Mark Dodd, Gleno – Indonesian authorities have lost control of the strategic coffee-growing district town of Gleno which is now in the hands of hundreds of pro-Jakarta militia.
Yesterday afternoon a Herald journalist saw widespread destruction of property, including houses burning, and militia checkpoints throughout the town.
There was virtually no sign of any official authority, with government offices closed along with markets and shops. The only bakery was torched by militia yesterday morning.
The 45-kilometre road leading out of Dili up into the mountains to Gleno passes through at least six roadblocks manned by the Aitarak and Besih Merah Putih militia. A police or army escort is needed to bypass them safely.
Militia have threatened to capture and kill an Australian journalist over what they see as the negative portrayal of the pro-integration case. This situation has been worsened by the militia dispute involving the 60 Minutes reporter Richard Carleton, who was expelled from East Timor on Wednesday.
Yesterday afternoon, Gleno was mostly deserted. The market was closed and the only activity apart from an occasional speeding United Nations vehicle was gangs of surly-faced militia loitering on street corners and manning checkpoints.
Truckloads of militia continued to arrive in the town yesterday afternoon and civil servants were seen leaving on their motorcycles.
Gleno seemed more like a militia-run ghost town. The police headquarters, normally a bustling district office, was more like a military camp reinforced with heavily armed Mobile Brigade Police at the entrance.
The police chief, Colonel Erry Gulthom, has received death threats from the militia for being a "traitor to the autonomy cause".
He told the Herald that he was concerned about security in the town and provided a heavily armed police escort to ensure safe passage back to Dili.
"The situation here is changing hour by hour – it is very unpredictable," Colonel Gulthom said. "It was very peaceful here until voting day."
A UN electoral observer, Mr Mark Plunkett, a former UN special prosecutor in Cambodia, said: "It has been to date a fair inference that Indonesia has been unable to discharge its obligations for law and order under the tripartite agreement.
"Sadly, today they now candidly admit they are unable to do so in the district town of Gleno. A bunch of street thugs and hooligans should not be allowed to stand over Indonesia, let alone the international community."
On Wednesday, the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, issued a statement condemning violence outside the headquarters of the UN Mission in East Timor (Unamet) in which two people died.
The death toll is feared to be considerably higher in suburbs outside Dili but now considered too dangerous to reach.
Reliable Indonesian police sources told of factions within the police. One Gleno-based police intelligence officer was alleged to be receiving orders from Dili that instructed his officers not to intervene against the militia.
Many Brimob Police are angry and frustrated at the situation. "I've been here for nine years. Now I want to get out," said one Balinese officer.
A house next to a UN Civilian Police (UN Civpol) residence was burnt to the ground on Wednesday night as a warning that the police would be targeted next. Yesterday they were moving to safer premises at the main UN office in Gleno.
"I'll tell you the situation in Gleno," said one UN police officer. "The militia are burning houses and setting up road blocks and the [Indonesian] police can't do a thing to stop it."
At 6pm on Wednesday Colonel Gulthom told UN Civpol he could no longer guarantee protection for its staff in Gleno because of the deteriorating security. On Tuesday, a Civpol team led a 17- vehicle convoy out of the town after violence erupted after Monday's polling.
Dili was gripped with tension and fear yesterday as rumours swirled of an imminent wave of militia violence triggered by the huge voter turnout. Militia roadblocks in Dili begin just outside the airport, about five kilometres west of the city centre.
There are unconfirmed reports that militia in the East Timorese enclave of Oecussi have been ordered to move their base to Dili. Many Indonesian and foreign media crews have already left Dili and others have booked on special evacuation charter flights.
The daily UN news briefing yesterday was attended by about 150 reporters, TV crew and photographers – about half the previous day's number.
As the UN prepared to hunker down for another night in Gleno, one senior official said to this departing journalist: "Please tell the world what is going on here."