JAKARTA - Indonesia has closed it's border with East Timor temporarily to prevent fugitives from sneaking into Indonesia. This move comes ahead of a tense lead-up to presidential elections, as was said by the military on Monday. Australia, with 800 troops in East Timor, has warned that violence may increase ahead of the April poll. This was said after clashes with it's peace keepers and East Timorese refugees left two civilians dead.
"We have closed the border to prevent infiltration from the other side. We are cooperating with East Timor security personnel," Muhammad Soenarto from the Indonesian military said. He did not say whether the border closing had been requested by the East Timor government. East Timor occupies the eastern part of the island of Timor and a difficult to protect border separates the small country from Indonesia.
The Jakarta Post newspaper reported that East Timor Prime Minister Jose Ramos-Horta has called President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to ask for his help in capturing rebels led by army renegade Alfredo Reinado. Reinado, who led a revolt that brought East Timor to chaos last May, escaped from jail last August. He has made several public appearances since, including a meeting with the country's military chief. There were no attempts made to arrest him.
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JAKARTA - Indonesia has closed it's border with East Timor temporarily to prevent fugitives from sneaking into Indonesia. This move comes ahead of a tense lead-up to presidential elections, as was said by the military on Monday. Australia, with 800 troops in East Timor, has warned that violence may increase ahead of the April poll. This was said after clashes with it's peace keepers and East Timorese refugees left two civilians dead.
