Alfredo Reinado facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Major Alfredo Reinado
Reinado in 2006
Birth name	Alfredo Alves Reinado
Born	11 November 1968 Dili, Portuguese Timor
Died	11 February 2008(2008-02-11) (aged 39) Dili, East Timor
Allegiance	East Timor
Service/branch	East Timor Army
Years of service	1999–2006
Rank	Major

Alfredo Alves Reinado (born 11 November 1968 in Dili – died 11 February 2008), also known as Reinhado, was a major in the army of East Timor, called the Timor Leste Defence Force (F-FDTL).

On 4 May 2006, he left his post without permission (this is called deserting). He joined about 600 former soldiers who had been let go from the army in March 2006. These soldiers felt they were treated unfairly because of where they came from when it came to getting promoted. This situation led to the 2006 East Timor crisis. Reinado became one of the main leaders of these rebel soldiers, and he was the highest-ranking officer among them to desert.

Alfredo Reinado's Army Life

Alfredo Reinado was born in Dili, East Timor. When he was young, during the Indonesian invasion of East Timor in 1975, he was taken by the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI). He worked as a helper for the TNI in different parts of Indonesia, like Sulawesi and Kalimantan.

In 1995, he managed to escape to Australia. He was one of 18 Timorese people who traveled in a small boat seeking safety. He was held for a short time at a place for refugees in Western Australia. Later, he found work in shipyards there.

After East Timor voted for its independence in 1999, Reinado returned home. He started working as a captain of a tugboat. The government of East Timor then asked him to join their new army, the Falintil-FDTL (or FDTL). He was put in charge of the Naval Unit, which had two patrol boats given by the Portuguese Navy.

Reinado also received special training from different countries. He trained with the Australian Defence Force several times, learning about defense and emergency management. He also got training from the armies of Portugal and Brazil. Eventually, he was moved to the military police, where he led a small group of 33 soldiers.

Rebellion and Conflict

On 4 May 2006, Reinado and 20 soldiers from his group, along with four police officers, left their barracks. They took two trucks full of weapons and ammunition and joined the rebel soldiers who were in the hills.

Reinado explained in an interview that he decided to join the rebels after an event on 28 April. On that day, army forces fired into a crowd of rebel soldiers and young people who were protesting in Dili. Reinado believed that the Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri, had given the order to shoot. He called for a full investigation into what happened, saying the orders were not right under East Timor's laws.

Later, on 23 May 2006, during talks with loyal soldiers, it was said that Reinado shot a loyalist scout. The next day, Reinado and other rebels launched a big attack on Dili. The fighting was intense and almost cut the city in half.

Because of his actions, Reinado was arrested by Portuguese and Australian soldiers in Dili on 26 July. He was accused of having weapons illegally. He was later charged with serious crimes.

Escape from Prison

On 30 August 2006, Reinado escaped from the main prison in Dili. More than 50 other prisoners also escaped with him. The prison warden said that the inmates broke down several walls to get out. This escape happened on the same day as the anniversary of East Timor's vote for independence in 1999.

This escape caused a new problem for the international security forces in East Timor, who were already trying to control gang violence. The Prime Minister at the time, José Ramos-Horta, had visited the jail earlier and said that security needed to be better.

Reinado's lawyer mentioned that Reinado had been worried about the lack of security at the jail. He had heard rumors that there was a plan to take him from the jail and out of Dili by boat. Experts believed that Reinado, being a former military police chief, could easily hide in the mountains if he wasn't caught quickly. They also worried about the many guns that were still missing in the mountains.

While he was on the run, Reinado even appeared on an Indonesian TV talk show called Kick Andy. On the show, he openly talked about his escape and what he wanted to achieve. The location of the interview was kept secret.

Search for Reinado

After his escape, Reinado went to his main support base in Maubisse, a town in the mountains. Australian soldiers from special forces units searched for him and the other escapees. From his safe location, Reinado tried to negotiate for a pardon, which is an official forgiveness for a crime.

In December 2006, he was even flown by an Australian helicopter for negotiations. However, Prime Minister Ramos-Horta eventually became impatient with Reinado's demands and threats. In January 2007, he ordered the international forces to stop negotiating.

After a big search, Reinado was finally found in a mountain area in Same in late February 2007. The situation became serious when Reinado's rebels attacked a police station and stole weapons. Australian and New Zealand forces surrounded Same. Talks between the East Timorese government and the rebels failed, and the decision was made to try and capture Reinado by force.

Australian Special Forces entered Same. Reinado managed to escape capture, but five of his men were killed in what became known as the Battle of Same. In mid-April 2007, Prime Minister José Ramos-Horta said that the search for Reinado was being stopped to allow for more talks. Reinado met with Ramos-Horta, who was now President, in August 2007. They agreed to start talks to find a peaceful solution.

Later in 2007, Reinado was charged with several serious crimes related to the violence in May 2006. Reinado did not show up in court for these charges in January 2008. The East Timorese government then made new plans to capture him.

Alfredo Reinado's Death

On 11 February 2008, East Timorese army officials announced that Alfredo Reinado had been killed. This happened during attacks on Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão and President José Ramos-Horta.

Reinado's funeral was held peacefully on 14 February in Dili, with many people attending. After his death, Lieutenant Gastão Salsinha took over as the leader of the rebel group.

There was some discussion about how Reinado died. Some people thought he was shot very close up in the back of the head, suggesting he might have been executed. However, the official report stated he died from multiple gunshot wounds, including one from the front into his neck. Another rebel who was killed with Reinado, Leopoldino Mendonça Exposto, was the one shot in the back of the head.

See also

In Spanish: Alfredo Reinado para niños

• 2006 East Timor crisis
• Operation Astute