East Timor seek arrests over assassination attempts

DILI (Reuters) - East Timor's prosecutor-general said onWednesday he would issue arrest warrants for 18 people believedto be involved in assassination attempts on the Southeast Asiannation's president and prime minister.

President Jose Ramos-Horta was critically wounded bygunfire from rebel soldiers early on Monday, while PrimeMinister Xanana Gusmao escaped unhurt in a separate attack onhis motorcade.

"We're coming today to a conclusion to issue the warrants,"Prosecutor-General Longinhos Monteiro told reporters in Dili.

Asked how strong the evidence was, he said: "99 percent,"but added: "I do not want to mention the names of thoseinvolved at this stage."

Some analysts had said East Timor could suffer furtherviolence and political chaos after rebel leader Alfredo Reinadodied in Monday's attack on Ramos-Horta.

Hundreds of Reinado supporters -- some weeping, othersshouting "Viva Alfredo" -- gathered at his home in Dili onWednesday as his coffin was brought to the house.

Supporters insisted on opening the coffin several times inorder to confirm that the body inside was indeed his.

"Even though you're dead, your spirit will live forever andwe will continue your struggle" one man shouted, as U.N. policeprovided tight security in the area.

Australian troops continued to arrive in Dili to reinforceinternational peacekeepers and the 1,600-strong United Nationspolice detachment, who are enforcing a state of emergencydeclared in the wake of Monday's attacks.

Ramos-Horta was airlifted to Darwin in northern Australiaon Monday for emergency medical treatment for gunshot wounds.Surgeons carried out a further operation on Wednesday.

His chief surgeon, Phil Carson, said the operation revealedthe president was likely shot twice, not three times as thoughtearlier, and that he would need several more operations.

He would have considerable scarring, but would make a fullrecovery, Carson said.

FEARS OF MORE VIOLENCE

Ramos-Horta had met Reinado for talks as recently asJanuary in a bid to reach a deal in which rebel soldiers wouldgive up their arms in return for talks on outstandinggrievances and legal issues.

Despite fears that pro-Reinado members of the rulingcoalition might withdraw their support following the death ofthe rebel leader, sparking the collapse of the government, amember of the coalition said there were no signs of a split.

"The events have made the coalition stronger. The attacksshow who had good intentions and who did not," said AderitoHugo da Costa, a member of parliament in Gusmao's party.

Reinado had led a revolt against the government and wascharged with murder after factional violence in 2006. Laterthat year, he walked out of jail with 50 other inmates,embarrassing security forces.

Former prime minister Mari Alkatiri, who issecretary-general of the main opposition party Fretilin, calledfor early elections to settle a political impasse inparliament.

Fretilin is the dominant party in parliament, but did notform a government because it lacks an absolute majority.

Ramos-Horta, 58, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996for waging a nonviolent struggle for independence, split fromFretilin.

East Timor gained full independence from Indonesia in 2002after a U.N.-sponsored vote in 1999 that was marred byviolence.

Indonesian invaded the former Portuguese colony in 1975,and many thousands of East Timorese died during the brutaloccupation.

(Additional reporting by Tito Belo and Telly Nathalia inDili and Rob Taylor in Canberra; Writing by Sara Webb; Editingby Sanjeev Miglani)