Subject: AP: Thousands of ETimorese protest for
second day
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1998 17:16:49 +1300
From: East Timor International Support Center <etio@ozemail.com.au>THOUSANDS OF
EAST TIMORESE PROTEST FOR SECOND DAY Associated Press and additional reports from ETISC,
Darwin
DILI, Indonesia, Oct 12 AP - About 15,000 East Timorese staged a second consecutive day
of protest today and demanded the provincial governor quit over a threat to fire
government employees who support an independence referendum for the troubled territory.
The protesters arrived in hundreds of cars and motorcycles from several regencies in
the morning and joined others already in the East Timor capital, Dili.
Waving banners and chanting pro-independence slogans, the protesters marched down
several streets.
Stores, offices and schools were closed.
Hundreds of riot police blocked the crowd from entering the compound of the governor's
office
There were no reports of violence or arrests.
The protesters were angered by a recent statement by Governor Jose Abilio Osorio Soares
that civil servants in the province must support a proposal by the Indonesian government
to grant autonomy, not independence, to the former Portuguese colony.
Soares also threatened to fire government employees who back calls by separatists for a
referendum on independence.
"We will keep on protesting until the government responds to our demands,"
said Leandro Isaac, a protest organizer.
He also threatened to hold similar protest for the release of jailed East Timorese
rebel leader Xanana Gusmao, who is now serving a 30-year prison sentence in Indonesia's
capital, Jakarta.
On the first day of protest yesterday, police blocked a long convoy of motorcycles and
cars.
Indonesia annexed East Timor in 1976 after invading the previous year during a civil
war. The United Nations, however, does not recognise Indonesia's sovereignty over the
half-island territory.
Indonesia has put forward an offer to grant autonomy as part of ongoing UN-sponsored
negotiations with Portugal.
ETISC adds:
The Timorese started gathering in Korem, at the centre of Dil, around nine this
morning. By 9:50 am, close to 15,000 had assembled in the area. There were about 1,000
vehicles there with 40 trucks and cars from Liquicia district, 30 from Ermera region, 15
from Aileu and 20 from Manatuto.
The procession then moved from Korem through Dili, passing through Becora, Tailessi,
Matadouro, the cathedral at Vila Verde, Comoro and Governor Abilio Soares' residence near
the beach. The demonstration ended at Lapangan Pramuka opposite the former Chinese school.
The East Timorese were carrying banners and shouting "AUTONOMY NO! REFERENDUM
YES!"
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