CANBERRA, Australia, May 12 (UPI) -- Australia has ordered three navy amphibious transport ships to strife-torn East Timor and placed a missile frigate on deployment standby.
Troops and armored personnel carriers may be part of the contingency package brought about by political unrest in Asia's newest nation.
The Weekend Australian reported a spokesman for Defense Minister Brendan Nelson as saying the transports don't "normally travel empty" when asked if reports were true that 450 soldiers plus armored vehicles would be aboard the vessels.
Prime Minister John Howard said the deployment was a preparatory move in case the East Timor government asked for help.
Violence broke out last month in East Timor when hundreds of soldiers began street protests over alleged discrimination in the army against those from the eastern and western areas of the country. A demonstration in Dili by the soldiers, some of whom were cashiered earlier, and their supporters led to rioting.
At least five people were killed and dozens of government buildings damaged.
The United Nations mission in East Timor, a former Indonesian territory which won independence via a U.N. supervised election after years of insurgency, has been extended a year because of political instability.
East Timor was originally a Portuguese colony but was annexed by Indonesia.
The newspaper quoted sources as saying an estimated 20,000 people have fled the capital Dili, including armed police supporting the dissident soldiers.
