East Timor PM says jailbreak was preventable

CANBERRA, Sep 1 (Reuters) East Timor Prime Minister Jose Ramos-Horta partly blamed Australia today for the jailbreak of prisoners and rebel soldiers in Dili, saying Australian-led peacekeepers refused to increase security around the prison.

More than 50 prisoners walked out of the Becora jail on Wednesday, including rebel leader Major Alfredo Reinado, renewing concerns about security in the fledgling nation.

Highlighting such worries, five people suffered gunshot wounds in a camp for internally displaced people in Dili today and a sixth was wounded in a machete attack, an Australian Federal Police spokesman said.

It was not known if the violence, which has broken out sporadically in Dili since the unrest began in May, was linked to Wednesday's prison escape.

Wednesday's jailbreak prompted Ramos-Horta to question why Australian forces had not provided more security at the jail.

''I am personally just puzzled why in spite of our repeated requests for static forces to be outside the prison, this was not done,'' Ramos-Horta told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

radio.

''Had there been strong security outside, this could have been prevented,'' he said.

But Australian Prime Minister John Howard rejected the suggestion and said the Australian peacekeepers in East Timor, led by Brigadier Michael Slater, had done nothing wrong, adding it was not their job to provide jail security.

''I understand that the attitude taken by Brigadier Slater has been that it's not the role of the military to provide static guards, it's the role of the military to provide patrols,'' Howard told reporters.

East Timor officials suggested yesterday that New Zealand troops bore some responsibility, a claim Wellington rejected.

Reinado was one of the figureheads of a revolt that plunged the former Portuguese colony into chaos in May, prompting Australia to lead an international peacekeeping force to restore order in East Timor.

International troops and police continued their so far fruitless search for the escapees today after Reinado said in a video recording that he did not want to stage a new revolt.

The prisoners walked out of the jail's front gate during visiting hours, security officials said.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer will fly to Dili on Sunday for three-nation security talks with Ramos-Horta and East Timor President Xanana Gusmao, and Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda.

''The three countries will collaborate on economic, security and terrorism issues, and also on how to rebuild East Timor,'' Ramos-Horta told reporters after meeting the head of police.

The United Nations agreed last week on a new mission to East Timor, comprising some 1,600 police, despite a dispute over whether Australian-led troops already there should remain independent or be part of a U.N. force.

Downer said the implementation of the new U.N. mission would be discussed at the trilateral talks, to be held on Monday.

Dili suffered a series of protests that evolved into widespread violence in May after 600 members of East Timor's 1,400-strong army were sacked.

An estimated 100,000 people were displaced and at least 20 killed in the violence, which led to deployment of a 2,500-strong international peacekeeping force.

REUTERS PB PC1610