- 2008 East Timorese assassination attempts
Rebel East Timorese soldiers invaded the homes of the President and Prime Minister of
East Timor onFebruary 11 ,2008 , leading to the shooting and serious wounding of PresidentJosé Ramos-Horta , the shooting up of the car of Prime MinisterXanana Gusmão , and the fatal shooting of rebel leaderAlfredo Reinado . The attacks have been variously interpreted as attemptedassassination s, attemptedkidnapping s and an attemptedcoup d’état . The rebels' intentions remain unknown.cite news |first=Greg |last=Ansley |title=Young nation on knife-edge |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10492729 |work=New Zealand Herald |publisher= |date=2008-02-16 |accessdate=2008-02-16 |quote=What the rebels' intention was remains unknown. ]After being hospitalized in Darwin,
Australia for more than a month, Ramos-Horta was discharged from hospital onMarch 19 but remained in Darwin until April for continued treatment. [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/19/asia/AS-GEN-Australia-East-Timor.php "East Timor president leaves Australian hospital after five weeks of treatment"] , Associated Press ("International Herald Tribune"), March 19, 2008.]Events
Events began before dawn when rebel soldiers led by
Alfredo Reinado entered the residential compound of PresidentJosé Ramos-Horta in the capitalDili . They disarmed the security detail on duty and entered the compound. Ramos-Horta was not there, being out jogging on the beach. The second security team, arriving to relieve the night team, saw Renaido in the house and opened fire, killing him with a shot to the head. Another rebel, Leopoldino Mendonça Exposto, was also killed. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7238142.stm "Shot East Timor leader 'critical'"] , BBC News,11 February 2008 .]Ramos-Horta was alerted of the gunfight but walked back up the hill to his home. Reinado's men opened fire on him as he approached his home. One of Ramos-Horta's guards pushed in front of him as a human shield. The guard was shot and taken to a hospital in serious condition. The surviving rebels fled the scene. [ [http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/brave-ramos-horta-ignored-warnings-about-assassination-attempt/2008/02/12/1202760299918.html Brave Ramos Horta ignored warnings about assassination attempt - World ] ]
Prime Minister
Xanana Gusmão was alerted to the attack on the presidential home and left his home by car for Dili. A group of rebel soldiers under the command of LieutenantGastão Salsinha invaded Gusmão's home, finding Gusmão's wife Kirsty and children but not Gusmão. Another party of rebels shot out the tyres of Gusmão's car on its way to Dili, but the car continued for some distance before Gusmão, unhurt, [cite news |title=East Timor President Wounded in Attack |url=http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-East-Timor-President.html?hp |publisher=The New York Times |date=2008-02-10 |accessdate=2008-02-10] abandoned it and ran into the bush to call for help.Gusmão declared a 48-hour
state of emergency , including acurfew and a ban on conducting meetings or rallies, [ [http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23199675-2,00.html "Ramos-Horta 'out of danger'"] , news.com.au,February 12 ,2008 .] and described the events as an attempted coup. Ramos-Horta was evacuated to Darwin,Australia , for emergency surgery. [ [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/11/2159893.htm?section=justin "Ramos Horta in Darwin for treatment"] , Australian Broadcasting Corporation,11 February 2008 .]Ramos-Horta had met Reinado several times in the months before the attacks, trying to persuade him to surrender. ["Despite the outstanding charges, Ramos-Horta had met with Reinado on several occasions in recent months to try to persuade him to surrender" in cite news |title=East Timor Declares State of Emergency|url=http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-East-Timor-President.html?hp|publisher=The New York Times|date=2008-02-12 |accessdate=2008-02-13] Their most recent meeting, on the preceding Sunday, was reported to have ended acrimoniously. [cite news |first=Jill |last=Jolliffe |coauthors=Stephanie March and Brendan Nicholson |title=Horta in fight for life in Darwin |url= http://www.theage.com.au/text/articles/2008/02/11/1202578694405.html |work=The Age |date=
12 February 2008 |accessdate=2008-02-14]Timeline
February 11: [cite news|url=http://ultimahora.publico.clix.pt/noticia.aspx?id=1319227 |title=Reinado morto quase uma hora antes de Ramos-Horta ser ferido|publisher=Público|date=
11 February 2008 (in Portuguese).] ["Destaque: Timor-Leste", in Público, February 13 2008, particularly: Jorge Heitor, "O filme de uma acção golpista" and Pedro Bacelar de Vasconcelos, "Incompetência e inutilidade do aparato internacional". [http://www.publico.clix.pt/ Público's online Portal (open to all)] and [http://jornal.publico.clix.pt/ Público's online version of the printed edition (only for subscribers)] (in Portuguese).]
*6h05 and after: A group of hooded, armed men in two cars with government license plates,Anthony Deutsch. " [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gGlbl_G-Sa8auVrMl-D0YwOzUydAD8UPK5NO1 Timorese President Walked Into Gunfight] ", Associated Press.] led byAlfredo Reinado (the only one not hooded [ [http://dn.sapo.pt/2008/02/21/internacional/onu_confirma_ligacao_ataques_a_ramos.html ABEL COELHO DE MORAIS, FIRDIA LISNAWATI-AP, "ONU confirma ligação de ataques a Ramos-Horta e Xanana Gusmão"] ,Diário de Notícias online , 21 February 2008 (in Portuguese).] ), go to the Díli residence (in Metiaut) of President José Ramos-Horta. According to the UN preliminary investigation, ["Ataques visavam matar Xanana e Ramos-Horta, diz a ONU", in Público, February 21, 2008. [http://www.publico.clix.pt/ Público's online Portal (open to all)] and [http://jornal.publico.clix.pt/ Público's online version of the printed edition (only for subscribers)] (in Portuguese).] the group consisted of 12 or 13 men in military uniform. About three of them stood at the entrance after having restrained the F-FDTL soldier that guarded the main entrance, and about seven, lead by Reinado, went into the residence searching for Ramos-Horta. According to Associated Press, they "jumped from two cars, firing machine guns as they stormed the compound" shouting, "Traitor! Traitor!" They search the residence for Ramos-Horta who is not there.
*6h30-6h40: A series of continuous gunfire is heard by a neighbour of the President's residence, Fernando Encarnação, according to statements he made to the Portuguese official news agency, LUSA.
*6h40-6h45: Encarnação phones the UN security and tells them what he has heard. He is told the UN security forces already know of what is happening.
*6h45-6h50: Encarnação hears a second series of continuous gunfire.
*6h50-6h59:
**Reinado is shot dead by the F-FDTL (Timor Leste Defence Force ) inside the President's residence. One of his men, Leopoldino Mendonça Exposto, is also killed. According to the UN preliminary investigation, this happened after the F-DTL guard had been woken by a civilian employee warning him that there was a group of hooded men searching the residence for Ramos-Horta. According to Associated Press, the guard who killed Reinado stated: "I shouted Alfredo's name and then opened fire at his head with my machine gun because he was wearing a bulletproof vest," and "I fired many times, I don't know how many times".
**A 17 year old niece of Ramos-Horta calls him on his cell phone while he is jogging, warning him that his home was attacked by a group of men. This warning is repeated by a foreign diplomat who wishes to remain unidentified.
*6h59 and after:
**Ramos-Horta, "making his way inland", "refused a ride from a passing vehicle and walked up the public road to the house escorted by two bodyguards with pistols", according to Associated Press.
**Returning to his home, at about 20 m from the main gate in Boulevard John Kennedy, Ramos-Horta is fired upon by "by men laying in wait across from the main entrance to the residence". He receives two gunshot wounds in the chest and one in the stomach. According to Associated Press, "during the shooting, an East Timor soldier arrived by car and drove into the line of fire to protect Ramos-Horta, crashing into a signpost and a wooden fence before he too was critically injured". The attackers fled in a vehicle and Ramos-Horta staggered into his house. [cite news |first=Lindsay |last=Murdoch |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/ramoshorta-braved-rebels/2008/02/12/1202760301995.html |title=Ramos-Horta braved rebels |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=13 February 2008 |accessdate=2008-02-14] According to the UN preliminary findings, the fleeing attackers went into the mountains where they joined the group that would attack Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão.
**A phone call is made to the National Operations Center warning about the situation. Immediately two units, one of the East Timorese National Police and another from the UN policy contingent, are sent to the President's house from Becorá, in the outskirts of Díli.
*7h00: Group "Bravo" of thePortuguese National Republican Guard is called to the scene.
*7h00-7h05: According to neighbour Fernando Encarnação, a car of the UN policy contingent arrives at the scene and blocks access to the President's residence. According to Ramos-Horta's brother, Arsénio Ramos-Horta, who was with him at the time, the UN police did not help his wounded brother and prevented access to the residence. [Arsénio Ramos-Horta interviewed by Ben Doherty, Darwin- February 14, 2008 - 4:01PMThe Age.]
*7h10: The first ambulance is called to the scene, according to the UN mission.
*7h11: Group "Bravo" leaves its quarters for the scene.
*7h13: Ramos-Horta phones his chief-of-staff Natália Carrascalão and tells her that he his wounded.
*7h15: Group "Bravo" arrives at the residence.
*7h23: Ramos-Horta is found by Group "Bravo" near a bambu fence.
*7h25: Ramos-Horta, after being assisted by para-medic Jorge Marques of the INEM (Portuguese National Institute of Medical Emergency ), is transported by ambulance to the Australian field hospital.
*7h30 and after: Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão is told by one of his drivers of the attack on President Ramos-Horta.FRETILIN leaderFrancisco Guterres advises Gusmão to stay in his residence. Gusmão decides to go to Díli.
*8h30 and after:
**Gusmão's three car motorcade, having just left his second residence, is attacked by a group lead byGastão Salsinha . [Isabel Gourjão Santos, "Gastão Salsinha assume-se como novo líder dos rebeldes", in Público, February 15 2008. [http://www.publico.clix.pt/ Público's online Portal (open to all)] and [http://jornal.publico.clix.pt/ Público's online version of the printed edition (only for subscribers)] (in Portuguese).] Under heavy fire, his security personnel are able to repulse the attackers. One of the motorcade vehicles reportedly left the road and rolled over.
**Gusmão's residence in Balíbar (30 minutes drive from Díli) is surrounded by an armed group. Gusmão had just left, but his wife Kirsty Sword-Gusmão and their three sons were there. Kirsty Sword-Gusmão phones her husband and realizes he is under attack. She told LUSA [ [http://www.lusa.pt LUSA - official site] ] that the forces led by Gastão Salsinha, who had left the attack on the motorcade, tried to take the weapons from her three security officers.
*9h15 and after:
**Units of Group "Bravo" of the Portuguese National Republican Guard arrive at Gusmão's residence.
**Sword-Gusmão and her three sons, joined by Gusmão, are safely evacuated by units of the Portuguese National Republican Guard.
*Noon: Gusmão declares a state of emergency for 48 hours in a television broadcast.
*Night:
**After being assisted in the Australian field hospital, Ramos-Horta is flown to Darwin, Australia, for further medical care.
**Ramos-Horta arrives in Australia, accompanied by his sister Rosa Carrascalão, in a Careflight plane and is driven under police escort to Royal Darwin Hospital.Reaction
According to Australian Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd , the attacks were "...a coordinated attempt to assassinate the democratically elected leadership..." [ [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/11/2159782.htm Rudd pledges more troops for East Timor - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) ] ] U.N. Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon condemned the attack on Ramos-Horta as "brutal and unspeakable".Guido Goulart, [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iBwRshgYrpyGWdo136kysipYNxgAD8UOH5VO0 "East Timor Declares State of Emergency"] , Associated Press, February 12, 2008.]Australia and
New Zealand said they would send more peacekeeping troops and police to East Timor. [cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10491945|title=More NZ troops for Timor|publisher=The New Zealand Herald |date=12 February 2008 |author=Greg Ansley]Portugal stated that it would send additional troops if the U.N. requests so. [cite news|url=http://ultimahora.publico.clix.pt/noticia.aspx?id=1319209&idCanal=11 |title=Portugal empenhado e disponível para estabilizar democracia timorense|publisher=Público|date=11 February 2008 (in Portuguese).]Aftermath of the attacks
Vicente Guterres , the Vice-President of Parliament, became acting President following the attacks; he was soon replaced as acting President by Fernando de Araújo, the President of Parliament. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7250407.stm "E Timor arrests Reinado 'lawyer'"] , BBC News, February 18, 2008.] LieutenantGastão Salsinha said that he had taken over as head of the rebels after Reinado's death and claimed that the attacks were not assassination attempts. According to Salsinha, presidential security started the fighting.cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7245454.stm |title=E Timorese rebels deny murder bid|publisher=BBC |date=14 February 2008 ]At Gusmão's request, Parliament extended the initial 48-hour state of emergency for ten days on
February 13 , with 30 votes in favor and 14 abstaining. [ [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/0BA639B8-605D-45E9-8D30-8C242387E621.htm "East Timor emergency state extended"] , Al Jazeera, February 13, 2008.] On the same day, Prosecutor-General Longinhos Monteiro said that he was about to issue warrants for the arrest of 18 individuals in connection with the attacks, whom he did not name. [Ahmad Pathoni, [http://www.iht.com/articles/reuters/2008/02/13/asia/OUKWD-UK-TIMOR-PRESIDENT.php "East Timor seek arrests over assassination attempts"] , Reuters ("International Herald Tribune"), February 13, 2008.]Angelita Pires, said to have been Reinado's lawyer, was arrested in Dili on
February 17 . Prosecutor-General Monteiro said that Pires was suspected of having information about the attacks because, according to Monteiro, she let Reinado (a wanted man) stay in her home on the night prior to the attacks without notifying the authorities. Three others were also thought to have been arrested in connection with the attacks by the time Pires was arrested, along with more than 200 arrested for violating the emergency laws put in place after the attacks.Prosecutor-General Monteiro said that Reinado's group had initially intended to merely kidnap Ramos-Horta and Gusmão, but that this plan had failed and that they had therefore switched to their backup plan. Meanwhile, Araújo said that the government would engage in no further dialogue with the rebels and that there was an arrest warrant for Salsinha.
Strong disagreements regarding the events became increasingly visible in the East-Timorese political system:
Mário Viegas Carrascalão (former Governor during the Indonesian rule and present President and Deputy of the Social Democratic Party), as well asMari Alkatiri (former Prime-Minister and Secretary-General of theRevolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor - FRETILIN), have both voiced their doubts on the existence of an attack on Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão. ["Ramos-Horta teve quinta intervenção cirúrgica", in Público, February 20, 2008. [http://www.publico.clix.pt/ Público's online Portal (open to all)] and [http://jornal.publico.clix.pt/ Público's online version of the printed edition (only for subscribers)] (in Portuguese).] Likewise, Reinado's adoptive father declared to LUSA and to Portuguese television that he had spoken with Salsinha, after the death of his son, and that Salsinha denied that there had been an attack on Gusmão.On
February 22 , Parliament voted to extend the state of emergency by 30 days. [ [http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-02-22-voa20.cfm "State of Emergency Extended in East Timor"] , VOA News, February 22, 2008.]Amaro da Silva Susar, who is said to have participated in the attack on Ramos-Horta, surrendered on
March 1 atTuriscai without resistance, saying that he wanted "calm" to return to East Timor. According to da Silva, he participated in the attack but did not actually shoot Ramos-Horta. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7273455.stm "Suspect surrenders in East Timor"] , BBC News, March 2, 2008.]In early March, Araujo visited Ramos-Horta in Darwin. He said that Ramos-Horta had forgiven Reinado for the attack and did not understand why Reinado had wanted to kill him. According to Araujo, Ramos-Horta, who had started walking again, was "very lucid, showing his concern for the country and the responsibility of the head of state"; he wanted the people to remain calm and wanted a full investigation to take place. [Lauren Wilson, [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23315142-2703,00.html "Ramos Horta 'forgives Reinado'"] , Reuters ("The Australian"), March 4, 2008.]
A message from Ramos-Horta, still recovering in Darwin Private Hospital, was broadcast on
March 12 . In this message, he thanked his supporters and Australia and said that he had "been very well looked after". A spokesman said that his condition was improving and that he was taking short daily walks for exercise. [Ed Johnson, [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601081&sid=a2RY_dcGiNkA&refer=australia "East Timor's Ramos-Horta Thanks Supporters From Hospital Bed"] , Bloomberg.com, March 12, 2008.] Meanwhile, his brother Arsenio Ramos-Horta said that President Ramos-Horta had identified Marcelo Caetano as the man who had shot him. Arsenio said that Caetano had been shot in the 2006 violence and that Ramos-Horta had taken Caetano into his home at that time to help him recover. [Lindsay Murdoch, [http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/ramoshorta-names-gunman/2008/03/13/1205126022587.html "Ramos-Horta names gunman"] , smh.com.au, March 13, 2008.] The President's office declined to confirm this identification due to the ongoing nature of the investigation. [ [http://news.theage.com.au/ramoshorta-knowing-attacker-unconfirmed/20080313-1z6q.html "Ramos-Horta knowing attacker unconfirmed"] , theage.com.au, March 13, 2008.]Ramos-Horta was discharged from
Royal Darwin Hospital onMarch 19 , although he said that he would stay in Australia forphysical therapy for "a few more weeks". He also said on this occasion that he had remained conscious following the shooting and "remember [ed] every detail", describing how he was taken for treatment. Thanking the hospital staff, he gave them Timorese coffee. The hospital's general manager that he was "inspired" by Ramos-Horta's recovery from such serious injuries, although he said that Ramos-Horta would probably continue to suffer pain from the injuries for a long time.On
March 23 , Parliament extended the state of emergency for another month. [ [http://news.sbs.com.au/worldnewsaustralia/east_timor_extends_state_of_emergency_543405 "East Timor extends state of emergency"] , AAP (news.sbs.com.au), March 24, 2008.] On the same day, Ramos-Horta went out in public for the first time since the shooting, visiting St Mary's Catholic Cathedral in Darwin. Meanwhile, Salsinha was reported to be negotiating his surrender inMaubesi . The authorities have placed a priority on obtaining his peaceful surrender, concerned that if he is killed, what he knew about the attacks would be "bur [ied] with him". Four other rebels surrendered onMarch 22 . [Lindsay Murdoch, [http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/ramoshorta-leaves-hospital-bed-for-service/2008/03/23/1206206927455.html "Ramos-Horta leaves hospital bed for service"] , smh.com.au, March 24, 2008.]Later in March, Ramos-Horta said in a television interview that it had taken a long time for an ambulance to arrive after he was shot. He also described how he had looked into his attacker's eyes and, seeing that the man was "determined to fire", he "turned and ran" immediately before being shot. According to Ramos-Horta, the UN wasted a critical opportunity to capture the rebels who participated in the attack by failing to surround Dili and close off the exits. Australian Defence Minister
Joel Fitzgibbon said in response that Ramos-Horta was "in no position ... to properly judge the timing". [ [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D5C0AF75-7DF8-4F2F-A4D1-102A94CECD7A.htm "Timor president accuses UN troops"] , Al Jazeera, March 28, 2008.]On
April 17 , Ramos-Horta returned to Dili from Darwin; he was greeted at the airport by politicians and dignitaries, tens of thousands of citizens lined the road to the airport. He gave an emotional press conference at the airport in which he urged Salsinha and the remaining rebels to surrender; however, despite Salsinha's insistence on surrendering only to Ramos-Horta in person, Ramos-Horta said that he would not go to meet with him for this purpose. He also said at the press conference that Reinado had not had a prearranged meeting at his house on the day of the attack, describing this as a "lie". [Lindsay Murdoch, [http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/emotional-homecoming-for-ramos-horta/2008/04/17/1208025328598.html "Emotional homecoming for Ramos Horta"] , theage.com.au, April 17, 2008.] On his return, Ramos-Horta immediately resumed the Presidency from the acting President de Araújo.Reinado death controversy
Some months after the attack, questions arose about the government's version of the death of Alfredo Reinado. An autopsy report concluded that Reinado had been shot at "very close range" in the back of the head. It has been suggested that Reinado was executed rather than shot in defense. [Simon Roughneen, [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/JI04Ae02.html "Who Shot J R Horta?"] , Asia Times Online, September 4, 2008.] [Lindsay Murdoch, [http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/dili-investigator-called-to-canberra-as-evidence-of-executionmounts/2008/09/03/1220121329582.html Dili investigator called to Canberra as evidence of execution mounts] , The Sydney Morning Herald, September 4, 2008.]
ee also
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2006 East Timorese crisis References
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