UN chief Annan visits ravaged East Timor
DILI, East Timor -- United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan visited the island of East Timor Thursday to survey the damage that followed last year's secession vote.
Annan visited devastated parts of the Dili, the East Timor capital, and traveled by helicopter to the town of Liquisa, the scene of a refugee massacre on April 6.
From 25 to 50 unarmed refugees were killed by militia forces in a church compound, where Annan and guerilla leader Xanana Gusmao laid a wreath in tribute of the victims. The two met with a group of weeping women mourners dressed in black.
The UN has set a two to three year goal of preparing the island for self-rule. Annan said that the people should expect increased international relief soon.
The people of East Timor voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence in a UN-sponsored vote on August 30 last year. Pro-Jakarta militias erupted after the vote causing widespread devastation and forcing thousands to flee their homes.
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