Rudd pledges support for E Timor

Rudd pledges support for E Timor
By Anne Barker


Rudd arrives in E Timor Related Story: E Timor tense as Rudd prepares to visit Dili Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has held talks with East Timor's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao in Dili.

Mr Rudd is on a whistlestop tour of Dili to show Australia's support for East Timor in the wake of Monday's attacks on President Jose Ramos-Horta and Mr Gusmao.

He met Mr Gusmao for nearly an hour, after which both men spoke of solidarity between the two countries and the need to protect democracy in East Timor.

Mr Gusmao, who narrowly escaped injury on Monday, said a bullet might hit a Prime Minister but it cannot penetrate the values of democracy.

Mr Rudd said it must be the ballot box and not the barrel of a gun that decides East Timor's future.

He is to fly Darwin this afternoon and hopes to visit Mr Ramos-Horta in hospital.

Mr Ramos-Horta is still recovering in Darwin Hospital.

The director of Royal Darwin Hospital's intensive care unit says Mr Ramos-Horta is expected to come out of an induced coma in the next few days.

Dr Dianne Stephens says the President is progressing well, but shrapnel from bullet wounds will not be removed.

"It's dangerous and unnecessary to remove all of the bits of shrapnel," she said.

"There are many soldiers in the world that are walking around with bits of shrapnel in their bodies."