Received from Joyo Indonesia News

U.N. launches probe in death of E.Timor protester

JAKARTA, Nov 27 (Reuters) - The United Nations mission in East Timor said on Wednesday it had launched an investigation into the death of an East Timorese man hit by gunfire during a rally in front of a police station two days ago.

The victim, Calisto Belo Soares, was among a number of residents of East Timor's second largest city of Baucau who protested on Monday over police treatment of villagers who had blocked roads to collect tolls from passing vehicles.

The protest triggered a clash between the demonstrators and police and 30 Portuguese peacekeepers went to the help of local police controlling the crowd.

The U.N. mission said it would look into the reason why East Timor police fired a large number of warning rounds during the incident.

"(The investigation) is designed to be as thorough and transparent as possible. We will leave no stone unturned to get at the truth," said U.N. Police Commissioner Peter Miller.

East Timor became an independent country in May after the United Nations administered the tiny territory for almost three years in the wake of a 1999 vote for independence from Indonesia.

Its police and military have been trained and supervised by the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor.

International peacekeepers have been protecting East Timor since machete-wielding pro-Jakarta militia backed by elements in the Indonesian military laid waste to the area after the East Timorese voted overwhelmingly to split from Jakarta rule.

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