VZCZCXRO9682
OO RUEHCHI RUEHNH RUEHPB
DE RUEHDT #0240/01 1381515
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O P 181515Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY DILI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2539
INFO RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0419
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHXX/GENEVA IO MISSIONS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 0476
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON PRIORITY 0403
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0257
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0271
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 0342
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 0143
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI 1860

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DILI 000240 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MTS; USPACOM FOR JOC AND POLAD; JOINT STAFF FOR J5 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  5/18/2016 
TAGS: ASEC PGOV MARR KDEM TT
SUBJECT: EAST TIMOR SITREP FOR MAY 18, 2006 
 
DILI 00000240  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Sean Stein, Charge de Affairs, Embassy Dili, 
State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY. 
- LIFE IN DILI 
- FRETILIN CONGRESS DAY 2 
- AMERICAN CITIZENS ISSUES 
- EMERGENCY ACTION COMMITTEE 
- SECURITY ASSESSMENT 
 
LIFE IN DILI 
 
¶1. (U) The city continues to return to normal and there were 
several reports of additional refugees returning to Dili.  One 
NGO representative commented that her organization is handing 
out personal hygeine kits as quickly as possible before all of 
the refugees return home.  Transportation was functioning 
normally; schools and markets were open.  Despite a heavy 
security presence, restaurants in the immediate area around the 
party congress were open.  There were 80 empty seats on outgoing 
flights. 
 
FRETILIN CONGRESS DAY 2 -- THE GAMES CONTINUE 
 
¶2. (C) The Fretilin Congress reexamined the issue of secret 
balloting in the context of the party constitution.  Despite 
heated debate on both sides, the Congress voted to leave 
yesterday's decision to abolish secret balloting for party 
leadership elections unchanged.  In addition, the Alkatiri camp 
continued to manipulate the process by limiting debate and 
blocking key individuals such as Jose Luis Guterres from 
speaking.  According to informed delegates -- including those 
not in the Guterres camp -- a majority of delegates wanted to 
preserve the secret ballot but were afraid of being seen to 
openly contradict the position taken by the Alkatiri camp. 
 
¶3. (C)  Guterres has indicated that he will withdraw his 
candidacy if he concludes that the final version of the 
constitution does not reflect "the true values of the Party". 
Others observe that Guterres may have no choice but to withdraw 
because his campaign has failed to gain any momentum. 
 
AMERICAN CITIZENS ISSUES 
 
¶4. (U) The Embassy hosted a town hall meeting at which 18 
American citizens and 5 third-country nationals attended.  There 
are a total of 109 amcits in country according to the latest 
information.  Mission staff conducted a test of the Amcit 
SMS-based warden system. 
 
¶5. (U) Mission staff met formally with seven members of the 
Australian planning team to ensure that our evacuation and 
contingency plans were fully coordinated. Several issues were 
identified for further clarification and discussion, including 
the circumstances under which each other's nationals will be 
allow to seek shelter in the other's compound. 
 
EMERGENCY ACTION COMMITTEE 
 
¶6. (U) Post held an Emergency Action Committee meeting to 
examine whether the recent developments of the Fretilin Party 
Congress warranted a change in Mission security posture.  The 
EAC concluded that it did not. 
 
SECURITY ASSESSMENT 
 
¶7. (C) According to USDR, within the past 24 hrs at the Defense 
Force HQ there have been indications of some increased levels of 
contingency planning focused outside Dili.  Maps of the western 
areas where the dissident military are operating have been 
posted with very basic graphic control measures.  It's unclear 
if this indicates an active planning process for offensive 
action, or is just a product of boredom of those living in the 
HQ for the past two weeks.  The Defense Force doesn't generally 
conduct deliberate planning.  There are also indications that 
officers thought to be loyal to Colonel Lere have been moved 
 
DILI 00000240  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
into command of other units.  The Force has now moved the 
equivalent of an Infantry Company to two sites in Dili, HQ and 
MP HQ downtown.  They also have a Company(+) in Metinaro Base, 
35km outside Dili.  These moves may have been part of 
contingency planning to deal with any outbreak surrounding the 
Party Congress. 
 
¶8. (C) One likely outcome from a strong Alkatiri win at the 
Fretilin Party Congress will be muted acceptance within the 
population, with the possibility of delayed backlash once the 
delegates return to their home districts, especially those in 
the west.  The Alkatiri win is likely to cause the dissident 
military and Petitioners in the west to further entrench their 
positions.  If Alkatiri comes out of the congress in an 
extremely strong position, this might raise the likelihood of 
him taking action against the western factions at a later date 
if it becomes apparent to him that he cannot get them to acceed 
to the terms of the commissions currently in operation as 
Alkatiri will see the continued presence of these armed groups 
as having the potential to undermine his position in the long 
term. 
STEIN