community urged government and rebel forces to make peace and prevent all-out civil war in the young nation.
"We cannot respond to violence with violence," Catholic priest Aniceto Maia said in published remarks. "We have to respond to violence with love and truth," he told the congregation at the St Antonio Motael church on Dili’s waterfront, where about 1,000 refugees have camped out since last week seeking shelter.
Catholic leaders have described the situation as a national crisis as the police and army, reportedly split into factions.
Churches and evangelical missionaries have said they pray for peace and en end to the violence, which began last month after Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri sacked 600 of the country’s 1,400-strong army for going on strike. The soldiers said they protested against what they called was "discrimination" against those from the west of the country.
EVANGELICALS’ MESSAGE
As a minority, evangelicals and foreign missionaries have made clear they would like to spread what they see as the love and peace of Christ in the nation.
In a previous statement obtained by BosNewsLife, missionaries Chris and Margaret Smith said they were involved in encouraging local Christians and helping those in need along with several other evangelicals and Protestants who comprise up to three percent of East Timor’s predominantly Catholic population of roughly one million people.
Christian activities and distributing church aid has been complicated by ongoing battles between the military and the sacked breakaway troops, under the command of Major Alfredo Reinado.
WIDESPREAD FIGHTING
The clashes descended into widespread fighting with rival gangs from the east and west of the country joining the battle. International aid agencies estimate that more than 100,000 people have been displaced in the unrest.
On Sunday, June 4, clashes occurred at the flashpoint Comoro Bridge area of the city, where police moved in and seized firearms and tear gas canisters from rioters, news reports said.
Australian and Malaysian troops from the 2,200-strong international force deployed to quell unrest in the capital reportedly conducted door to door searches in the area where youths had set fire to homes and were throwing rocks at each other.
MAN HACKED
It also came shortly after last week a man was hacked to death by a gang in the area, but residents were afraid to pick up his body. The troops moved in with armored personnel carriers and helicopter support in an attempt to end the clashes, in which at least one man was detained after being found with a pistol, French News Agency AFP reported .
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer held crisis talks this weekend with the leaders of East Timor, trying to end the worst violence since the tiny nation split from Indonesia seven years ago.
Yet soon after he left, smoke from the distance was evidence that the country had still a long way to go towards normality, observers said. (With BosNewsLife Research and reports from east Timor).
