes and shooting was significantly down. 
 
¶3. During the day (Sunday, April 30) there were no incidents 
reported, except that Government sources reported a fight 
between two gangs of youths in Tasitolu that was broken up by 
FDTL.  According to a statement by Foreign Minister Jose 
Ramos-Horta, the youths "were happy to accept the mediation of 
FDTL."  The city was calmer than it had been since the beginning 
of the riot early Friday afternoon.  More commercial 
establishments reopened and an increased number of people 
appearing to be going about their usual business.  However, a 
large number of stores and vendor stalls still remain closed and 
the markets, usually a center of activity, were mostly closed 
down.  Embassy staff who drove through various neighborhoods of 
the city found major markets completely deserted and many 
neighborhoods involved in the violence eerily quiet, dark, and 
emptied of their inhabitants.  The road to Tasitolu, the main 
thoroughfare leading to the western areas of the country, was 
opened to civilian traffic during the day and some traffic was 
moving in and out of the western end of the city.  For the most 
part, however, the majority of residents in this area are 
already in shelters in other areas of Dili, and the few visitors 
to the suburb were foreign diplomatic and aid officials. 
Embassy officers reported spotting at least 20 houses along the 
main road in Tasitolu which had been burned to the ground and 
many vendors' stalls were also looted and destroyed.  Official 
roadblocks had been removed, although tires and rocks still 
obstructed portions of the road and the debris from burned cars 
lined portions of the route. The area appeared largely 
unpatrolled by either police or military forces, although late 
in the day PNTL patrols replaced the FDTL patrols that had been 
in place for the previous 48 hours. 
 
Army officially no longer involved in law enforcement, but still 
 
DILI 00000194  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
present 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
------------- 
 
¶4. A press release from the office of Foreign Minister Jose 
Ramos-Horta last night announced that high-level Government, 
military and police leaders had decided that as of today "FDTL 
[army] units will be completely withdrawn from Dili and 
surrounding areas and will be deployed elsewhere."  Another 
press release this afternoon stated that law enforcement 
activities had been transferred back to the exclusive 
responsibility of the national police (PNTL), although military 
police would continue their "normal" patrolling.  Embassy staff 
observed that during the morning the FDTL remained in charge in 
the Tasitolu and Comoro areas and a noticeable FDTL presence 
remained during the afternoon.  By early evening, however, 
Embassy officers observed that FDTL had largely vacated these 
areas and PNTL officers were seen sporadically in these 
neighborhoods. 
 
¶5. Subsequently, late this afternoon, the Embassy's Defense 
Cooperation Chief met with Lieutenant Commander Falur, who has 
been in charge of the FDTL operations.  He stated that the FDTL 
has now shifted to "Phase II operations".  He explained that 
"Phase I" was the operation to contain, control, and detain 
rioting demonstrators while "Phase II" is focused on maintaining 
a visible presence in several (unspecified) locations around 
town.  Under Phase II, he continued, the FDTL will not actively 
engage in operations, but will be on standby to render 
assistance to PNTL as required.  Embassy staff in the Tasitolu 
area as well as other areas where FDTL had previously had a 
heavy presence observed almost no FDTL presence early in the 
evening, with the exception of troops leaving and entering their 
headquarters in Tasitolu in troop carriers.  They appeared to be 
either going to or coming from the direction of Metinaro, where 
another headquarters is located.  However, later in the evening 
a number of Embassy sources reported seeing truckloads of FDTL 
members with automatic rifles cruising slowly in various 
neighborhoods of Dili.  According to FDTL sources, these patrols 
are by regular FDTL forces, not the military police.  Although 
there have been no confirmed FDTL operations today, there 
remains some concern that the continued involvement of the 
military, even if only in a standby capacity, may mean that 
their role in search and seizure operations is not over. 
Although GOET officials have justified the military presence by 
saying that it is designed to reassure the population of Dili, 
numerous Embassy sources report that it is having the opposite 
effect. 
 
Official accounts of casualties and detentions are moderate, but 
rumors abound 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
------------------- 
 
¶6. The Embassy is continuing to work to obtain a complete and 
accurate accounting of deaths and injuries that have resulted 
from the disturbances and the military and police responses. 
According to the Government and FDTL, there have been only two 
confirmed deaths and about 60 injuries.  However, this number 
does not include the three additional deaths reported by an FDTL 
colonel yesterday (see Reftel B).  A source at the national 
hospital reported the same numbers, noting that they were 
treating about 60 injured, 15 of which were gunshot wounds with 
one of the injured is in critical condition.  Also, there are 
many rumors of greater numbers killed, ranging from 20 to 50. 
People are particularly suspicious of the fact that the FDTL 
closed all access to Tasitolu for over 24 hours --- even denying 
President Xanana Gusmao access to their compound when he arrived 
yesterday afternoon without having given advance notice --- and 
many Dili residents believe that this was in order to clear out 
bodies.  Worryingly, Lieutenant Commander Falur, when asked 
about these rumors, did not deny them outright but rather noted 
that he could not comment further. However, Foreign Minister 
Ramos Horta called Ambassador Rees tonight to say that he has 
spoken with Brigadier General Taur Matan Ruak, the commander of 
FDTL, who has thoroughly investigated the rumors and knows them 
to be false.  According to Ramos Horta, Ambassador will be 
invited tomorrow to inspect the location where the bodies were 
supposedly being hidden.  The identities of the dead and injured 
also remain unclear.  No PNTL or FDTL are believed to have been 
killed, but there are several reports of police injuries.  The 
identities of those killed have not been officially released, 
 
DILI 00000194  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
although they are generally believed to include two 
demonstrators who were killed in Dili during the Friday 
afternoon rioting and three who were killed later that afternoon 
in Tasitolu in a firefight with FDTL. 
 
¶7. We are also working to confirm the numbers and identities of 
people detained.  The latest official numbers are a total of 86, 
10 of whom are dismissed soldiers.  All detainees are reported 
to be in regular police custody and FDTL sources state that they 
have been immediately handing over anyone they detain to the 
police.  One FDTL source estimated the number of people captured 
by the military and then turned over to the police to be around 
¶50.  However, a source in the UN Human Rights Unit expressed 
worry that the FDTL may be holding people in unknown locations. 
The Embassy has not been able to assess the credibility of this 
concern so far.  Also, access to the detainees was initially 
denied to the UN Human Rights Unit, but they were later notified 
that access would be granted and at time of writing had a team 
visiting detainees.  The Office of the Provedor (ombudsman) also 
reports to have been granted access and to have a team currently 
conducting visits.  According to one senior UN source, the 
Provedor is accompanied by UN human rights officers during these 
visits to detainees. 
 
Whereabouts of the dismissed soldiers remains unclear 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶8. Since Friday, it appears that the dismissed soldiers involved 
in last week's demonstrations have dispersed.  Various reports 
have come in regarding where they are currently located.  A 
number of them are reported to be in hiding out in fear of 
arrest or retribution by the FDTL.  Embassy staff visiting one 
of the Church sites where people have taken refuge were told 
that ten of the dismissed soldiers had taken refuge there and 
were being hidden and protected.  Although Church officials 
initially did not inform authorities regarding their presence, 
the parish priest at the site stated that Lieutenant Colonel 
Falur is now aware they are there but has promised to not take 
action to detain them.  Over the course of the weekend three of 
the dismissed soldiers presented themselves at the Embassy 
seeking refuge and were escorted away from the Embassy.  Emboffs 
have also heard that some dismissed soldiers currently in hiding 
are making inquiries regarding how to come out of hiding and 
turn themselves in safely. 
 
Climate of fear persists and thousands of people still refuse to 
return home 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
----------------- 
 
¶9. Although there are no longer any people seeking refuge at the 
Embassy (see Ref A), and the last 20 or so people who had been 
in the Embassy compound left late this afternoon, thousands are 
still being sheltered by the Catholic Church and in other 
locations in various parts of the city.  The largest site so far 
appears to be the Don Bosco Center, a church facility in Comoro. 
 Embassy staff visiting late this afternoon estimated there are 
about 5,000 people there, mostly from adjacent neighborhoods. 
When queried, many were concerned about FDTL presence in their 
neighborhoods, and none were aware that the FDTL had been 
ordered to stand down from further law enforcement activity.  A 
severe lack of access to up-to-date information appears to have 
severely compounded their sense of fear and uncertainty.  In 
addition, about 250 people have taken refuge in the FDTL 
compound in Tasitolu and several among them reported to Embassy 
staff that their houses had been burned down . (See paragraph 
3).  Embassy staff also saw several large trucks full of people 
and their belongings heading out of Dili shortly before 
nightfall. 
 
¶10. Toward the end of the day, the level of fear began to 
increase again.  At the time of writing, we are hearing several 
reports that people are afraid of actions allegedly planned this 
evening in their neighborhoods and are therefore clearing out. 
One Embassy staff member reported that his neighborhood has 
emptied because they were told by police that the FDTL would be 
conducting a major operation there this evening.  Another staff 
member heard from neighbors that "Lorosa'e" (eastern) people 
plan to launch an attack there this evening against the 
"Loromonu" (western) residents.   Most Embassy sources believe 
these rumors to be false, perhaps perpetrated by people who plan 
to rob the vacant houses of those who flee in panic, but the 
 
DILI 00000194  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
highly visible presence of FDTL patrols with automatic weapons 
in various parts of the city has made it difficult to convince 
people that the rumors are without foundation. 
REES