Leading Timor rebel surrenders
Updated
East Timor rebel leader Gastao Salsinha, one of the rebel leaders behind February's assassination attempt on the President and Prime Minister has surrendered along with 12 of his supporters.
Presenter: Stephanie March
Speaker: East Timor's President Jose Ramos Horta.
MARCH: After attending a mass in a private home in Ermera district in the country's mountainous interior, Gastao Salsinha and his men were escorted to Dili in convoy of police and military 4WD's to the government palace in Dili, where they officially surrendered themselves and their weapons.
Dressed in army fatigues, the insurgents lined up and shook hands with President Jose Ramos Horta.
RAMOS HORTA: I'm happy that our sons have returned to Dili, have surrendered their weapons.
MARCH: The president says he harbours no hatred towards the shooter.
RAMOS HORTA: I wouldn't shoot a dog, a pig just for the sake of it for fun, let alone a human being, but as an individual I forgive him. If today he is hungry, he's family is hungry and have no clothing and shelter, I will give it to them, but as a head of state I am saying he had to face justice.
MARCH: President Ramos-Horta says it is up to the courts now to decide the fate of the twelve rebels.
RAMOS HORTA: There is no intention on the part of the state to discriminate against them, justice will be served and be done according to the facts and according to the truth. That will be established by the court. The people want to know who gave them support - who gave them money for weapons, for uniforms, for communications, in the past two years.
MARCH: Over the past two months, small groups of rebels have handed themselves over to authorities, often with help from leaders of the Catholic Church.
President Jose Ramos Horta recently commended Indonesian police for capturing four of the suspects who had fled across the border.
But despite all the insurgents now surrendering to authorities, the president says the joint command structure of the country's police and military will remain in place "indefinitely".
RAMOS HORTA: The Joint command will continue indefinitely until I decide upon consultation with the PM, parl and others that conditions exist to finish the joint command activities. We are going to continue to search for weapons in Dili, we are going to get rid of illegal weapons in the hands of people.
MARCH: Leaders of the joint operation say they don't know how many illegal weapons there are in East Timor.
Analysts have raised concerns the joint command structure allows the army to take on a greater role in internal security when the country really needs to strengthen community policing.
The president also confirmed the state of siege in Ermera district will remain in place until May 22, as the joint command take up their new mandate to search for illegal weapons.
But at least with all those responsible for the attacks on the countries leaders in custody, the country will now wait to see if the prosecutor general's office and court system are up to the task of ensuring justice is served.
