Are lives that cheap?

Sadly to say, after 4 years of near stability, East Timor is going back to the days of violence. I tried to gather as much information as possible from locals and other foreign workers and here's what I've got thus far.(remember, it is not 100% accurate. perhaps close to it)

Yesterday(25 may), soldiers surrounded the Police HQ in Caicoli and fought with them. According to various sources, some police officers resigned(or left the force) and took weapons with them with the intention of joining the renegade soldiers. The army got wind of the news and quickly surrounded them to prevent them from joining the opposing forces. One soldier started shooting and all hell broke loose. A ceasefire was negotiated(the police force must surrender their arms). However, when they did that, some soldiers shot at them and killed 9 and injured 27 others. Some police fled to the UN compound(Obrigado Barracks) and seek refuge there.

This morning, shots were fired at Obrigado Barracks by the army and their target is an obvious one; the police.(the military and the police force has not seen eye to eye in the past but this is too much!) The UN clinic now is a busy one with wounded police from yesterday's shootings. Read timorsunhine.blogspot.com for more details.

The shooting of the police is beyond logic. Some soldiers had become bloodthirsty for the police had did them no harm at all but they are bend on killing them. No one knows why. It seems that their aim now is to kill, kill and kill. I already don't understand why the rebels, led by Major Alfredo, shot at innocent soldiers collecting their paycheck. And now, even the soldiers themselves begin to behave like the rebels. Are lives that cheap???? This is really disturbing.