OMEN
04-29-2006, 10:46 AM
FOREIGN Minister Alexander Downer has ruled out sending troops to East Timor, saying there is only so much Australia can do for the fledgling nation.
At least two people have been killed, hundreds of homes have been damaged and cars burned in violent protests that began in the capital Dili yesterday.
Several thousand protesters took to the streets for the third rally in a week supporting 591 soldiers who were sacked last month, weeks after they deserted their barracks complaining of discrimination and poor working conditions.
Mr Downer said today the Australian Government was monitoring the situation but there were no plans to send troops there and the East Timorese Government had not asked for them.
"We wouldn't consider it if we weren't invited and we wouldn't expect to be invited. No, we have no plans to send police or troops," Mr Downer said today.
"We wouldn't even contemplate doing so unless we were invited to do so by the East Timorese, and we wouldn't expect there to be such an invitation."
Mr Downer said there was only so much Australia could do for Timor and the Government there felt it could handle the situation.
"We've played a substantial role in training both their police and their army, so I mean there's only so much a foreign power can do," he said.
"At the end of the day the East Timorese are responsible for their own country and their own behaviour, not us."
But Mr Downer warned Australians to stay away from East Timor.
"We've changed our travel advisory to warn people about the riots and the danger of the riots continuing, though we're not sure whether that will be the case or not," he said.
Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd warned of guerrilla warfare on Australia's doorstep if the Federal Government did not help resolve the protests in Dili between police and the disgruntled soldiers.
Mr Downer should ask the United Nations "immediately to act as mediator between the East Timorese Government and disaffected members of the East Timorese Defence Force," Mr Rudd said today.
"There is a grave risk that events in our immediate region are beginning to spiral out of control," he said.
"We cannot allow this situation to deteriorate any further.
"East Timor is a very close and important neighbour and a huge amount of Australian foreign policy capital and financial capital has gone into establishing an independent East Timor."
NewsAU
At least two people have been killed, hundreds of homes have been damaged and cars burned in violent protests that began in the capital Dili yesterday.
Several thousand protesters took to the streets for the third rally in a week supporting 591 soldiers who were sacked last month, weeks after they deserted their barracks complaining of discrimination and poor working conditions.
Mr Downer said today the Australian Government was monitoring the situation but there were no plans to send troops there and the East Timorese Government had not asked for them.
"We wouldn't consider it if we weren't invited and we wouldn't expect to be invited. No, we have no plans to send police or troops," Mr Downer said today.
"We wouldn't even contemplate doing so unless we were invited to do so by the East Timorese, and we wouldn't expect there to be such an invitation."
Mr Downer said there was only so much Australia could do for Timor and the Government there felt it could handle the situation.
"We've played a substantial role in training both their police and their army, so I mean there's only so much a foreign power can do," he said.
"At the end of the day the East Timorese are responsible for their own country and their own behaviour, not us."
But Mr Downer warned Australians to stay away from East Timor.
"We've changed our travel advisory to warn people about the riots and the danger of the riots continuing, though we're not sure whether that will be the case or not," he said.
Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd warned of guerrilla warfare on Australia's doorstep if the Federal Government did not help resolve the protests in Dili between police and the disgruntled soldiers.
Mr Downer should ask the United Nations "immediately to act as mediator between the East Timorese Government and disaffected members of the East Timorese Defence Force," Mr Rudd said today.
"There is a grave risk that events in our immediate region are beginning to spiral out of control," he said.
"We cannot allow this situation to deteriorate any further.
"East Timor is a very close and important neighbour and a huge amount of Australian foreign policy capital and financial capital has gone into establishing an independent East Timor."
NewsAU