East Timor police fire at sacked soldiers, 13 hurt

DILI, Apr 28 (Reuters) East Timor police fired today into a crowd of hundreds of sacked soldiers and their supporters who were burning cars and throwing rocks, leaving at least 13 wounded, a Reuters witness said.

It was not immediately clear whether the police used regular rounds or non-lethal ammunition in the incident outside a government building.

The protest was the latest of several after the government, grappling with a lack of funds, dismissed more than 500 soldiers earlier this month.

''I saw 13 people hurt,'' said a Reuters photographer on the scene. ''They are dismissed soldiers and supporters. They are now being brought to the hospital.'' The rally dispersed after the shooting and police clamped down on security on the main roads of the seaside capital Dili.

Today's protest was expected to be the last of a series of planned rallies by the soldiers.

Tiny East Timor, which won independence from Indonesia in 1999, is one of the world's poorest countries. It has considerable energy resources but is only starting to develop them.

Some of the soldiers were former guerrilla fighters who fought for decades against Jakarta's often brutal rule over the former Portuguese colony. ((VIOLENCE-TIMOR; Reporting by Lirio da Fonseca, writing by Tomi Soetjipto, editing by Jerry Norton; Reuters Messaging: tomi.soetjipto.reuters.comzreuters.net; Tel: +62-21-3846364)) REUTERS CH HS1528