I won't surrender: Reinado

The Australian – June 30, 2007

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Dili, East Timor

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.

In what appears to have been a politically motivated decision, President Jose Ramos Horta two weeks ago officially called off the pursuit, one of the International Stabilisation Force's main activities since Major Reinado and a gang of followers escaped from jail in Dili last August.

But East Timor's most wanted man yesterday rejected Attorney-General Longuinhos Monteiro's call to hand himself in, saying: "There is no such word as surrender for Reinado."

Major Reinado is wanted on murder and illegal weapons charges related to the civil and military unrest last year in which dozens died.

The Australian-trained soldier and former stevedore appeared recently to have convinced Mr Ramos Horta to agree to a "dialogue" with major players "in order to guarantee the stability of the nation", with the powerful Catholic church as mediator.

Australian Brigadier Mal Rerdon was formally instructed on Wednesday to cease the hunt, in a letter from Mr Monteiro seen by The Australian.
But in a sign that Mr Ramos Horta remains several steps ahead of Major Reinado, the President emerged from a meeting on Thursday night at which the matter was discussed saying, "I have no plans to meet Mr Reinado, now or any time soon".

Support for the one-time head of East Timor's military police played a key role in the recent presidential elections won by Mr Ramos Horta and will again be crucial today, with a large turnout expected for the Democratic Party of former guerilla fighter Fernando "Lasama" de Araujo.

Many of Mr de Araujo's supporters are also backers of Major Reinado.
Mr de Araujo, who polled third place in the presidential vote, will bring a solid block to an expected coalition government likely to be led by the emerging challenger to the ruling Fretilin party, Kay Rala "Xanana" Gusmao's CNRT.

No party is expected to win the 33 seats required to form a majority government and Fretilin has indicated it is not interested in ruling in coalition. So Mr Ramos Horta's apparent willingness to go along with Major Reinado's dialogue plan could be crucial to Mr Gusmao grabbing the support he needs to become the country's next prime minister.

"We (the Democratic Party) are certain we can get 40 per cent of the 65 parliamentary seats," Mr de Araujo told The Weekend Australian yesterday. "In a coalition we are going to have 60 or 70 per cent, which means Fretilin will lose."

But the degree to which the apparent temporary amnesty could be a political move was evident in comments made by the Attorney-General, who said there had never been any intention for meetings with the fugitive, "only that he surrender".

"I think the word dialogue has been misinterpreted by Alfredo and by everyone else," Mr Monteiro said.

Asked to respond, Major Reinado said: 'He (Mr Monteiro) should read the dictionary - he's the one who misunderstands. Dialogue and surrender are two different words."

Additional reporting: Emmy Zumaidar