Rebels involved in attack on PM surrender, Ramos-Horta reax

(29 Apr 2008) SHOTLIST 1. Wide of East Timor government building 2. Australian soldiers guarding building 3. Australian Black Hawk helicopter flying over building 4. East Timor rebel leader Gastau Salsinha (wearing baseball hat), being escorted into building by military 5. Rebels in military fatigues waiting in room for president 6. Close up of rebels' faces 7. Soldiers bring in box for rebels to use to symbolically lay down their arms 8. Various of guns being handed over to soldiers and being placed in box 9. President Jose Ramos-Horta shaking hand with rebels 10. Rebel leader Gastau Salsinha symbolically handing over weapon to senior army officer 11. Guns placed into box 12. Wide shot of ceremony 13. Close up of Ramos-Horta 14. SOUNDBITE (English) Jose Ramos-Horta, East Timor's President: "As an individual, I harbour no hatred, no desire of revenge towards anyone. The gentleman who shot me, I was unarmed, and he knew the efforts I did for two years, the attention I paid to them, always going up to the mountains, to the jungle looking for them, talking with them. He knows what I did to help them and still he shot me in cold blood on February 11. I wouldn't shoot a dog, a pig, just for the sake of it, for fun, let alone a human being. But as an individual, I forgive him. If today he is hungry, his family is hungry, has no clothing, no shelter, I'll give it to them. But as a head of state, I am saying he has to face justice." 15. Salsinha 16. Ramos-Horta shakes hands with rebels STORYLINE A dozen rebels accused in the February assassination attempt on East Timor's President Jose Ramos-Horta surrendered in the capital Dili on Tuesday, including the alleged gunman, who wept and kissed the president's hand. Ramos-Horta also shed tears when the suspects were brought before reporters at the Presidential Palace. He welcomed their surrender, which ended a massive manhunt by East Timorese soldiers and international peacekeepers following the February 11 ambush that nearly killed the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In coordinated attacks on February 11, rebel soldiers ambushed both Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, who was unscathed. Ramos-Horta was shot twice in the torso in the attack, which took place near his residence. The 12 men, suspected in both attacks and led by rebel commander Gastau Salsinha, surrendered to authorities on Tuesday and handed over automatic weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition, said army Lieutenant Fernando Gausege. The detainees were later brought to the Presidential Palace to meet Ramos-Horta, who returned to the country last week after recovering in an Australian hospital from the gunshot wounds. "The gentleman who shot me, I was unarmed, and he knew the efforts I did for two years, the attention I paid to them, always going up to the mountains, to the jungle looking for them, talking with them. He knows what I did to help them and still he shot me in cold blood on February 11," Ramos-Horta said. "I wouldn't shoot a dog, a pig, just for the sake of it, for fun, let alone a human being. But as an individual I forgive him. If today he is hungry, his family is hungry, has no clothing, no shelter, I'll give it to them. But as a head of state I am saying he has to face justice," he said. The assassination attempts showed the continuing volatility of East Timor since it declared independence in 2002, following decades of harsh rule by Indonesia and a period of U.N. administration. Tens of thousands of people fled their homes and still live in squalid tent camps in the capital. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...