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Fears of ethnic strife

P. S. Suryanarayana

Armed gangs continue to torch houses in East Timor

SINGAPORE: Armed gangs on Sunday continued to torch houses across East Timor, especially in and near the capital Dili, in a situation that threatened to turn into an ethnic strife.

The wave of troubles in the tiny and impoverished country was sparked by clashes between the Government's "loyal" troops and "rebel" soldiers who had been dismissed.

The trouble in the 1,400-strong military force erupted amid tensions between the "veterans" of the earlier anti-colonial resistance movement and the relatively "younger" followers of Xanana Gusmao, independence-leader and now President.

Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, Muslim leader in the predominantly Christian nation, reiterated his view that the crisis could be seen as a coup-attempt.

Other leaders, including Foreign Minister, stressed the need for a dialogue between the Government and the President to solve the crisis without any blame-game.

Regional diplomats perceived the priority of preventing East Timor from becoming a "failed state" in a strategically important zone.

Howard's pledge

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has pledged to bring stability to East Timor. Australia has sent a large contingent of troops, expected to number about 1,800 at full deployment, to disarm the warring groups and restore order.

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