East Timor rebels surrender arms to foreign troops

The rebels, led by Major Alfredo Reinado, handed over 12 M16 rifles, four handguns and ammunition to Australian troops who later secured the weapons inside a steel container.

"Everybody has to cooperate. This is only another mechanism to reach the objective. The objective is peace and justice," Reinado told reporters after the weapons turnover in the hill town of Maubisse south of the capital.

Asked about what he would do for protection, Reinado said: "My president (Gusmao) is my protection."

He said Australian troops were also responsible for the rebels' security, claiming armed groups linked to Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri were continuing to make threats against his life.

Reinado, who leads 600 breakaway soldiers, retreated to a hideout in Maubisse in the wake of street violence that gripped the country last month and resulted in the deaths of at least 21 people.

The highly popular Gusmao, who led East Timor's guerrilla resistance against occupying Indonesia during most of its 24-year rule, has maintained the trust of the rebels who are demanding Alkatiri step down.

Alkatiri was responsible in March for sacking the 600 soldiers, nearly half the tiny nation's armed forces, after they deserted their barracks complaining of discrimination.

The move triggered the violence and subsequent arson and looting that forced 130,000 people to flee their homes in fear. Some 2,200 peacekeepers from Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Portugal are now patrolling the streets of the capital to restore peace and order.

Reinado said more weapons would be arriving from the Maubisse area that he controls in the next few days. Other rebel factions in the nearby district of Gleno were simultaneously surrendering their firearms to peacekeepers, he said.

Reinado refused to consider himself a deserter and maintained that he remains "loyal" to Gusmao, the country's supreme military chief.

Reinado earlier warned that the surrender of the weapons did not mean the crisis was over, refusing to say how many weapons he exactly controls.

"We just started the process. No guarantee," he stressed, when asked if the tiny Catholic nation would now return to normal.

An opposition party leader said the surrender may have a "calming effect" on the tense nation.

"This means that Reinado is setting an example and other armed groups must follow. Everyone must now leave their weapons to the peacekeepers," Manuel Tilman said.