Did someone get at the East Timor Prosecutor-General ?

Question

(2007) Dili, 23 Jan. (AKI) - The office of East Timor's prosecutor-general has not issued a warrant to arrest fugitive Major Alfredo Alves Reinado. In an interview with Adnkronos International (AKI) chief prosecutor, Longuinhos Monteiro, said that the news circulated in the last few days is just a rumor and that Major Reinado has showed willingness to solve the standoff. "Those people spreading these rumors are the ones creating trouble and confusion among the people in the country," Monteiro told Adnkronos International (AKI) Tuesday.

Yet on 30 June 2007 the news is

June 30, 2007

THE military hunt for runaway East Timorese soldier Alfredo Reinado will resume soon after today's parliamentary elections unless the armed fugitive surrenders, the country's Prosecutor-General has warned.

Answer 1

In an interview broadcast on the ABC, Reinado vowed he would never surrender to Australian forces and would defend himself if attacked.

"I don't never have a word of surrendering. I'll surrender to justice, not to any command, any force," he said.

Asked if he would attack Australian soldiers if he were surrounded, Reinado replied: "I never want to shoot any Australian".

When challenged that he had fired at Australians earlier this month, Reinado said: "I defend myself because they are firing at us first".

The rebel leader said he was fighting the East Timorese government because security forces had shot dead anti-government protesters during the chaos that rocked Dili last year.

"I have to get out there and stop them because this institution belongs to the people, to stand up to defend the people, not to kill the people," he said.

Reinado was once seen as an ally of Australia, and his wife and children live there.

He said he doubted whether the Australian public supported the military's attempts to capture him.

"The government was responsible, I don't believe people of Australia order this," Reinado said.

"If people of Australia lost a loved one, you (would) ask your government who order this.

"We never want to hurt anyone but we have a right to protect ourselves."

The ABC program also reports accusations Australian forces were heavy-handed when they entered the village of Sasaneh searching for Reinado, not long after the failed March 4 attempt to capture him.

"They broke furniture and they told people to put their hands up on their heads. Women and men," one villager said.

"They're 10 times worse than Indonesia. The Australian military is no good.

"In 24 years of Indonesian occupation the Indonesians never did that to our village."

The Australian military has denied destroying any houses and says it has helped villagers repair "very minor damage" to some buildings.

Brigadier Mal Rerden, who commands Australian forces in East Timor, said he was confident his troops would be able to capture Reinado.

"We have to, obviously, locate him and we're working very hard to do that and, you know, the nature of the terrain is very rugged," he said.

"But we have got very well trained, very well equipped and very well led soldiers involved in the operations and I've got great confidence in them."