http://www.disinfo.com/ci/humrts/ci_humrts_timor.html
http://www.easttimor.com/html/timor_news.html _____________________________________________
Militia kills 30 in Dili rampage http://www.theage.com.au/daily/990418/news/news1.html
By LINDSAY MURDOCH JAKARTA and IRENA KRISTALIS DILI
Hundreds of pro-Indonesia militiamen went on a rampage in the East
Timorese capital of Dili yesterday, killing and seriously wounding scores
of pro-independence supporters and attacking and burning houses, cars
and public buildings.
Officials confirmed at least eight dead, but others said the toll was
substantially higher and that the attacks were continuing into the night.
Indonesian police and soldiers were in little evidence when about 2000
members of the militia, trucked into Dili for an anti-independence rally,
went hunting pro-independence supporters after their leader, Mr Eurico
Gutteress, ordered them to ``capture and kill all those who are
anti-integration''.
``Reports reaching me from Dili said that about 30 people have already
died so far,'' former East Timor Governor Mario Viegas Carrascalao said in
Jakarta. Mr Carrascalao, who said he received hourly reports from Dili,
said there could be more victims as hundreds of refugees who had holed
up at the home of his brother, Manuel Carrascalao, had been taken away
by pro-Indonesia militia. ``They took up everyone from the house and
brought them to an unknown location. This is the usual method when
they want to get rid of people without leaving any evidence,'' Mario
Carrascalao said.
Earlier, East Timor military commander Colonel Tono Suratman said that
eight people had been killed, from both pro-Indonesia and
pro-independence supporters. He described the action as ``clashes
between returning militia and pro-independence groups'' who he said
ambushed the militia.
Some witnesses reported seeing Indonesian police and military waving
on the militia as they went on their rampage, and giving them food and
water.
They burned down the house of Leandro Isaac, the leader of the National
Council of Resistance of East Timor (CNRT), an umbrella group for the
pro-independence movement and also the house of a late activist.
They also attacked offices of the Suara Timor Timur (the Voice of East
Timor) daily, a human rights office and the Carrascalao residence.
Among those killed there was the 18-year-old adopted son of the
resistance leader when about 100 miltiamen firing shotguns and muskets
and throwing stones stormed the colonial home in central Dili.
Mr Carascalao said his son and several others were killed. ``My son was
killed in the attack on my house and I believe that there are several others
who were killed in the incident. I don't know where my son is, but all I
know is that he has been killed by the troops.''
Two French journalists at the scene said they saw refugees lying on
floors crying and pleading for their lives. An Agence France-Presse said
the assault began with stones, and intensified as the militia advanced
into the front garden and the reception room, shooting and smashing
down doors.
The refugees, who had been camping in the back garden, could find no
way out, barred by high walls. Only 300 metres away, visiting Irish
Foreign Minister David Andrews was meeting with Nobel Laureate
Bishop Carlos Ximines Belo at his home.
The French reporters were hit and threatened at gunpoint by the militia
before one of their leaders bundled them into a car and sent them back to
their hotel with orders to stay there.
Human rights activists said attacks were taking place in most parts of the
capital, where militia leaders last night ordered all residents to display red
and white, the colors of Indonesia's flag, outside their homes or face
attack.
A young man was gunned down outside the Resende Hotel and dozens
of people ran for their lives from the office of the Foundation for Legal
and Human Rights when militiamen brandishing home-made guns, rifles,
pistols and such traditional weapons as swords and bows and arrows
prepared to attack.
A pro-integration leader, Mr Basilio Araujo, described the rally that
preceded the violence as a ``show of force'' in response to a call two
weeks ago by the pro-independence leader, Mr Jose ``Xanana'' Gusmao
for his supporters to take up arms to protect themselves.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International has called for the immediate disarming
and disbanding of paramilitary groups in East Timor and the deployment
of human rights monitors. In a statement issued from Dublin, the human
rights group accused the Indonesian Government and its armed forces of
failing to protect independence supporters in East Timor.
A group of more than 30 East Timorese who visited Melbourne earlier
this month for a conference organised by the National Council of Timor
Resistance have been forced to flee their homes in East Timor, according
to a local activist. Some of the visitors have not returned to East Timor
for fear they would be attacked, and are staying in Jakarta and Bali.
with AGENCIES
_____________________________________________ ABRI's death squads preparing for 'Operation Clean-Up' on 17 April
15/04/99
News Update
Matebian News
ABRI's militia death squads are preparing for another murderous attack on innocent civilians in the capital. The operation named 'Operation Clean-Up' is prepared for 17th of April and will go on for three days. These criminals of ABRI and the Indonesian Government are killing innocent people without one single man being arrested. This is an Indonesian State-sponsored terrorism in East Timor.
As I have appealed to you before, it is now time to target the Indonesian government and hold these murderers responsible for these crimes.
The latest received today (14 April 99, 19:30 PM Sydney/Australia time) can be summarised as follows: 1) ABRI MILITIA are preparing for a three-days operation clean-up, starting from 17th April to 20th April. 2) Families who feel targeted are packing and leaving Dili. They call this ‘Operation Clean-Up Action is needed.
Keep in touch.
Agio Pereira _____________________________________________
Militia call seek to wipe out Timor independence movement.
16/04/99
The Australian
A PRO-Indonesian militia leader yesterday called on the people of East Timor to help his fighters completely wipe out the province's independence movement.
Jailed rebel leader Xanana Gusmao responded last night by appealing for peace and dialogue in his homeland, but said he could not let his people continue to be slaughtered like animals. The chilling call to eradicate pro-independence terrorists came as militia members planned to "invade Dili" in a rally to be held in the East Timor capital on Saturday.
Pro-integration militia leader Eurico Guterres called on all civil servants who supported independence for the former Portuguese colony to immediately resign and hand over all privileges, such as cars or housing, to pro-Indonesian supporters.
He also called on ordinary people to cooperate with the militia, including his Aitarak paramilitary group, to wipe out those supporting independence.
"Ordinary people who have been frequently intimidated, terrorised and whose money has been forcefully retributed are called on to cooperate with pro-integration fighters to together completely eradicate the pro-independence terrorists," Guterres said in a statement.
The pro-Indonesian militia Besi Merah Putih has been named as the perpetrators of an alleged massacre of civilians last week who had sought refuge at a church at Liquisa, about 30km west of Dili. The death toll has been put at between five and more than 40.
Gusmao yesterday issued a new statement following Indonesian government demands for him to retract his recent call for a popular insurrection in East Timor and for the armed resistance, Falintil, to use any means to defend the people. "I renew my appeal for peace, dialogue and
reconciliation," Gusmao said in a statement read by his lawyer Hendardi at a press conference here. But he added: "I am obliged to continue to ask that the defenceless people of East Timor refuse to allow themselves to be slaughtered like animals, although I know that no one will stop the murderous bullets." Indonesian Justice Minister Muladi had threatened to move Gusmao out of his defacto house arrest if he did not personally retract his earlier calls for insurrection. Gusmao's appeal was seen as a call to arms and interpreted as a declaration of war, and was cited by paramilitary groups in East Timor as a reason to engage.
Replying to the ultimatum, Hendardi said: "To return Xanana to prison would be a wrong decision, which should be suspected as part of a violent conspiracy to sabotage the peaceful solution process in East Timor. In his statement, Gusmao, who is serving a 20-year jail term for armed insurrection, said he appealed to the Indonesian armed forces "to adopt a position of political maturity, of greater openness and humanity as the world demands it". Talks on reconciliation in East Timor had followed by the formation of a 2000- strong pro- Indonesian militia, Gusmao said.
"To talk about reconciliation while the population is under threat and mourns its dead would be inhumane," he said. Indonesian President BJ Habibie has authorised the establishment of a special commission to include members of all sides of the conflict in East Timor.
The commission would be responsible for implementing a ceasefire.
Violence has increased in the half-island invaded by Indonesia in 1975 and formally annexed in 1976 since the government revealed two options would be available for the future of East Timor. If the East Timorese rejected in a direct vote an offer of wide-ranging autonomy to stay within the republic, Indonesia would ask its highest legislative body to release the province.