Asia PR News

SYDNEY, 30 Mar/ Medianet International-AsiaNet/–

Fretilin party representatives hinder Australian troops protecting both
Fretilin motorcade and participants during rally.

Today the Fretilin party indicated it would lodge a protest against the
role of the Australian Army in East Timor for the alleged treatment of a party
representative travelling in a motorcade from a Fretilin rally in a high
security zone. Unconfirmed reports suggest the Fretilin party representatives
were purposefully hindering Australian security forces, by not co-operating
with them- a source was quoted as saying "the Australian military was only
attempting to maintain order and security for both the motorcade and rally
participants -which is what they were asked to come to Timor-Leste to do."

This protest by the Fretilin party is in stark contrast to their
endorsement of the role of the Australian military in providing security
services in Timor-Leste. On May 25 2006 at the height of the crisis, both
leaders of the Fretilin party, Fransisco Guterres "Lu olo" President of the
Parliament and Mari Alkatiri, then Prime Minister, signed a letter with the
President of the Republic, of request to the Australian Government seeking
assistance from Prime Minister John Howard and the Australian Defence force to
"stabilize and control current security crisis".

A further letter of agreement was also signed by both leaders of Fretilin
authorising Australian Defence Forces "to assist Timor-Leste in the
restoration, security, confidence and peace in Timor-Leste including assisting
in re-establishing and maintaining order and assisting in the provision and
security to persons".

Fretilin has been running a party election platform renouncing the
peacekeeping mission of the Australian Defence Force, when, in fact, the
engagement of the ADF was initiated, endorsed and welcomed by both leaders.

SOURCE: Alliance.org

For information contact:
Dionisio Babo Soares
+679-7243952

Australian Contact:
M Stephens
+61-404-478-302