Alfredo Alves Reinado sometimes spelled Reinhado, was a major

Major

Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

 in the military

Military

A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...

 of Timor-Leste, the Timor Leste Defence Force (F-FDTL). He deserted on May 4, 2006 to join approximately 600 former soldiers who had been sacked in March 2006 after complaining of regional discrimination in promotions, sparking the 2006 East Timor crisis

2006 East Timor crisis

The 2006 East Timorese crisis began as a conflict between elements of the military of East Timor over discrimination within the military, and expanded to a coup attempt and general violence throughout the country, centred in the capital Dili...

. Reinado was one of the leaders of the rebel soldiers, and the highest ranking deserter.

Military career

Reinado was captured by the Indonesian military

Military of Indonesia

The Indonesian National Armed Forces in 2009 comprises approximately 432,129 personnel including the Army , Navy including the Indonesian Marine Corps and the Air Force ....

 (TNI) during their invasion of East Timor in 1975, and served as a porter

Porter (carrier)

A porter, also called a bearer, is a person who shifts objects for others.-Historical meaning:Human adaptability and flexibility early led to the use of humans for shifting gear...

 for TNI in Sulawesi

Sulawesi

Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...

 and Kalimantan

Kalimantan

In English, the term Kalimantan refers to the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, while in Indonesian, the term "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo....

.

He escaped to Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 in 1995 as one of 18 Timorese refugees who fled in a leaky boat and was detained at the Curtin Immigration Detention Centre in Derby, W.A. He later worked in the shipyards in Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

. After the referendum in which East Timor voted for independence, Reinado returned to the country to captain a tugboat owned by Rooney's Shipping. On the request of the Timorese government, Reinado entered the military of East Timor

Military of East Timor

The Timor Leste Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of East Timor. The F-FDTL was established in February 2001 and currently comprises two small infantry battalions, a small Naval Component and several supporting units....

 (Falintil-FDTL, or simply FDTL) and was appointed commander of the Naval Unit (which consists of two patrol vessels donated by the Portuguese Navy

Portuguese Navy

The Portuguese Navy is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defence of Portugal....

).

"In July 2004, Alfredo was removed as commander for getting into a fight with the police, and the following year was sent to a three-month naval training course at the Australian Command and Staff College. He reportedly became involved with a junior female Timorese soldier there and was disciplined on return by being removed from the navy and given command of the military police, a distinct downgrading." The already existing break between Alfredo and his commanding officers worsened, so that there may well have been personal factors that drove him to desert in early May 2006, in addition to outrage over F-FDTL actions.

However, due to his acerbic style, he was eventually transferred to the Army headquarters in the capital Dili

Dili

Dili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands....

 by Brigadier-General Taur Matan Ruak

Taur Matan Ruak

Major-General José Maria Vasconcelos, famously known as Taur Matan Ruak was Commander of the FALINTIL-Forças de Defesa de Timor-Leste , the Military of East Timor, until October 6, 2011...

, the commander of the FDTL.

Reinado's father and sister live in Australia. Over several years, Reinado travelled to Australia to receive military training from the Australian Defence Force

Australian Defence Force

The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...

, studying defence management in October 2003 and emergency management in August 2004. In 2005 he completed a three-month navy training module at the Australian Command and Staff College in Canberra

Canberra

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...

. Reinado has also received training from the Portuguese military and the Brazilian military

Military of Brazil

The Brazilian Armed Forces is the unified military organization comprising the Brazilian Army , the Brazilian Navy and the Brazilian Air Force....

. He was eventually assigned to the military police

Military police

Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...

, where he was in charge of a platoon

Platoon

A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...

 of 33 troops.

Rebellion

On May 4 Reinado and 20 members of his platoon, along with four riot police, deserted their barracks and joined the rebel soldiers in the hills, taking with them two trucks full of weapons and ammunition.

In an interview, Reinado said that he was motivated to leave his barracks and join the rebels following an incident on April 28 in which FDTL forces fired upon a crowd of rebel soldiers and unemployed youths demonstrating in the streets of Dili. He asserted that the Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri

Mari Alkatiri

Mari Bim Amude Alkatiri was the first Prime Minister of an internationally-recognized East Timor. He served from May 2002 until he resigned on 26 June 2006 following weeks of political unrest in the country...

 had given the order to fire into the crowd, because in his role as a military policeman he had escorted Colonel Lere Anan Timor, the chief of staff to FDTL commander Brigadier-General Ruak, to a meeting with Alkatiri, and had heard Lere say immediately after the meeting that "I already have orders to take action." Reinado also called for a full investigation into the events of April 28, saying that Alkatiri's orders were "an unjustified act under the constitution

Constitution of East Timor

The Constitution of East Timor entered into force on 20 May 2002, and was the country's first constitution after it gained independence from Portugal in 1975 and from Indonesia, which invaded East Timor on December 7, 1975 and left in 1999 following a UN-sponsored referendum.The Constitution was...

".

It is alleged that on 23 May 2006, during negotiations with loyalists from 1st Battalion F-FDTL in the Fatuhai Pass east of Bekora, Reinado shot dead the lead loyalist scout as a patrol approached his position. The following day, Reinado and other Petitioner rebels from the Military Police platoon joined up with the Salsinha Petitioners and rebel Reserve Police, launching a major assault on Dili. Although these assaults were eventually halted by loyalist forces, they came close to cutting the town in half. Indeed "at one stage the fighting closed the Dos Direitos Humanos Avenue... at Dili Helo Pad... and Petitioners seized the Telecom transmission tower near the then President Xanana Gusmão's house."

He was subsequently detained by Portuguese and Australian soldiers in Dili on July 26 on charges of illegally possessing weapons. Angered by his arrest he refused to sign court papers. He was later charged with murder.

Escape from prison

On August 30, 2006, Reinado escaped from Dili's main jail with more than 50 other prisoners. Prison warden Carlos Sarmento said at least 57 inmates fled after breaking down several walls on the east wing. The breakout occurred within the New Zealand Defence Force

New Zealand Defence Force

The New Zealand Defence Force consists of three services: the Royal New Zealand Navy; the New Zealand Army; and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The Commander-in-Chief of the NZDF is His Excellency Rt. Hon...

 area of operations and came just a week after the UN was given approval to replace the Australian-led mission responsible for keeping law and order.

The escape was by coincidence on the anniversary of the 1999 vote for independence from Indonesia in a referendum.

The escape created a new crisis for international security forces in East Timor, which were struggling to curb gang violence. Prime Minister José Ramos-Horta, said after visiting the jail two weeks earlier that security there should be improved.

Paulo Remedios, Major Reinado's lawyer, said that Major Reinado had been worried for some time about the lack of security at the jail.

"Threats have been made against Alfredo and he was taking them seriously," Mr Remedios said. "He told me of a plan to snatch him from the jail and to take him out of Dili on a boat — that was the rumour that my client heard."

A senior foreign security analyst based in East Timor said Major Reinado, former chief of the country's military police, "could easily disappear into the mountains" if not caught quickly. "And the problem is, there are still plenty of guns unaccounted for up in the mountains," he said.

Whilst on the run from authorities, Reinado made an appearance on Indonesia's Metro TV talk show Kick Andy. On the program, Reinado made open statements about his escape and his aims. Nobody but host Andy F. Noya and his crew knew the location of the interview.

Manhunt

Following his escape, Reinado fled to his main support base in Maubisse, in the mountains. Australian soldiers from the SASR

Australian Special Air Service Regiment

The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR but commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army...

 and 4 RAR

4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

The 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, was an Australian Army infantry battalion and part of the Royal Australian Regiment. The battalion was formed on 1 February 1964 and was renamed the 2nd Commando Regiment on 19 June 2009....

 were subsequently involved in an intensive search for the escapees. From his safe base, however, Reinado attempted to negotiate a pardon. As late as December 2006 he was being flown to negotiations by Australian helicopter. Ramos-Horta eventually lost his patience with Reinado's public demands and threats, and finally ordered ISF to cease negotiations in January 2007. Following a large man-hunt he was finally tracked to a mountain compound in Same

Same (East Timor)

Same is a city and subdistrict in the interior of East Timor, 81 km south of Dili, the national capital. Same has a population of 25,000 and is the capital of the district of Manufahi, which was known as the district of Same in Portuguese Timor....

 in late February 2007.

The situation became serious after Reinado’s rebels raided a police station west of Maliana on 25 February 2007 and stole radios, automatic assault rifles, pistols and ammunition. Australian and New Zealand forces from ISF, including infantry from 6RAR

6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment is a motorised infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in Brisbane, Queensland, on 6 June 1965 and has since then served in a number of overseas deployments and conflicts including South Vietnam, East Timor and Iraq...

 and 1RNZIR

Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment

The Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment is the main combat unit in the regular New Zealand Army. It was formed 9 January 1947 as the New Zealand Regiment with a single infantry battalion as part of the newly created infantry corps....

 and armour from 3/4CAV, were ordered to seal off Same. Negotiations between the Timor Leste government and the rebels subsequently failed and the decision was made to detain Reinado by force.

After cornering Reinado in Same, Australian Special Forces entered the town and conducted an assault. Reinado evaded capture but five of his men were killed in the Battle of Same

Battle of Same

The Battle of Same was fought in the village of Same in Timor Leste, south of the capital Dili, between Australian Special Forces and Petitioner rebels under the command of Alfredo Reinado...

. In mid-April 2007, Prime Minister José Ramos-Horta said that the search for Reinado was being called off to facilitate dialogue. Reinado met with Ramos-Horta, who was by this time President, in August 2007, and they backed the initiation of a dialogue that would seek a peaceful resolution.

Xanana Gusmão opened talks with the Petitioners considered to be disaffected with Reinado and Salsinha's leadership, and a number were eventually convinced to enter cantonment in Dili under the leadership of Major Augusto Tara. In late 2007 Reinado was charged with eight counts of murder and numerous weapons offences relating to the violence in May 2006.Reinado failed to appear in court to face these charges on 24 January 2008. The Timor Leste government once again made plans to capture Reinado. According to one source: "with his support base fracturing, Reinado was increasingly isolated and [began] planning desperate action."

Death

On February 11, 2008, East Timorese army spokesman Major Domingos da Câmara said that Reinado had been killed during coordinated attacks on Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão and President Ramos-Horta. Reinado's funeral, attended by hundreds of people, was held peacefully on February 14 in Dili. Alfredo Reinado's role as rebel leader was succeeded by Lieutenant Gastão Salsinha

Gastão Salsinha

Lieutenant Gastão Salsinha was the de facto leader of the East Timor rebel movement following the death of former leader Major Alfredo Reinado.-Earlier background:...

.

Some hold that Reinado had been shot at "very close range" in the back of the head, leading to speculation that he had been executed instead of shot in defense, despite the fact that the original autopsy report actually said "the manner of death specified is "Homicide" as a result of multiple gunshot wounds, including one inflicted from the front into the neck" and it is Leopoldino Mendonca Exposto, the other rebel who was killed along with Alfred Reinado, that was shot in the back of the head.