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Falintil fighters to keep their arms

Source
Agence France Presse - October 6, 1999

Dili – Falintil resistance fighters will be allowed to retain their weapons in their camps pending further disarmament negotiations, despite a UN mandate to disarm all groups, an Interfet spokesman said Tuesday.

"They are going to remain in their cantonments with their weapons out of our area of presence," Colonel Mark Kelly, spokesman for the International Force for East Timor (Interfet) said. "We have accepted that they can retain their weapons within their cantonments at present," he said.

The statement followed an incident on Sunday when British Gurkhas escorting an aid convoy to the eastern city of Baucau allowed a small group of Falintil fighters to keep their assault rifles after meeting them.

The multinational force for East Timor is mandated to disarm all parties and groups, including pro-Jakarta militias blamed for massive destruction, looting and killing after the territory's August 30 independence vote.

Kelly said that Interfet officers had discussed the incident in Baucau with Falintil leaders. "Matan Ruak agreed that it was a mistake. He has instructed Falintil groups not to bear arms in the presence of Interfet soldiers," he said. Matan Ruak is the top field commander of the Falintil, the armed wing of the National Resistance Council for East Timor.

Kelly said that Interfet was continuing negotiations with Falintil with a goal of reaching full disarmament.

The multinational force for East Timor has been criticized by some quarters for seeking to disarm Falintil fighters in areas which they have yet to fully secure, and in which militias may still be operating. Kelly said he would ask the senior officers of the Indonesian army Tuesday to set up a meeting between Interfet and the leaders of the miltias for negotiations on disarmament.

He gave no further details, but most of the militia leaders are now in adjacent Indonesian-ruled West Timor.

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