VZCZCXRO0041
OO RUEHCHI RUEHNH RUEHPB
DE RUEHDT #0268/01 1471512
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O P 271512Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY DILI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2580
INFO RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0451
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHXX/GENEVA IO MISSIONS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 0513
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON PRIORITY 0435
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0289
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0303
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 0374
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 0175
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI 1905

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 DILI 000268 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MTS 
NSC FOR HOLLY MORROW 
USPACOM FOR JOC AND POLAD 
JOINT STAFF FOR J5 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  5/28/2016 
TAGS: ASEC PGOV MARR PHUM CASC TT
SUBJECT: EAST TIMOR SITREP FOR MAY 26, 2006 
 
REF: Dili 263 
 
DILI 00000268  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Grover Joseph Rees, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy 
Dili, Department of State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
NOTE: THIS CABLE DUPLICATES A CABLE THAT WAS SENT YESTERDAY, MAY 
26, AND AGAIN THIS MORNING, MAY 27.  IT IS BEING RE-SENT BECAUSE 
THE ORIGINAL CABLE HAS NOT YET BEEN RECEIVED BY EMBASSY DILI. 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY 
-- AUSTRALIAN PATROLS COMMENCE, SOME VIOLENCE CONTINUES 
-- GOVERNMENT DEFIES PRESIDENT 
-- PRESIDENT INTENDS TO DISMISS THE GOVERNMENT 
-- FOREIGN MINISTER: PRIME MINISTER SHOULD RESIGN 
-- SECURITY ENVIRONMENT IMPROVES BUT REMAINS TENSE 
-- NATIONAL HOSPITAL STRUGGLING TO CARE FOR WOUNDED 
-- MINIMAL POLICE PRESENCE 
-- UNOTIL MAY EVACUATE NON-ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES 
-- INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPs) OVERWHELM CAMPS 
-- AMERICAN CITIZEN UPDATE 
End summary. 
 
AUSTRALIAN PATROLS COMMENCE, SOME VIOLENCE CONTINUES 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
¶2. (SBU) The Australian Defense Force (ADF) has secured the 
airport, national police (PNTL) headquarters, and UN 
headquarters, and have commenced limited foot patrols in Dili. 
More substantial patrols will commence tomorrow after ADF's 
vehicles and armor arrive. The ADF intends to establish its 
force in Tasitolu, the current headquarters of the Timorese 
military (FDTL). Despite the patrols, some violent attacks --- 
often perpetrated by FDTL members and/or by civilians wearing 
FDTL uniforms and armed with FDTL weapons --- continue today in 
Dili's outskirts. 
 
GOVERNMENT DEFIES PRESIDENT, MAINTAINS CONTROL OF THE MILITARY, 
AND MAY DISHONOR AGREEMENT WITH AUSTRALIA 
--------------------------------------------- ----------------- 
¶3. (C) A meeting today at FDTL's Military Police headquarters 
with Defense Minister Roque Rodrigues confirmed that the 
government remains in control of the military, despite the 
President's declaration that he had taken control of them.  FDTL 
and/or the Prime Minister may also intend to resist implementing 
the agreement with the Government of Australia(GOA), which 
according to GOA sources and to Foreign Minister Ramos-Horta 
specifies that FDTL will withdraw from Dili.  During the meeting 
with Emboffs, Rodrigues emphasized that he appreciated the 
Australians' assistance but that he did not think it was 
necessary, because FDTL has already "secured" Dili.  Even so, he 
said, the military is coordinating its actions with the 
Australian Defense Forces and had identified several areas where 
the Australians should patrol, including the port and a power 
station. 
 
¶4. (C) FDTL will eventually relocate its Tasitolu headquarters 
to Hera to make room for the Australians, he said, but "it won't 
be tomorrow" because the FDTL still needs to concentrate on 
maintaining security.  FDTL also intends to relocate its other 
Dili-based operations to Hera as well, including the MP and 
logistics operations, but that it was impossible to do so in the 
current environment because the Australians were not yet able to 
guarantee the safety of the city or the security of the 
retreating soldiers. 
 
¶5. (C) During the meeting Rodrigues received a call from the 
Prime Minister in which they briefly discussed the military 
situation - making it perfectly clear that the Prime Minister 
remains in charge of military operations.  Later in the day the 
Prime Minister issued a press release stating that he remains in 
charge of the security forces and stating that FDTL would 
continue to patrol the perimeter of Dili as well as key 
Government officers, in "coordination" with the Australian 
forces. 
 
¶6. (U) Contrary to numerous credible eyewitness reports, the 
Government's press release attributes yesterday's attack on 
unarmed police and UN officials to a single soldier who "has now 
been detained". 
 
DILI 00000268  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
 
PRESIDENT INTENDS TO DISMISS THE GOVERNMENT 
------------------------------------------- 
¶7. (C) Several sources close to President Xanana Gusmao 
indicated that the President still intends to exercise his 
constitutional powers to dismiss the Prime Minister and possibly 
to dissolve the Parliament.  However, these sources told the 
Ambassador today that the President will likely delay taking 
these actions for two to three weeks.  This course of action 
appears to have been determined, in part at least, by the 
President's desire to avoid taking actions that might cause 
further confusion during the early days of the Australian 
intervention.  Despite the President's firm intention to dismiss 
the Alkatiri Government --- with the apparent concurrence of 
Foreign Minister Ramos-Horta, the country's two Catholic 
Bishops, and the overwhelming majority of the Timorese people 
--- the likely effect of a delay will be to give Alkatiri time 
to consolidate his position and perhaps to erode the 
constitutional justification for dismissal of the government, 
which is that it must be "necessary to ensure the normal 
functioning of the democratic institutions." 
 
FOREIGN MINISTER: PRIME MINISTER SHOULD RESIGN 
--------------------------------------------- - 
¶8. (U) Foreign Minister Horta gave a speech at UN Headquarters 
(Obrigado barracks) this morning in which he essentially called 
for Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri to resign. In Portugal, said 
Horta, past governments have been dissolved for far less 
significant problems.  Someone in the Government, he said, must 
take responsibility for the current crisis. 
 
¶9. (C) Meanwhile, the Prime Minister stated that he has no 
intention of resigning so long as he has the support of the 
party and that doing so would only deepen the crisis.  Senior 
members of Fretilin close to the Prime Minister are reportedly 
trying to arrange a meeting of Central Committee members to 
discuss the current situation but have not been able to do so. 
 
SECURITY ENVIRONMENT IMPROVES BUT REMAINS TENSE 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
¶10. (U) Attacks and violence in Dili continue, particularly in 
the areas surrounding Becora and the southern outskirts of town. 
 Sources at UNOTIL headquarters report that they heard sporadic 
gunfire throughout the day and there were clashes in the hills 
to Dili's south and southeast. There was also an apparent attack 
on UNOTIL headquarters by at least eight armed men in FDTL 
uniforms, some of whom reportedly managed to enter a 
UNOTIL-controlled area adjacent to the main UN compound in an 
apparent search for PNTL who had taken refuge there.  UN staff 
heard gunfire at close range during this assault, but none saw 
who fired the shots. 
 
¶11. (U) The road between the Embassy and the airport is clear, 
but gangs of youth armed with guns, machetes, and slingshots are 
active in many neighborhoods and market areas.  By nightfall, 
these gangs controlled several large neighborhoods, including 
some near the city center. Many communities have organized their 
own self-defense forces to protect themselves from the gangs. 
 
¶12. (SBU) Despite continued threats and intimidation by gangs 
and by elements of FDTL, there appears to have been a reduction 
in community violence compared to yesterday.  This view was 
confirmed by emergency room staff at the national hospital who 
report that the number of patients they treated today was much 
lower than yesterday and that in general the wounds were less 
severe. They also said that some of today's most serious cases 
were people injured in yesterday's violence but who were too 
frightened to see medical treatment.  There continue to be 
reports of civilians caught in firefights over the last few 
days.  One of the priests running an IDP camp was shot in the 
shoulder yesterday when he traveled to the hospital to deliver 
last rites, but he is reported to be recovering. 
 
NATIONAL HOSPITAL STRUGGLING TO CARE FOR WOUNDED 
 
DILI 00000268  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
¶13. (U) The national hospital continues to struggle to treat the 
wounded.  The hospital is now treating patients from both the 
police and military.  Earlier in the day the hospital was very 
tense after a military patrol entered the hospital.  Some 
members of the patrol reportedly told hospital staff that they 
were looking for a particular severely wounded police officer, 
and hospital staff expressed fear of a massacre of wounded 
police. Many patients were terrified. Embassy staff witnessed 
patients who physically trembled and sobbed at the sight of 
military personnel, and several patients, including some who 
were severely wounded, asked to be released because they 
believed it was more dangerous in the hospital than out in 
hiding, even with untreated wounds.  However, as of late 
afternoon the environment at the hospital appeared to have 
improved.  Military patrols were no longer present and the 
co-location of injured military and police (PNTL) within the 
hospital no longer appeared to be a source of concern. 
 
¶14. (U) Bodies continue to pile up outside the hospital as the 
morgue has extremely limited capacity.  Several bodies, 
including one of a uniformed soldier, are lying on the ground 
outside because there is no more room inside. 
 
MINIMAL POLICE PRESENCE 
----------------------- 
¶15. (C) The national police service (PNTL) has virtually ceased 
to function as an organization, due in large part to yesterday's 
systematic attacks by FDTL on PNTL facilities and personnel. 
See Reftel.  Approximately 50 police officers are currently 
taking refuge in the UN compound because of the threat of 
further attacks by the military.  More police officers arrive 
regularly; after the attack described in paragraph 10 the UN 
evacuated at least 50 PNTL members to the airport where they can 
be protected by Australian forces.  Members of the elite police 
Rapid Intervention Unit are afraid to depart their compound for 
fear that they will be attacked by the military. Emboff 
successfully located the supervisor of the PNTL armory, took him 
to PNTL headquarters, and was able to confirm that the police 
weapons stocks had not been looted. 
 
¶16. (C) Emboffs today spoke with both Deputy Police Commissioner 
Ismael Babo and the head of the Police Reserve Unit (URP), 
Apolinario.  Both have relocated to the Aileu PNTL headquarters, 
not far from Major Reinado's original base, and are presumed to 
have joined the dissident military group.  A UN source indicated 
that Babo and Apolinario may be sheltering Major Reinado at the 
headquarters. 
 
UNOTIL MAY EVACUATE NON-ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES 
------------------------------------------- 
¶17. (SBU) UN staff were all consolidated at the UN compound last 
night and were told to remain there through the day.  UN sources 
report that they are officially on evacuation status for 
non-essentials, but are not currently evacuating anyone.  Many 
UN staff are still in shock over yesterday's attack on two 
United Nations police advisors (UNPOLs), although both injured 
UNPOLs are reported to be doing well. 
 
INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPs) OVERWHELM CAMPS 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
¶18. (SBU) Due to the recent violence, the number of IDPs has 
ballooned to around 50,000 within Dili. The Government is no 
longer able to respond to their needs and the Red Cross is only 
able to respond to injuries. International NGOs reported that 
they must conduct a complete survey of current needs, but have 
been severely constrained in their ability to do so by security 
concerns and reduced staffing due to evacuation of non-essential 
employees. 
 
¶19. (U) Organizations operating IDP camps report that the 
sanitation and food situation is becoming critical because of 
over-crowding and the inability of aid organizations to 
re-supply the camps due to security concerns.  Hostile youth 
 
DILI 00000268  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
groups have reportedly moved into the neighborhoods surrounding 
some of the camps. The United Nations and several Embassies were 
giving temporary refuge to their Timorese employees, employee 
family members, and some other Timorese. 
 
AMERICAN CITIZEN UPDATE 
----------------------- 
¶20. (SBU) Emboffs continue to be in contact with as many Amcits 
as possible.  All Amcits with whom we spoke to today report that 
they remain safe.  About a dozen departed on today's commercial 
flight to Bali, and two on an Australian C130 to Darwin.  A 
number are scheduled to fly out in the coming days.  The current 
headcount of Amcits remaining in East Timor is 83. 
REES