Guterres charged for death of U.N. personnel in W. Timor

JAKARTA, Dec. 15 (Kyodo) - Eurico Guterres, a former pro-Jakarta East Timorese militia leader, has been charged in connection with the death of three foreign workers of the U.N. High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) in Indonesia-ruled West Timor in September, a leading Indonesian newspaper said Friday.

Kompas said Indonesian authorities filed the charges with the North Jakarta District Court on Thursday. A trial is expected to begin in January.

Indonesian authorities reportedly confiscated 10 rifles from Guterres and plan to use the firearms as evidence during trial.

Guterres was arrested in October in connection with a spree of violence unleashed by pro-Jakarta militia forces in East Timor in September last year after the former Portuguese colony voted overwhelmingly for independence.

The three U.N. workers were killed Sept. 6 after a mob of militiamen stormed their UNHRC office.

Since then, Indonesia has been under intense pressure from the international community to disarm the militia and facilitate the repatriation of about 130,000 East Timorese refugees in West Timor or resettle them elsewhere in Indonesia.

AP-NY-12-14-00 1551EST

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