3 Die in Militia Attacks in E. Timor

Anti-independence militiamen stormed through East Timor’s capital on Thursday, leaving three people dead and raising fears that next week’s sovereignty vote will be crippled by violence.

At least two people were killed when militiamen fired at rock-throwing separatists, witnesses said. A third person was shot to death by Indonesian police, who witnesses said did little to stop the militiamen. After one attack, police were even seen shaking hands with militia members.

At least three people suffered gunshot wounds and many more were stabbed or hit by rocks and bottles in the rioting. Blasts from homemade grenades repeatedly rocked the area.

Frightened residents of Dili, the provincial capital, stayed indoors while gangs of militiamen brandished assault rifles, homemade shotguns and other weapons, ignoring riot police and a ban on carrying weapons.

The violence erupted just four days before a referendum offering East Timor’s 800,000 people a choice between gaining independence or remaining part of Indonesia as an autonomous province.

Eurico Guterres, leader of a militia group in Dili, warned of “massive fighting” if his side lost. “It will become a sea of fire,” he told 15,000 people Thursday at a raucous anti-independence rally in Dili’s main sports stadium.

The United Nations has already twice postponed the ballot because of violence in the former Portuguese colony. But Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the Security Council said the U.N.-supervised ballot would go ahead as scheduled Monday and demanded that Indonesia ensure security and bring those responsible for violence to justice.

“Recent unrest raises questions as to the ability of the people to vote in an environment that is fair and free of intimidation,” deputy State Department spokesman James B. Foley said.

After the rally in Dili, militiamen fired at rival activists in the eastern part of the city Thursday. Indonesian police sealed off streets as militiamen spread across the city.

Two offices of the main pro-independence group were trashed and several houses were set afire. Militiamen also invaded a hotel used by foreign journalists and observers. A Reuters photographer was shot in the leg during one melee.