Armed presence brings Dili back to life

DILI - Last night, as a sultry dusk settled on the East Timorese capital and an Australian Army Black Hawk helicopter thudded above, the city came back to life.

Even as evacuees queued at Comoro Airport for flights to Darwin, thousands of Timorese wandered the streets, smiling, holding hands, and waving at passing traffic. On the beachfront, for the first time in weeks, smoke from cooking fires drifted out to sea on the evening breeze.

"It's amazing," said one expatriate Australian, who had just sent his children to Australia for safety. "It hasn't been like this for weeks. It's like someone waved a magic wand."

The reason is not hard to see.

Out in the bay, grey against a pink sky, lay the Australian guided-missile frigate Adelaide and the heavy sea transport ship Kanimbla.

Ashore, commandos who had flown in on Thursday at the advance of Timor's second Australian-led intervention, lay or sat around, machine-guns and assault rifles at the ready.

Earlier in the day, about 2pm locals said, a large body of Australian soldiers had moved into the hills outside Dili, where fighting had been heaviest and where renewed shooting had been reported.

Other firefights and sporadic gunfire had been heard in the morning, but by late afternoon Dili was beginning to feel safer.

Both sides appear ready for a circuit-breaker in a fight that has become as confused as it is bitter.

Rumours have been flying around the city - that Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri had quit and left the country, that police had surrendered to rival soldiers or vice versa, that President Xanana Gusmao had taken control.

No one had any real idea.

What everyone was sure about was that they were happy to see the Australians.

"We kept on saying, 'Come on, come on'," said one Timorese woman.

Confidence has been increased by the prospect of still more Australian troops, others from New Zealand, and a promised contingent from Portugal.

In Dili New Zealanders are remembered fondly for their role in the post-independence violence of 1999.

But there is still fear of a return to bloodshed.

The Australian and New Zealand Governments are still advising their nationals that East Timor remains extremely dangerous and that they should leave.

Gunfire continues to encourage many residents of Dili to stay away from their homes.

Two Timorese families are camping in the backyard of one Australian contractor.

Thousands still remain in church compounds or in the hills.

And evacuees who packed out Darwin hotels, forcing authorities to open emergency accommodation at a detention centre outside the city, told horrific stories of fear and bloodshed when they reached safety.

Michael Anderson, 35, told the NT News that the streets of Dili had been out of control.

Rebel soldiers who had attacked an Army base in the west of the city, blocking access to the airport, had also unleashed gangs of armed thugs.

"On the road to the airport, gangs with machetes were stopping cars," Mr Anderson said.

Dili businesswoman Tanz Yee said she fled with her children after warring sides machine-gunned each other from either side of her property.

But last night at least, the people of Dili had reason for hope.