East Timor: Police arrest armed men trying to enter Dili's government HQ

Dili, May 11 (Lusa) - Police guarding East Timor's government building arrested three men, one armed with a loaded homemade firearm, Wednesday as they tried to enter the Government Palace, police and military officials said.

The officers told Lusa the three men, all members of a dissident former guerrilla unit that fought occupying Indonesian forces in the 1990s, were apprehended as they tried to enter the government building through a security gate.

Dili's Government Palace was placed under re-enforced guard Tuesday, following an Australian diplomatic alert advising its nationals to avoid Timorese government facilities because of a possible terrorist attack.

The arrests came three days after the government and the powerful Catholic Church reached an agreement over policy disputes that put an end to 20 days of non-stop demonstrations outside the government's headquarters.

Police re-enforced security around Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri's residence following the arrests, restricting traffic.

Police and army sources told Lusa the three detainees were all former anti-Indonesian guerrillas who were loyal to Commander Cornélio Gama, popularly known as L7, who has continued to lead a cult-like group that has been very critical of Dili's post- independence authorities.

After the Australian terrorist alert Tuesday, Alkatiri told Lusa that such matters were "to be taken seriously" by Timorese authorities.

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