EAST TIMOR: The streets of Dili were almost deserted yesterday afternoon, a day after violent clashes between rival East Timorese factions, with no local police or military presence about.
Foreign minister Jose Ramos-Horta told New Zealand Radio that the warring parties in the tiny nation might be brought together for talks over the weekend, and that in the meantime government forces and the fighting factions had agreed to leave the city.
"By Sunday, I hope for a roundtable chaired by the president, Xanana Gusmao," he said.
One hospital official said 10 people were killed and about 30 wounded on Thursday in clashes sparked by a government decision to sack almost half the country's military after they protested against poor conditions.
Most of those killed were shot when rebel army elements opened fire on unarmed police being escorted out of Dili police headquarters after a negotiated ceasefire, officials said.
At least six people had already been killed in Dili, the capital, before Thursday as protests by many of the almost 600 dismissed soldiers spiralled into violent clashes.
Officials said the fighting appeared to have quietened down after commandos from Australia, one of several countries asked to help, landed on Thursday.
The Australian military presence at the airport was strong yesterday and more troops were arriving. Those already there appeared relaxed, smoking and lounging in the shade of trees.
Two Australian armoured personal carriers were seen on Dili's streets near deserted government buildings and the UN compound at one point disgorged a dozen soldiers who patrolled on foot, sweating profusely in the tropical humidity.
Shops were closed but some residents emerged to stare at the troops in curiosity and in some cases use mobile phone cameras to take pictures of them. A few shouted "Australia, the saviour!".
President Gusmao made a radio announcement yesterday saying he was now in total charge of security, including local military and police as well as international forces.
East Timor, which shares a land border with Indonesia's West Timor, became the world's newest nation in 2002 after a bloody 1999 vote to break free from nearly 25 years of Indonesian rule.
Asked yesterday whether Indonesia felt uneasy with the large presence of Australian troops in East Timor, foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda said: "Absolutely not."
East Timor requested international help on Wednesday. Jean-Marie Guehenno, the UN's undersecretary-general for peacekeeping, said in a briefing to the UN Security Council in New York that East Timor's national police force was reported to be in disarray.
The security council backed the deployment of foreign troops.
Meanwhile tens of thousands of Timorese have been displaced by the violence, aid agencies say.
Oxfam Australia programme manager in Dili, Keryn Clark, said: "We think in Dili we have probably got 30,000 at the moment. It's very hard for us to get the numbers."
Aid group World Vision said in a statement that gangs of armed youths were threatening to attack at least two compounds containing thousands of internally displaced people.