MickFury
02-11-2008, 15:40
East Timor's President Ramos-Horta wounded, assassination attempt also made on Prime Minister Gusmao.
BBC Article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/7238142.stm
CNN Article:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/02/10/etimor.ap/index.html
From BBC Article:
Mr Ramos-Horta was shot in the stomach in a pre-dawn attack on his Dili home.
Rebel leader Alfredo Reinado died in the attack. PM Xanana Gusmao, who was also attacked but not hurt, said it was an attempted coup and called for calm.
Mr Ramos-Horta has been flown to Darwin, Australia, for more treatment. Australian PM Kevin Rudd pledged to send more peacekeepers to East Timor.
He said the "attempt to assassinate the democratically elected leadership of a close friend and neighbour of Australia's is a deeply disturbing development".
"It's obviously a destabilising time, with rogue elements at play. Therefore an appropriate show of force is necessary."
Extra troops from New Zealand have also been put on standby, the country's defence minister said.
The attack on Mr Ramos-Horta happened at about 0700 on Monday (2200 GMT Sunday).
Two cars drove past the president's house on the outskirts of the capital, Dili, shooting him on the road outside.
One soldier was also reported to be seriously wounded.
Mr Ramos-Horta was taken to a hospital run by the Australian military in Dili, where he was stabilised. He has now been taken to Darwin for further treatment.
Shots were also fired at the prime minister's car shortly afterwards, but he was not hurt.
Mr Gusmao told a press briefing that the situation was under control.
"I consider this incident a coup attempt against the state by Reinado and it failed," he said.
"This government will guarantee security and development will continue."
Dili is reported to be quiet and heavily patrolled by local and international security forces.
An Australian-led UN force has been in charge of security in the capital since mid-2006.
Peacekeepers were invited into the country to quell violent clashes between police and the military, triggered by then Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri's decision to sack a third of the armed forces.
At least 37 people were killed in several weeks of fighting and more than 150,000 were forced to flee their homes.
Reinado, a former naval commander, was accused of being involved in several shooting incidents during the violence and charged with murder.
But he escaped from jail and, with a group of followers, holed himself up in the mountains, refusing government pleas to surrender.
His continued stand-off with the government had led to fears of renewed violence in what is one of the world's newest and poorest nations.
Mr Ramos-Horta is a political veteran.
He spent 24 years in exile after Indonesian troops invaded East Timor in 1975, leading the country's bid for independence from overseas and winning the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
He served in the more powerful role of prime minister in the wake of the 2006 violence, before elections last year which saw him switch roles with then President Xanana Gusmao.
East Timor gained independence in 2002.
BBC Article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/7238142.stm
CNN Article:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/02/10/etimor.ap/index.html
From BBC Article:
Mr Ramos-Horta was shot in the stomach in a pre-dawn attack on his Dili home.
Rebel leader Alfredo Reinado died in the attack. PM Xanana Gusmao, who was also attacked but not hurt, said it was an attempted coup and called for calm.
Mr Ramos-Horta has been flown to Darwin, Australia, for more treatment. Australian PM Kevin Rudd pledged to send more peacekeepers to East Timor.
He said the "attempt to assassinate the democratically elected leadership of a close friend and neighbour of Australia's is a deeply disturbing development".
"It's obviously a destabilising time, with rogue elements at play. Therefore an appropriate show of force is necessary."
Extra troops from New Zealand have also been put on standby, the country's defence minister said.
The attack on Mr Ramos-Horta happened at about 0700 on Monday (2200 GMT Sunday).
Two cars drove past the president's house on the outskirts of the capital, Dili, shooting him on the road outside.
One soldier was also reported to be seriously wounded.
Mr Ramos-Horta was taken to a hospital run by the Australian military in Dili, where he was stabilised. He has now been taken to Darwin for further treatment.
Shots were also fired at the prime minister's car shortly afterwards, but he was not hurt.
Mr Gusmao told a press briefing that the situation was under control.
"I consider this incident a coup attempt against the state by Reinado and it failed," he said.
"This government will guarantee security and development will continue."
Dili is reported to be quiet and heavily patrolled by local and international security forces.
An Australian-led UN force has been in charge of security in the capital since mid-2006.
Peacekeepers were invited into the country to quell violent clashes between police and the military, triggered by then Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri's decision to sack a third of the armed forces.
At least 37 people were killed in several weeks of fighting and more than 150,000 were forced to flee their homes.
Reinado, a former naval commander, was accused of being involved in several shooting incidents during the violence and charged with murder.
But he escaped from jail and, with a group of followers, holed himself up in the mountains, refusing government pleas to surrender.
His continued stand-off with the government had led to fears of renewed violence in what is one of the world's newest and poorest nations.
Mr Ramos-Horta is a political veteran.
He spent 24 years in exile after Indonesian troops invaded East Timor in 1975, leading the country's bid for independence from overseas and winning the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
He served in the more powerful role of prime minister in the wake of the 2006 violence, before elections last year which saw him switch roles with then President Xanana Gusmao.
East Timor gained independence in 2002.