Goff warns East Timor leaders not to exploit violence

Defence Minister Phil Goff has told East Timor's leaders they must not use unrest and violence for their own political ends.

On a visit to East Timor, Mr Goff met Australian military commanders, New Zealand troops and East Timorese politicians, including Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri and Defence and Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Ramos Horta.

Mr Goff said he told his political counterparts that while New Zealand and Australia could help stabilise the country, they could not tolerate politicians using the crisis.

"What we expect and what we insist from the political groups here is not to exploit violence and disorder as a means of achieving their ends," said Mr Goff .

"It's one thing that disorder can be the result of criminal activity; it is another thing if that is any way promoted and or even condoned by those who are in a political position to exercise leverage against others."

There was no "clear evidence" politicians were condoning the violence, "though there is some rumour that there could be in some cases political organisation involved".

Mr Goff said it was not his place to make judgments about who was behind the violence or what political decisions had to be made.

- NZPA