Dili – More than 1,000 East Timorese gathered in the capital Dili on Sunday to mark the 15th anniversary of the Santa Cruz massacre, when Indonesian troops fired on a memorial procession, killing more than 250 people.

Ben Terrall and John M. Miller – This November 12 marks the fifteenth anniversary of the 1991 massacre at the Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili, East Timor (also called Timor-Leste).

On that day, Indonesian soldiers killed at least 271 East Timorese civilians nonviolently marching to demand a UN-supervised referendum after years of illegal Indonesian military occupation.

Lisbon – Timor Leste's former prime minister Mari Alkatiri, under investigation for his alleged role in violence that wracked the nation earlier this year, said Saturday that he believes there are plans to assassinate him and other members of his Fretilin party.

On the fifteenth anniversary of the infamous massacre at Santa Cruz cemetery in Timor-Leste, the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) called for justice for its victims and their families, as well as the many others killed and victimized during Indonesia's invasion and occupation of the territory from 1975 to 1999.

Lindsay Murdoch, Darwin – Deposed prime minister Mari Alkatiri has accused the Catholic Church's hierarchy in East Timor of being behind a conspiracy to destroy his Fretilin Government.

Matthew Libbis – On 17 October, the United Nations's Independent Commission of Inquiry for Timor-Leste released its report into who was responsible for the violence of April and May this year. Fighting broke out in Dili the night after. It could almost have been an orchestrated exercise for the hundreds of international Joint Task Force (JTF) members who had arrived the day before.

Former East Timorese prime minister Mari Alkatiri has appeared under tight security escort at the General Prosecutor's Office for questioning over allegations of arming civilians during the May unrest.

Arriving in a government car under escort from several East Timorese security personnel and six Australian soldiers, Dr Alkatiri made no comment upon arrival.

James Dunn – For Prime Minister John Howard, the recent Pacific Forum meeting must have been a rather uncomfortable experience. It should also have been a learning experience, a warning that Australians cannot take these small states for granted.

Dili – Stone-throwing between two street-roaming youth gangs in the capital of East Timor Thursday marred an otherwise peaceful celebration of a major Catholic holiday in the tiny restive nation.

Mario de Queiroz, Lisbon – After centuries of Portuguese colonialism and more than two decades of Indonesian military occupation, instability and violence continue to plague East Timor, simultaneously one of the world's newest and poorest nations.

Lindsay Murdoch, Dili – Gangs responsible for East Timor's violence, political intimidation, extortion and crime have been linked to powerful Timorese figures with political ambitions and the country's main political parties.

Lindsay Murdoch, Dili – The East Timorese Government has ordered a crackdown on activists behind a campaign aimed at denigrating Australian security forces in Dili and fuelling anti-Australian sentiment.

Lindsay Murdoch, Dili – Australian embassy officials and staff in Dili have tightened their security as unidentified people spread rumours that appear to be aimed at provoking attacks against Australians in East Timor.

Lindsay Murdoch, Dili – The commander of East Timor's army has called for an investigation into the behaviour of Australian troops in Dili, including claims they have taken sides in the conflict that plunged the country into violent upheaval.

Matthew B Arnold – With America's adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan faltering and United Nations peace-keeping missions stretched thin and struggling from Haiti to the Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the world is looking for proof that "interventionism" can produce positive results, especially for the longer term.

Lindsay Murdoch – Security forces in East Timor fear violence will dramatically escalate in Dili after the execution of a leader of one of East Timor's biggest gangs. The martial arts gang leader was shot in the head on a Dili street, where for weeks rival gangs have fought fiercely.

Dili – East Timor's Bishop Carlos Belo has reportedly held meetings with a rebel leader and key politicians named in a damning UN report on the country's violence to try to stop the ongoing unrest.

Two men were stabbed to death after evening prayers in East Timor, a hospital director said, in the latest violence to disrupt the tiny nation since foreign peacekeepers arrived in May.

Four other people were injured in the fighting on Sunday night between rival gangs in the capital, Dili, Antonio Caleres, director of the Dili National Hospital, told The Associated Press.

Tim Johnston – East Timor used to be the poster child for international intervention, but a report published this week by a group of United Nations investigators illustrates just how shallow the veneer of success was and just how difficult getting the country back on track is going to be.

Lindsay Murdoch, Darwin – Mick Slater, the commander of Australia's peacekeeping force in Dili, has revealed that he could not arrest East Timor's most wanted fugitive, Alfredo Reinado, during a secret meeting in the mountains last week because he was outnumbered.

The East Timorese Government was handed a heaven-sent opportunity this week to begin the long overdue process of healing the rifts so vividly exposed by last May's wave of violence.

Reports on violence in East Timor have tended, in the past, to be followed by inaction.

Jakarta – UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged the East Timorese today to accept the conclusions of an inquiry by the world body into deadly violence that rocked Dili earlier this year.

Lirio da Fonseca, Dili – East Timor's prime minister stood by the chief of the armed forces on Wednesday, after a UN inquiry called for his prosecution over the arming of civilians during a wave of violence in the tiny nation in May.

Lindsay Murdoch, Darwin – Former East Timorese prime minister Mari Alkatiri failed to stop weapons being distributed to civilians and should face a criminal investigation, a UN inquiry has found.

Mark Dodd – A UN inquiry into the causes of deadly violence in East Timor earlier this year has accused President Xanana Gusmao of inflaming tensions which brought the country to the brink of civil war.

The long-awaited UN report has also recommended former prime minister Mari Alkatiri face a criminal investigation over alleged weapons offences.

But context of recent violence needs greater attention

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) today praised the work of the UN's Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the violence in Timor-Leste last April and May.

Canberra – East Timor's parliament will next month consider ratifying a revenue sharing treaty with Australia covering Timor Sea energy resources that would remove one of the stumbling blocks to the development of a major oil and gas project, East Timor's prime minister said Thursday.

Reporter: Anne Barker

Peter Cave: The Brussels based International Crisis Group has warned that a United Nations report on the political and security crisis in East Timor will be explosive and may touch off another round of serious violence. The UN report is due out within days, and is expected to name those responsible for the recent turmoil.

Mark Dodd and Sid Marris – East Timor President Xanana Gusmao and his former prime minister Mari Alkatiri have been singled out for criticism in a report from the UN into the violence last April.

The wide-ranging report is understood to be a brutal assessment of the breakdown of control that culminated in an Australian-led peacekeeping force being deployed.

Lisbon – East Timor's deposed prime minister, Mari Alkatiri, rejected Thursday a report by a conflict-prevention group which recommended that he and President Xanana Gusmao sit out next year's general election to reduce tensions in Asia's newest nation.

Dili – East Timor violence could return to East Timor ahead of general elections next year, a conflict-prevention group warned Tuesday, recommending that the country's president and former prime minister sit out the polls to help reduce tensions.

An oil company behind allegations that East Timor's former prime minister accepted bribes from oil giant ConocoPhillips, says banking records in Darwin could be destroyed before the case goes to trial.

East Timor will need to tackle security sector reform to get back on track after deadly unrest earlier this year, the International Crisis Group (ICG) said in a report.

The tiny four-year-old nation descended into chaos in April and May after the government's dismissal of more than a third of its armed forces, who deserted their barracks complaining of discrimination.

Reporter: Tony Jones

Tony Jones: Well, we're joined now by the East Timorese Prime Minister Jose Ramos-Horta, and, as you've seen, he's just come from delivering the Hal Wooten lecture at the law faculty of the University of New South Wales. As we said earlier, he'll be meeting the Prime Minister John Howard on Thursday. Thank you for joining us, Jose Ramos Horta.

Ahmad Pathoni, Jakarta – Giving jobs to some 600 military rebels whose dismissal triggered deadly violence in East Timor this year is crucial to resolving a crisis there, the International Crisis Group (ICG) said in a report on Tuesday.

Table of contents

Executive summary

Recommendations

I. Introduction

II. Implications of resistance-era splits

Dili – East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao expressed on Thursday his gratitude for the Cuban medical and education cooperation in his nation and pleaded for its continued development and expansion to other fields.

With their leaders continuing to bicker over their political differences, there's no end in sight to the troubles of the hapless East Timorese. The conflict goes on, albeit sporadically these days, though just last week, the ruling Fretilin Party's headquarters in Dili were torched. But what about the ordinary East Timorese?

Carmela Baranowska – When the Australian Federal Police (AFP) fired tear gas towards the refugee camp, the young men who had launched the initial attack with stones and bows and arrows had already fled. But they had run away from the refugees in the opposite direction and not towards the camp.

Helen Hill – If accurate, recent revelations by John Martinkus about East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao are disturbing but not altogether unexpected.

The U-N mission in East Timor has been thrown into disarray with the appointment of the new mission chief revoked. Antonio Macarenhas Monteiro was appointed as Timor's new UN envoy earlier this month to replace the outgoing Sukehiro Hasegawa. That leaves Timor without a U-N head of mission and the timing couldn't be worse, with more violence on the streets of Dili this week.

Dili – Unidentified men set the Dili headquarters of East Timor's main political party Fretilin on fire today, but there were no casualties, a member of the fire brigade said.

The fire partially gutted the office building and spread to three nearby homes, sending plumes of thick black smoke into the air.

Lindsay Murdoch – The man appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, to head a new mission in East Timor has decided not to take the job, in a setback for plans to help the country recover from months of violence.

Dili – International police in East Timor fired tear gas to disperse groups of youths fighting on the streets of the capital today and later arrested some at a refugee camp, witnesses said.

East Timor's police force has begun returning to work in the capital Dili. It is the first time this has happened since the city descended into violence earlier this year.

Paul Alexander, United Nations – East Timor needs fair elections, reconciliation and a big injection of international aid to overcome the recent violence that battered the fledgling nation, Foreign Minister Jose Luis Guterres said Wednesday.

This week The Australian published an opinion piece by Mark Aarons attacking journalist John Martinkus, and New Matilda, for articles we have published on the recent violence in East Timor.

Mark Aarons – East Timor remains unstable, although much calmer than in May and June when it was racked with civil strife. Non-aligned Prime Minister Jose Ramos-Horta has begun to put the Government on a stable course, given the shambles he inherited from Fretilin's Mari Alkatiri.

Dili – Violence erupted on the streets of the East Timorese capital today as two groups pelted each other with stones, forcing residents in the area to flee their homes.

The disturbance occurred between two groups of youths from different regions of East Timor near the Comoro market at about 2pm local time, witnesses said.