Tommy Ardiansyah, Dili – Pro-Jakarta militias rallied in East Timor on Thursday, calling pro-independence leader Xanana Gusmao's call for popular insurrection an offer of war.
The meeting in Maliana, the militias' headquarters, came two days after an alleged massacre blamed on pro-Jakarta forces in which the territory's spiritual leader Bishop Carlos Belo said 25 people died.
Militia spokesman Basilio Araujo said 15,000 people attended the meeting, including 2,000 armed fighters. No independent confirmation of the numbers was available.
The town is the headquarters of all pro-Jakarta militias in the disputed territory, and is near the border with West Timor, 65 km southwest of Dili.
Militiamen vowed to fight on in Indonesia's name even if the Indonesian armed forces (ABRI) withdrew from the bloodied territory, Araujo said.
"We are ready to ask the Indonesian military to leave us and let the world know that we are still capable of defending the red and white flag in East Timor," militia commander Eurico Guterres was quoted saying at the rally.
In an earlier statement, the headquarters said it was the first of several to "reorganise and consolidate the strength and power, preparing all steps and measures to undertake to face the offer of war put forward by Xanana."
Gusmao denied on Wednesday that his call to arms constituted a declaration of war. His pro-independence Falintil forces would help ordinary East Timorese defend themselves, he said from house arrest.
On Thursday, Belo said recent killings gave legitimacy to Gusmao's call to arms but stopped short of giving it his full backing. In an interview with Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio, Belo said he had visited Liquisa, the site of Tuesday's reported massacre.
"I continue to work for peace and reconciliation, but if you don't like Xanana saying these things, you can see the situation ... on the ground," Belo said.
Pro-independence forces earlier said 45 people died on Tuesday in an attack on a church in Liquisa, 30 km west of Dili. Indonesia's military denied such reports.
In Lisbon overnight, Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio blamed the attack on Indonesia and called for the United Nations to send a force to the former Portuguese colony ahead of a vote scheduled for July on independence or autonomy.
"The Indonesian authorities must be seen as responsible before the international community for the wave of violence by armed militias against civilians," Sampaio said, saying he had discussed the issue with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Indonesian Justice Minister Muladi was quoted in the Media Indonesia daily newspaper on Thursday as saying Gusmao could be returned to jail after his call for an insurrection.