by Mark Dodd
East Timor Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao will offer renegade army major Alfredo Reinado one more chance to surrender or face arrest, an option diplomats warn could carry considerable risk for Australia.
Diplomatic sources in Dili told The Australian a final peace offer by Mr Gusmao would be conveyed to the former military police commander within weeks.
But Major Reinado, wanted on charges of fomenting civil unrest and possession of firearms, has a new ally in former soldiers who have formed a protest group known as "petitioners".
Sources close to Mr Gusmao say his patience has run out with Major Reinado after he spurned two other peace offers in November and last month.
"Don't play with me, because sooner or later I will get angry," Mr Gusmao warned Major Reinado just before Christmas.
A 1000-strong Australian and New Zealand International Stabilisation Force has responsibility for the military in East Timor.
However, any request by the East Timor Government for their help would have to be carefully considered after last year's failed effort, which cost five Timorese lives and resulted in a community backlash against the Australian peacekeepers.
The East Timor Defence Force (F-FDTL) is understood to be reluctant to take on an enforcement role against Major Reinado.
"Politically, he's a much tougher egg to crack now he's got the petitioners," said one senor Western intelligence analyst based in Dili. "He now has several hundred (570) petitioners thinking he's the man, and those petitioners have very strong support in the western districts."
The petitioners, almost all western-born Loromonu people, comprise soldiers who mutinied in 2006 over claims they were unfairly treated by ethnic eastern-born commanders.
No comments:
Post a Comment