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OO RUEHCHI RUEHNH RUEHPB
DE RUEHDT #0301/01 1601126
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O P 091126Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY DILI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2661
INFO RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0514
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHXX/GENEVA IO MISSIONS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 0585
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON PRIORITY 0505
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0353
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0366
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 0444
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 0238
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI 1986

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 DILI 000301 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, CA, DS 
PACOM FOR JOC AND POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  6/9/2016 
TAGS: PGOV MOPS ASEC PHUM UN KPKO CASC PO MY TT AS
SUBJECT: EAST TIMOR SITREP FOR JUNE 9, 2006 
 
REF: A) DILI 300 
 
DILI 00000301  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Grover Joseph Rees, Ambassador, EXEC, State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: 
- AFP commander gives policing plan to Ramos-Horta; 
- GNR Equipment Arrives in Baucau; 
- Former Minister of Police Bids Farewell to PNTL Commanders; 
- Sources confirm Fretilin Headquarters in Ermera District was 
burned; 
- Status of the news media; 
- JTF agrees to provide security for CAVR files; 
- Security at the Embassy. 
End Summary. 
 
AFP commander gives policing plan to Ramos-Horta 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶2. (C) EmbOffs met today with AFP Commander Steve Lancaster to 
discuss the JTF policing plan recently handed over to 
Foreign/Defense Minister Jose Ramos-Horta.  The plan includes a 
five-phase approach to establishing effective policing in East 
Timor: 
 
¶I.      JTF Military cooperation with AFP who are present to 
advise on policing. 
II.     Joint ADF/AFP patrols, but ADF still maintains the 
dominant presence.  During this phase, AFP begins conducting 
investigations and collects intelligence on youth gangs and 
other violent groups. 
III.    AFP-led international police services assume primary 
responsibility for providing security in Dili with ADF soldiers 
available for reinforcements.  The AFP will focus its efforts on 
highly visible community policing. 
IV.     International police become the sole security force on the 
ground.  If an appropriate vetting and reconciliation mechanism 
has been established, the international police force will begin 
to transition certain PNTL into positions and operations. 
¶V.      PNTL resumes its role as stand-alone national police force. 
 
¶3. (S) Lancaster describes the AFP's operation as presently 
somewhere between Phase II and Phase III.  The current priority 
for the AFP is conducting thorough investigations into the 
events of May 25, a house burning that killed a family of six, 
and recent allegations that Prime Minister Alkatiri and former 
Minister of the Interior Rogerio Lobato had armed Fretilin 
militants.  Lancaster said the UN had initially issued an order 
forbidding its staff from speaking to AFP investigators, but he 
added that this problem has been overcome through negotiations 
between UN and Australian diplomats. The AFP is also jointly 
gathering intelligence with the ADF on leaders of gang violence. 
 Once AFP assumes primary responsibility for security, 
systematic raids will be planned to capture the gang leaders. 
When asked about GOA requests for the GOET to promulgate a law 
granting foreign police arrest authority, Lancaster stated that 
this was still a priority, but that arrests had been carried out 
by both ADF and AFP under the terms of the status of forces 
agreement (SOFA) currently in force.  He added that such a law 
would no longer be necessary if a Chapter 7 Security Council 
resolution were to grant policing authority to a multinational 
force. 
 
¶4. (C) Senior Australian and Malaysian police officials have 
been coordinating closely and the advance team for the Malaysian 
police expressed complete willingness to operate under 
Australian command. By next week, the Australian police 
battalion will stand at 200 (AFP and state police) with a group 
of 250 Malaysian police and 30 New Zealand police expected to 
arrive within a similar timeframe.  When asked about 
coordination problems with the Portuguese paramilitary police 
(GNR), Lancaster responded that Tuesday's disagreement (see Ref 
A) had been overplayed by diplomats and the media.  While the 
 
DILI 00000301  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
GNR will not be formally incorporated within the AFP-led command 
structure, the AFP and GNR are establishing solid operational 
coordination and Lancaster expressed his respect for the highly 
trained GNR officers.  The GNR will be participating in an 
Executive Committee on Policing, comprising all contingent 
commanders, that will advise the overall policing commander. 
 
¶5. (C) A question receiving little attention in Dili is the 
status of the police in the districts, many of whom have 
continued to perform their duties.  Lancaster envisions a hybrid 
arrangement in which the district police would continue their 
operations but receive instructions and logistical support from 
the international police force in Dili. Lancaster concluded by 
stating that the sooner the Security Council could adopt a 
resolution on an international police force, the better.  Many 
of the current vagaries and coordination problems would be 
overcome by bringing all forces under a UN umbrella.  The 
Commander did stress, however, that the AFP would like a UN 
mission that leaves AFP at the helm of the international 
policing effort. 
 
GNR equipment arrives in Baucau 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) A large shipment of personnel carriers, logistical 
equipment, and weapons has arrived from Portugal for use by the 
GNR battalion in Dili.  The supply plane landed in Baucau and 
the equipment is currently being transported to GNR headquarters 
in Dili.  Reports indicate that GNR is now fully operational and 
will assume policing authority tomorrow for the Comoro area of 
Dili. 
 
Former Minister of the Interior Lobato bids farewell to PNTL 
Commanders 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶7. (C) After a meeting of all PNTL district commanders called 
yesterday by his successor, former Minister of the Interior 
Rogerio Lobato gave a farewell speech which was broadcast on 
Portuguese television.  In the speech, Lobato said the massacre 
of 10 PNTL officers on May 25 was unacceptable and that justice 
must be pursued.  This appearance represents one of the first 
instances Lobato has been seen in public since he was forced to 
resign less than a week ago.  Local political contacts continue 
to express concern over Lobato's new position as Vice President 
of Fretilin, especially in light of continued rumors that the 
Prime Minister would be ousted, which these contacts feared 
could leave Lobato in an even more powerful position within the 
party. 
 
Sources confirm Fretilin headquarters in Ermera District was 
burned 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (S/NF) EmbOff spoke with Associate Press stringer Jose 
Belo(please protect) who confirmed that the Fretilin Party 
Headquarters in Ermera District had been burned.  Having 
inspected the site yesterday, Belo said the building was 
actually in the town of Ermera, rather than Gleno, thus 
explaining conflicting reports from Gleno that there had been no 
violence yesterday.  In a related report, Belo informed EmbOff 
that the Chefe de Aldeia from Memo (a border village near 
Maliana) was detained by a youth gang due to his participation 
in the Fretilin Party Congress.  According to this report, the 
man is still being held captive and his whereabouts are unknown.. 
 
Status of the news media 
------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) The state-funded radio and television stations have 
continued operating in recent days, albeit on a limited schedule 
with one hour of news in the morning and in the evening.  Suara 
 
DILI 00000301  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
Timor Lorosa'e, a major daily newspaper, resumed printing on 
Tuesday, although both printing and circulation has been quite 
limited due to financial restraints and paper shortages.  Timor 
Post published today for the first time since May 24.  Both 
major dailies are being assisted in reestablishing their 
operations through a small grant from USAID. 
 
¶10. (S/NF) AP stringer and Embassy source Jose Belo was 
handcuffed and detained by ADF forces for four hours today. 
According to Belo, he was questioned about why he is often 
sighted on the scene of violent incidents and what his 
motivations are for retaining contact with Major Reinado and 
Salsinha.  After ADF forces initially questioned Belo's status 
as a journalist, the AP representative in Dili contacted the ADF 
and Belo was released. 
 
JTF agrees to provide security for CAVR files 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶11. (SBU) In response to requests from diplomats and GOET 
officials, the JTF Command has agreed to perform hourly patrols 
of the compound that houses both the offices of the Truth and 
Friendship Commission (TFC) and the files of the domestic Truth 
and Reconciliation Commission (CAVR).  The JTF has agreed to 
provide hourly patrols of the compound and reportedly intends to 
establish a security post nearby.  Security concerns over the 
CAVR files have intensified after several motorbikes were stolen 
from the compound earlier this week.  Unlike the SCU files, 
which pertain mostly to indictees for serious crimes who are 
outside of East Timor, the CAVR files include abundant 
information about acts committed between 1974 and 1999 by a wide 
range of actors including many who are still in East Timor. 
 
Security 
-------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) Embassy and U.S. Mission facilities were secure today 
and Emboffs were able to perform their functions throughout Dili 
and in other areas of the country.  There were discussions today 
among the Ambassador, the Australian Ambassador, USDOD 
representatives, and Australian JTF personnel about the 
circumstances under which JTF could respond to an emergency at 
the U.S. Embassy after the planned departure of the Marine Corps 
FAST team.  Embassy has received a written communication from 
the JTF Commander that will be reported septel. 
 
¶13. (U) Two United States citizens who had evacuated 
returned to Timor today, bringing the total number of AmCits in 
country to 59. 
REES