Australian troops arrive at Dili airport February 12, 2008.(Beawiharta/Reuters)
East Timor Warns Against Stoking Tensions
-- Yahoo News/Reuters
-- Yahoo News/Reuters
CANBERRA (Reuters) – East Timor's government accused the opposition Fretilin party of stoking security tensions in the restive country Wednesday, as Australia announced plans for a limited troop withdrawal.
Security strains similar to those that caused a surge in regional and ethnic violence in 2006 have been rising in East Timor over recent weeks as the government tries to root out police corruption and appoint a new commander.
An anonymous leaflet has been circulating throughout the capital Dili threatening more of the east versus west violence that flared in May 2006, killing 37 people and driving 150,000 from their homes, if an easterner gets the police job.
Government spokesman Agio Pereira said Fretilin, the main opposition party, was "not helping the country to consolidate peace, harmony and stability" with plans for a march supposedly in support of peace, but actually dividing security forces.
"Any step to revisit regional East-West hostilities in Timor-Leste is unfortunate and unacceptable," Pereira said in a statement received by Reuters.
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My Comment: It will take decades for the scars of Timor to heal. Everyone was affected by Indonesia's brutality, and by the ethnic tensions that exploded when Timor got its independence.