Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Australian soldiers kill IDPs at Dili’s international airport
Last week at least three IDPs were shot at the IDP camp in Dili’s airport, two have been confirmed as fatal, the other one sustained a massive injury. One of the victims received a bullet to his head, the other was shot in his chest and another one on his leg. The first two died, one on site, the other one in hospital. One of the victims was actually related to a Timorese parliamentarian representing the Christian Democrats and a vocal Fretilin opponent.
According to ADF sources the Australian soldiers were responding to a disturbance at the IDP camp, located in the perimeter of Dili’s Nicolau Lobato Airport, before the shooting took place on Friday morning. The ADF statement went on to say that yhey “were attacked with steel arrows, which are potentially lethal weapons" and they defended themselves by firing back at their attackers. According to East Timorese witnesses however, the victim who died on the spot was apparently shot inside his tent. This tent had been erected near the razor fence as an observation post to monitor the raising water level that resulted from the recent rain. It appeared that the bullet hit the victim inside his tent and then he crawled outside to find alternative cover as he bled heavily and died. There are photo evidence which corroborate this account. The interior of this tent is soaked in blood and the tent itself is riddled with bullet holes.
This is the first confirmed fatality committed by Australian soldiers against any East Timorese. The fact that the victims came from the “lorosa’e” or the eastern part of Timor-Leste is even more significant. Last year’s crisis was created artificially on a supposed east-west divide by the East Timorese elite and their fellow co-conspirators abroad. The victims of this conspiracy were none more so than the population of Dili. It began with rumors perpetuated in Dili by Timor-Leste’s political elite and some Australian “academics” that the F-FDTL were siding with the eastern East Timorese to murder their western brethrens. When the Australian soldiers landed in Dili, the F-FDTL withdrew leaving the security in the hands of the Australians soldiers. Waves of reprisals ensued as the Australian soldiers, supposedly in charge of security, looked on. People were driven out of their homes and into IDP camps while others were killed in a wave of reprisals. The Australian soldiers took on a relaxed attitude in the face of the violence prompting many East Timorese, in particular the easterners, to suspect that their sympathies lied with the westerners. A large section of the Timorese community generally view the Australian soldiers with much suspicion and these deaths will only exacerbate their image in the community.
As to be expected, the reaction to this incidence has been significant and cannot be ignored. Anyone with a knowledge of the present situation in Timor-Leste, particularly in Dili, should take this particular reaction seriously. A group of organizations and individuals wrote a letter condemning the Australian soldiers’ actions. Some of the signatories of this letter included warring youth gangs like 77, PSHT, etc. The Australians soldiers have just become a catalyst, uniting these warring youth groups and have given them something else to throw their anger on. So what’s next? Australians soldiers hunting down members o 77 and PSHT and shooting them dead?
According to ADF sources the Australian soldiers were responding to a disturbance at the IDP camp, located in the perimeter of Dili’s Nicolau Lobato Airport, before the shooting took place on Friday morning. The ADF statement went on to say that yhey “were attacked with steel arrows, which are potentially lethal weapons" and they defended themselves by firing back at their attackers. According to East Timorese witnesses however, the victim who died on the spot was apparently shot inside his tent. This tent had been erected near the razor fence as an observation post to monitor the raising water level that resulted from the recent rain. It appeared that the bullet hit the victim inside his tent and then he crawled outside to find alternative cover as he bled heavily and died. There are photo evidence which corroborate this account. The interior of this tent is soaked in blood and the tent itself is riddled with bullet holes.
This is the first confirmed fatality committed by Australian soldiers against any East Timorese. The fact that the victims came from the “lorosa’e” or the eastern part of Timor-Leste is even more significant. Last year’s crisis was created artificially on a supposed east-west divide by the East Timorese elite and their fellow co-conspirators abroad. The victims of this conspiracy were none more so than the population of Dili. It began with rumors perpetuated in Dili by Timor-Leste’s political elite and some Australian “academics” that the F-FDTL were siding with the eastern East Timorese to murder their western brethrens. When the Australian soldiers landed in Dili, the F-FDTL withdrew leaving the security in the hands of the Australians soldiers. Waves of reprisals ensued as the Australian soldiers, supposedly in charge of security, looked on. People were driven out of their homes and into IDP camps while others were killed in a wave of reprisals. The Australian soldiers took on a relaxed attitude in the face of the violence prompting many East Timorese, in particular the easterners, to suspect that their sympathies lied with the westerners. A large section of the Timorese community generally view the Australian soldiers with much suspicion and these deaths will only exacerbate their image in the community.
As to be expected, the reaction to this incidence has been significant and cannot be ignored. Anyone with a knowledge of the present situation in Timor-Leste, particularly in Dili, should take this particular reaction seriously. A group of organizations and individuals wrote a letter condemning the Australian soldiers’ actions. Some of the signatories of this letter included warring youth gangs like 77, PSHT, etc. The Australians soldiers have just become a catalyst, uniting these warring youth groups and have given them something else to throw their anger on. So what’s next? Australians soldiers hunting down members o 77 and PSHT and shooting them dead?
