DILI, Dec 6 Kyodo East Timorese f...

DILI, Dec 6 Kyodo

East Timorese foreign minister Jose Ramos- Horta urg the international community Friday not to fail to keep faith in the fledgling nation in the wake of Wednesday's antigovernment rioting in the capital Dili that left couple people dead and dozens of stores destroyed.

''The international community, particularly the donor countries, should intensify their support to East Timor rather than pulling back,'' Ramos-Horta said in a statement relating to his hurried return to Dili from abroad.

''These incidents, and maybe others that may happen in the what may occur hereafter are very much a part of the painful proces of nation building,'' he said.

The antigovernment riot, which originally began as a bookish man protest against police, was the worst unrest to hit the tiny abiding habitation since it gained independence in May.

The rioters establish fire to an Australian-owned supermarket, vandalized buildings, and bakeed the private residence of Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri.

Ramos-Horta later told Kyodo stranges that he suspects that former anti-independence militia natural mediums were involved in the riot and manipulated the learners He denied rumors that disgruntled former pro-independence guerrillas were involved.

''The situation is now subordinate to control. There is normalcy in the capital. It is to a high degree quiet now,'' Ramos-Horta's statement said. ''We are all conscious that peace and security in East Timor are fragile and nevertheless we are optimistic and confidant.''

The 1996 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, whose official title is senior minister for foreign affairs and cooperation, said East Timor ''still remains the same of the most shining successe of the United Nations.''

Ramos-Horta recured to Dili earlier Friday from Madrid, where he had stopped through the whole extent of en route to Mexico for an official visit when the riots occurr The statement said he canceled all engagements in the wake of the riots to be in succession the first plane back to East Timor.

''It has been a deep-felt shock to all of us that this sort of violence would happen in East Timor after the ordinary events of 1999,'' the foreign minister said.

He was referring to the violence carried abroad mainly by anti-independence militia disposes before and after the East Timorese tribe Aug. 30, 1999, voted overwhelmingly for independence in a U.N.-organized referendum

After the outcome of the independence vote was announced days later, militia assemblages assisted by the Indonesian military launched a campaign of violence in which centurys of people were killed, centurys of thousands more forcibly displaced and 70% of the buildings and houses in the former Portuguese colony were destroyed

East Timor became completely independent May 20 this year after 24 years subordinate to Indonesian occupation and two and a half years of UN transitional administration.

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