After a meeting with Dili's respected Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo, he also promised a withdrawal of some troops. For many East Timorese, Jakarta's offer represents only a beginning. They want anything except Indonesia. The ex-governor's elder brother points to the numerous confirmed and continuing cases of killing, torture, rape and robbery by soldiers. All repressive means must be swept away.
Troops can go in as easily as they sail out.
And they are not the only problem. Intelligence agents blanket the province. In recent years the military has also used bands of hoodlums to do the dirty work of harassing pro-Independence people. The local military does not admit to such tactics. Even if he is sincere, he may not be successful.