| Subject: ffitz - AAP: Young men rally to Falintil
From: "John M. Miller" <fbp@igc.apc.org> Young men rally to Fretilin, but ceasefire sticking By Karen Polglaze, South East Asia Correspondent JAKARTA, Feb 10 AAP - Young men have been rallying to the East Timorese pro-independence Fretilin movement in recent months but a ceasefire was being observed, former commander MaHuno said here today. As the Indonesian military continued its recruitment of an armed civilian militia, there were renewed reports of disturbances in parts of the disputed half-island territory. The men joining the militia are being hired to secure the status quo - a signal to the pro-independence movement that they will be used against them in armed confrontations, although in most cases the militia will be armed with sticks rather than guns. But Fretilin's military wing, Falintil, also had firearms, and their recruits were on the rise, MaHuno said today. "I don't know exactly the number ... but now I think it is 1,000 or 1,200 personnel now in Falintil," he told reporters. The upsurge in recruiting had occurred in the past few months - before that there had been perhaps two or three hundred guerrillas. "They are young people, they joined the Falintil armed forces in the jungle," MaHuno said. "Yes, we have weapons. "(There is a) ceasefire now, they are under commanders' orders." Defence Minister and armed forces Commander in Chief Wiranto has said the newly hired civilian militia will be armed with sticks, but admitted that previously hired paramilitary forces had been given firearms. East Timor military district chief of staff Lieutenant Colonel Supadi had previously told AAP that guns were being given to the militia because otherwise there would be casualties on the side of the armed forces. The arming of pro-Indonesian civilians has alarmed many who fear civil war in the province as Indonesia has said that it may cut loose the territory in a matter of months. Back to February Menu |