Received from Joyo Indonesian News
The Jakarta
Post [online]
March 18, 2003
Six pro-Jakarta militiamen arrested
JAKARTA
(Agencies): Military authorities in West Timor have arrested six
pro-Jakarta militiamen for their alleged involvement in last month's ambush
of a passenger bus in East Timor and other acts of violence, agencies
reported.
West Nusa
Tenggara military command chief Maj. Gen. Agus Soeyitno said the
six were arrested last Thursday and Saturday in Belu district, an Indonesian
town bordering East Timor.
"They
are under intensive interrogation to determine their roles in East
Timor violence. We are ready to hand them over to the East Timor authorities
on condition that East Timor's government sends us an official request
according to the existing procedures," Agus was quoted as saying
by Antara.
He said
authorities confiscated one grenade from the suspects, who had
confessed to dumping their rifles in the jungle.
According
to recent reports from East Timor, a group of nine gunmen ambushed
a passenger bus in Atabae sub-district on Feb. 24, but the attack was
foiled
by members of the U.N. Peace Keeping Force (UNPKF).