Dili, 20 September 2003.
Suspected Illegal Traders Clash with BPU, One Person Dead
The Border
Patrol Unit (BPU) of PNTL [Timorese police force] yesterday
evening shot dead one man after a group of suspected illegal traders,
in an
attempt to resist arrest, injured a BPU officer near the town of Maliana
[Bobonaro District].
Yesterday
evening [around 6pm], the BPU was conducting a patrol in the area
around [border] Junction Point C [Maliana], an area where an illegal market
often operates. They came across four people suspected of being illegal
traders, crossing from West Timor into Timor-Leste. They confronted the
group and one of the men shot an arrow at the BPU, injuring one officer
in
the leg.
The BPU
then opened fire in response to the attack. One of the men was shot
dead and the others fled across the border to West Timor.
PNTL, including
the BPU, as well as UNPOL and PKF went to the scene last
night to start an investigation into the incident. TNI [Indonesian Army]
has been co-operating closely with the investigation which continues this
morning. There are still no details as to the nationality of the men involved.
The injured
BPU officer was due to be moved this morning from Maliana
Hospital to Dili Hospital.
PKF handed
over responsibility for JP-C to the BPU last month [19th
August]. As from last week, all but one Junction Points (including those
in
the Oecussi enclave), have been handed over from PKF to BPU. Only JP-A
[Batugade, Bobonaro District] remains under PKF control.
This is the first time that the BPU has been involved in a fatal incident.
(Further details will be released when they become available.)
UNITED NATIONS MISSION OF SUPPORT IN EAST TIMOR (UNMISET)
OFFICE OF
THE SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL (OSRSG)