austraLasia 1671

East Timor: Prime Minister to visit Pope while violent skirmishes kill two, injure four in Dili

DILI: 24th October 2006 -- As José Ramos-Horta, East Timor's Prime Minister, arrives in Rome to visit Pope Benedict XVI, life in Dili was yet again marred by an outbreak of violence. Two men were killed in a skirmish outside a church yesterday (Monday) evening. Another four, one of whom was a Chinese citizen, were injured in fighting between rival gangs - a continuation of the problems that beset the nation last May.
    Australia's Sydney Morning Herald, broadly quoting a Salesian whom they wrongly termed as 'head of the Salesian priests in East Timor' (Fr Antonio Transfiguração is actually Rector at Comoro) indicate that the Salesian found the killing disturbing especially because it was 'near where Mass was going on...we have lost our dignity as human beings'.
    Similar thoughts were expressed by Bishop Belo who is visiting his homeland briefly. He has told refugees (internally displaced people especially from Dili suburbs) that 'it is time to end the violence and crisis'.  He intends to meet with renegade soldiers in an effort to broker some solution to the ongoing crisis. Dili's current bishop, Alberto Ricardo da Silva, has called for calm in view of a report to be released by an independent commission of inquiry into the May violence.
    Ramos-Horta has indicated that he will carry a letter from the President, Xanana Gusmão, inviting Pope Benedict to visit East Timor.
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