Dili – The first Portuguese diplomat to visit East Timor since Indonesia's 1975 invasion met with the troubled territory's two Roman Catholic bishops Sunday, amid reports of renewed factional violence.

Ana Gomes, the head of the Portuguese interest section opened in Jakarta last month, attended an early morning mass led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dili Bishop Carlos Ximenes Felipe Belo.

Gomes joined about 500 people for the early morning mass but did not take part in the communion. She shook hands with Belo and briefly spoke to him afterwards. Scores of people also tried to shake her hand after the mass and she spoke to a few in Portuguese, a language still widely in use in the former Portuguese colony despite 23 years of Indonesian efforts to introduce the Indonesian language as the main language here.

Accompanied by her retinue, Gomes then left for Baucau, a town some 200 kilometres (125 miles) east of here which is the seat of the territory's other diocese led by Bishop Basilio do Nascimento.

"She arrived in a convoy of three or four cars and went directly into discussion with the bishop," said a Roman Catholic priest at the Baucau diocese who identified himself only as Father Rui.

Rui could not give further details of the meeting or the schedule.

A source in Baucau said also present at the meeting at the diocese was the head of the Baucau chapter of the National Council of Timorese Resistance, Marito Reis.

A source travelling with her said Gomes was expected return to Dili after the talks to visit the house of pro-independence activist Manuel Carrascalao, where hundreds of refugees have sought shelter from violence in their regions since January.

Tensions have risen in East Timor, annexed unilaterally by Indonesia in 1976, since Jakarta announced late January that it would give the territory independence if the people rejected autonomy.

The surprise January announcement by Jakarta has led to rising tensions between Indonesian residents, pro-Indonesia factions and pro-independence groups.

Unconfirmed reports in Jakarta said two civilians were killed in clashes between pro-independence and pro-Indonesian groups in Baucau on Saturday, but the incident could not be confirmed by the military or police.

Several people were also reportedly wounded in Liquica, some 30 kilometres west of here, when violence broke out after rumors that a local parish priest had been stabbed by pro-Indonesian civilian militia members Saturday.

The priest, Father Rafael da Santos, had been stopped at a road block manned by pro-Indonesian militia, the Kompas daily said.

A passing public transport driver rebuked the pro-Indonesian activists for questioning a priest but was attacked by arrows.

The priest intervened and took the wounded driver to hospital in his car but the sight of blood on his robe sparked rumors the priest had been stabbed.

Thousands of people angered by the report, many armed with knives, machetes and arrows gathered in Liquica.

They set up road-blocks, checking passing cars and passengers, beating up those who were not pro-independence, the daily said, adding "several people were wounded."

The priest had to come forward and assure the crowd he was not wounded before the mob dispersed, the daily said.

Sources said Gomes, who will be in East Timor until Tuesday, will also meet with military and police chiefs, as well as leaders of several major political groupings, both pro-independence and pro-autonomy. Gomes is also due to meet with representatives of human rights watchdogs operating here.