Precedence: bulk
FIVE HOUSES SET AFIRE IN GLENO
Dili, Aug. 31 (Lusa) - Pro-autonomy militiamen set fire
Tuesday to five houses in Gleno, 50 kms southwest of Dili, a member
of the Portuguese Observers Mission has stated.
Jose Manuel Catarrinho was one of four Portuguese observers
prevented for more than 10 hours from leaving the UNAMET (UN Mission
in East Timor) office in Gleno.
The burned houses all belonged to people with links to the
pro-independence CNRT (Timorese National Resistance Council),
Catarrinho said.
About 140 people, including UNAMET employees, Portuguese and
international observers, were blocked from leaving Gleno by militia
members, who were allegedy searching for locally-hired UN election
workers and hoping to seize ballot boxes containing votes cast in the
Monday self-determination referendum.
Indonesian police protected the UNAMET building during
negotiations with militiamen and then escorted a road convoy carrying
the observers and UNAMET workers back to Dili.
Several UN civil policemen (CivPol) remained in Gleno, along
with some locally-hired UN staff, Catarrinho said.
The ballot boxes were successfully transported to the East
Timor capital by a helicopter, which was stoned by militiamen in
Gleno on its first landing attempt. -Lusa-
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