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Gun Runners and Gun Collectors

September 21, 2006: The police in East Timor are going back to work next week. The police force fell apart earlier this year, leading to chaos and civil disorder and requiring calling for foreign peacekeepers.

September 20, 2006: In Sri Lanka, the navy has determined that a ship it sunk on the 17th was carrying artillery and other munitions for LTTE rebels, and apparently came from Indonesia. What's unusual about this is that the LTTE are normally hostile to Moslems, and the Indonesian gunrunners are probably Moslem as well. The Indonesians government is investigating to see if more of these illegal shipments are moving from Indonesian ports. This sort of thing also involves corruption in the military.

September 19, 2006: In Aceh, violence against government reconstruction officials is increasing. This is fueled by a lack of construction, and reports that reconstruction officials have already stolen nearly three million dollars. Nearly five billion dollars has been contributed to rebuilding Aceh, but the government controls much of it, and the government is well known for corrupt practices.

September 15, 2006: In East Timor, peacekeepers have collected 1,700 firearms from civilians, and are trying to get more spears and swords (popular "traditional weapons") turned in as well. Sp far, several thousand traditional weapons have been turned in or seized. All have been destroyed.


  

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