The murder of Sister Erminia & friends

This story is taken from East Timor 1999 Crimes against Humanity A Report Commissioned by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights by Geoffrey Robinson, University of California, Los Angeles, July 2003. Joni Marques was named in President Jose Ramos-Horta's 20 May 2008 Presidential Pardons Decree as qualifying for a reduction of his sentence for his crimes in 1999 - some of which are told in this horrifying story.

Joni Marques then ordered his men to set up a roadblock by placing large stones on the road. Some militiamen were posted on a nearby hill as a lookout, and others took up positions in a ditch with their weapons aimed up the road. Some witnesses testified in court that they knew that there was a plan to ambush the clergy’s vehicle.

One witness recalled that after setting up the roadblock, Joni Marques had said: “Now we will wait for the Sisters who will be coming towards Baucau…and when they come we will kill them all.”

At about 2:30 p.m. the same day, a gray four-wheel drive vehicle came into sight from the direction of Lautem heading west toward Baucau. There were eight people in the vehicle, including two nuns, three Brothers/Priests, a journalist and two other lay persons. When the vehicle stopped at the roadblock, Joni Marques and two other militiamen opened fire on it with their automatic weapons, instantly killing the driver and some of the passengers.

As one of the surviving passengers tried to get out of the vehicle, a militiaman grabbed him and dragged him to the river where he was shot and killed. The same militiaman poured petrol over three other survivors and lit them on fire. One of the three ran from the car to the river, where Joni Marques and another man shot and killed him.

One of the nuns got out of the vehicle and knelt down by the roadside to pray. As she prayed, a militiaman (Horacio) slashed her with a machete. Another militiamen (Pedro da Costa) testified that he had yelled “Don’t kill a Sister!” but that Joni Marques had replied “Kill them all! They are all CNRT!” A militiaman then picked up Sister Erminia and threw her in the river, before shooting her twice. At the trial, a witness testified:

“I noticed a nun sitting beside a [ditch]. There was a body beside the nun. I noticed the cap of the nun was on her shoulder. The nun talked to me in Tetum. I cannot remember all the words, but I remember she was saying ‘Oh! God!’”

At about this time, Joni Marques ordered his men to push the clergy’s vehicle into the river. Several witnesses testified that he shouted: “Come here and push the car, you mother fuckers!” The men did so, though one person was still inside the vehicle. When the person got out of the car, he was shot and killed.

Gregorio Lobo Pinto: Former Sub-District Head of Ossu, Now Rector of Unital

If nothing gets in the way, the Oriental University (Unital) will graduate about 200 students this coming October. Perhaps this news will lighten the worries of parents about the status and quality of the East Timor Oriental University. The thing is that, apart from not yet having been accredited by the Democratic Republic of East Timor government, its name is less well known compared to other private institutions of learning, such as the Peace University (Unpaz) or the Dili University (Undil) and other private universities. However, the founders of this university are fighters for the independence of East Timor. They are Colonel Lere Anan Timor, Maunana, Mario de Sousa Guterres da Silva alias Nunura, Matos, andSamba 9. Due to the ill health of Samba 9, he was replaced by Nixon.

The purpose of the establishment of this university was to help veterans who were not financially able to pay for their children to go to state or private universities where fees are relatively high. Unfortunately, this university which is now headed by Gregorio Lobo Pinto, has not had any attention from the government even though the contribution of the veterans to independence is sufficiently great. To learn more about the existence of Unital, on last Saturday (17/5), a reporter from this newspaper met with the Rector, Gregorio Lobo Pinto in his office on campus in Bekora. He was accompanied by the Vice Head of the Foundation, Mario de Sousa Guterres da Silva. According to Gregorio, although the university he runs has not yet been accredited by the government, its creation was not illegal because from the beginning, it was known about by the Minister for Education and Culture at the time, Armindo Maia, MPhil.

“The accreditation team from the education ministry has already come and asked us several questions about the university. We explained in detail about the background and purpose of the university. So now we await the results," said Gregorio.

Unital was formally founded in 2002. At the start, the Unital Campus was in Pantai Kelapa (Coconut Beach - trans.note). But the building that was used was needed by the government so they forced us to move to Bekora. The government authorised the Unital Foundation to use the old National Cultural Building in Bekora as our campus. Now, Unital has 600 students in 6 faculties that have 16 disciplines. The 6 faculties are Social Politics, Economy, Agriculture, Law, FKIP and Technology. The students are taught by 74 lecturers; 43 permanent and 31 non-permanent.

Of the 600 students, 206 have entered the thesis writing stage. The plan is to have the first graduation this October. “The finalist students are now studying English and Portuguese levels 1, 2, 3, and computer courses,” he said.

The former District Head of Ossu and Assistant III in Administrative and Financial Affairs of the Viqueque Regional Government Level II said that the campus has 16 lecture rooms which on average accommodate 40 students.“In the future, if we get accreditation from the government, we will enrol 1000 new students,” he affirmed.

WHO is Gregorio Lobo Pinto? This man, born in Uatocarbau on 12 March 1958, is not unknown to the East Timor community. In the Indonesian period, Gregorio was the Ossu District Head and Assistant III in the Administration and Financial Section of the Viqueque Regional Government. Husband to Emilia Mascarenhas, he started his basic education in Irabin, Uatocarbau, Viqueque. He then went to middle school in Dili (the Bishop of Madeiros Missionary School). In 1969, Gregorio entered the Technical School in Dili. After Portugese Timor was integrated with Indonesia, this son of Angelina (deceased) and Agapito did the middle school examinations. In 1982, this father of 6 children received a scholarship from the government for the Internal Governance Academy in South Sulawesi. After obtaining his Bachelor degree, Gregorio was placed directly in the Viqueque Regional Government. Five years later (1987), he got an opportunity to study at the Governance Science Institute in Jakarta. In 1990, Gregorio graduated with his Masters degree and got a position as Assistant III Administration and Finance in the Viqueque Regional Government.

On 10 February 1999, he fled to the forest and joined Falintil.

m.mau http://www.suaratimorlorosae.com/details.php?id=12841&now=2008-05-21 translation ww2008

Domingos Barreto jailed just for being at 12 November Demo

During the Alkatiri government (2000 - 2006), the 12 November demonstration* that climaxed with the bloody tragedy in the Santa Cruz public cemetery in Dili was made a national political issue. Prime Minister Alkatiri and the Fretilin Party wanted to make “12 November” National Labor Day. Every component of the country, the community, the youth of East Timor (more so those who were involved with and became the victims of that bloody tragedy), as well as journalists (print and electronic) voiced strong opposition to this policy which was considered to be blind to history and intended to trivialise the struggle of the youth in the past.

In the end, the Alkatiri government gave in and agreed to the wishes of the youth to make that date National Youth Day. The demonstrators were very tense at that time - many of them are still alive. Including those who were imprisoned just because they were at the Santa Cruz tragedy.

One of them is Domingos Barreto, SH. At the time of the demonstration, Barreto was finishing his education at the Faculty of Law at the Sugyopranoto Catholic University in Semarang, Central Java from 1986 to 1993.

Although being in another's country, the clandestine struggle for the independence of this country did not die. It shone still. While in Semarang, he was actively involved in the underground movement. He joined the Renetil organisation that was set up by Fernando de Araujuo La Sama (now President of the National Parliament). Then, he was entrusted as the Secretary of Renetil for the Semarang region, Central Java. In the resistence period, Renetil was the one organisation that could muster all the might of the youth in East Timor as well as in Indonesia. Its members were actively involved in several demonstrations in Jakarta and Dili, the most horrifying of which happened on 12 November 1991.

Barreto was one of those involved and his movements were known to the TNI (Indonesian military) intelligence and the civil intelligence that supported the TNI. “After that event, I was arrested and imprisoned for one year in Jakarta because I was involved in the 12 November demonstration which ended in the bloody tragedy in Santa Cruz,” said Domingos Barreto.

Barreto was born in Bobonaro on 21 April 1963. The second of 8 children of Joao Barreto and Ana de Jesus Cardoso Sousa. In the Portuguese Timor period, he successfully completed his education up to level 4 class in 1974. After the Indonesian military invasion in 1975 he continued his education at the Merah Putih State Primary School in Bobonaro, finishing in 1979.

He then completed his middle education at the State Middle School I in Maliana in 1982 then the Becora State High School. He graduated with his Bachelor degree from the Sugyopranoto Catholic University in 1995 and returned to work as a civil servant in the East Timor Provincial Office of the (Indonesian) National Family Planning Coordinating Body until the territory separated from Indonesia and became a new nation in 1999.

He married his chosen lady Zelia Soares Henriques in January 2000 just after East Timor became independent. In March 2000, he was appointed as a prosecutor and not long after that he was entrusted as the Chief Prosecutor for the District of Baucau until 2004. He attended training in Portugal for 3 months and after returning became a member of the Superior Council of the Judiciary for 5 years (2003-2007). He then attended education at the Centre for Judicial Development in Dili for 2 years and 6 months. After that, he, along with 8 of his colleagues, were appointed as prosecutors on 21 June 2007. He was subsequently appointed as the prosecutor in the Oecusse District Prosecution Service where he is now.

armandina moniz http://www.suaratimorlorosae.com/details.php?id=12740&now=2008-05-08 translation ww2008 Trans. note - At the 12 November 1991 demonstration by students in East Timor at the funeral of one of their colleagues who was murdered by the Indonesian security forces, the Indonesian military opened fire on the mourners in the grounds of the Santa Cruz cemetery in central Dili killing hundreds. After what remained of the crowd had fled, soldiers then swept through the cemetery killing the wounded who could not escape. The location of the graves of the many who were killed at this event is still not publicly known. This event became known as the Santa Cruz Massacre. It marks one of the darkest days of the illegal occupation of East Timor by Indonesia. Later, only a handful of junior military members were lightly sanctioned but many Timorese were arrested, detained and tortured for their brave resistance to the tyrannical Indonesian rule which left near 200 000 East Timorese dead.

Sacrifice for Independence

Forum Tau Matan (FTM) is already identified with the life of a man whose full name is João Soares Reis Pequinho. He is the founder of this NGO that is active in the humanitarian field.

Beginning with his bitter experience during the Indonesian occupation, the heart of this man is empassioned to do something for this new state and country. “We developed this program to illustrate my life's vision and the program is more focused on monitoring police and prison cells with the objective of combating the occurrence of the torture of people who are arrested and those under detention in cells. All of this begins from my experiences in the past because I do not want this to happen again to anyone else,” he said.

This child of Virginia Soares and Jose Borges entered the Kamea State Primary School (1984-1990), State Middle School III (1990-1993), then to State High School III, but one year later moved to Liquica and started at the Liquica State High School (1996)

He then continued his schooling at the Environmental Health Academy until 1999. Previously, he had already been involved in clandestine activities, namely, fund raising for Falintil (Armed Forces for an Independent East Timor). He also fell into practical politics when he became involved with the independence campaign. However, his involvement in the anti-Indonesian student front made Joao leave his studies as he was arrested when attending a secret meeting at the Hera Polytechnical College. The result was that in January 1998, Joao occupied a cell. Later, Joao was detained in (Indonesian army battalion) Barracks 744 in Taibessi. From the Barracks 744 in Taibessi, Joao was taken to the Kopassus (Indonesian Special Forces) Barracks in Kolmera. “I was moved from one place to another and eventually detained for 9 months in Bekora (prison) and 3 months in the Balide Cells. I was only released in February 1999,” he added.

This man, born in Laclubar (District of Manatuto) on 3 March 1976, was detained in one place and another. During that time, this father of 3 children underwent much suffering and torture from the Indonesian security apparatus.

“All that became my motivation to do something that would benefit this country and state,” he said. During 2001-2003, he worked for the UN (Human Rights Unit). He learnt many things because he wanted to set up an NGO. That wish was finally realised and on 12 December 2003, FTM was established.

“In the first year, we focused ourselves monitoring police and prison cells. He became the manager of FTM with 9 staff (4 women and 5 men) Now, FTM continues to develop and advance. This husband of Ivonia de Lima is active doing courses in the English language and administration and is also participating in the IOM's program on the Prevention of Trafficking of Timorese Women.

He also used to work in Yayasan HAK when it was headed by Aniceto Guterres Lopes and became its organiser. This fourth child of 8 undertook special monitoring of violence committed by the police and also worked in police training. In addition, he was involved in a working group on strengthening the capacity of the East Timor National Police.

“The joys and sorrows of working in the FTM NGO make it interesting enough because there are good things and bad. But I feel satisfied because I have been able to run this organisation for 4 years. The sorrows are greater than the joys" he added, smiling.

natalia/efigenia Suara Timor Lorosae http://www.suaratimorlorosae.com/details.php?id=12624&now=2008-04-25 translation ww2008

Izaura's home destroyed by landslide

A house owned by Izaura Gomes Faria that is located in the Fusam neighbourhood, Bairo Pite suburb, sub-district of Dom Eleixo (Dili District) was ruined by a natural disaster (landslide) that occurred at noon on Tuesday (22/4).

Although no one was killed, all of the owner's possessions were also hit by the landslide and were scattered about outside where the house stood. The bedroom and wardrobe were destroyed including the walls and roof of the house which were also scattered about in pieces.

This natural disaster caused the local residents to panic including this owner for fear that another landslide would come.

The disaster's victim, Izaura Gomes, when meeting with this newspaper, said that he hoped that the government would help him especially the department that deals with this kind of thing."Everything was destroyed. To fix it, we don't have the money. We hope the government can help us" said Izaura.

Izaura said that since the earthquake that struck East Timor a few days ago, he did not dare to sleep in the room in his house because the house, which is in the mountains, felt weak not like as usual. This fear is not without foundation because after an interval of several days since the earthquake, his house was covered by the landslide.

Izaura lives with 7 family members - his wife, children, his mother and a brother.

agi http://www.suaratimorlorosae.com/details.php?id=12588&now=2008-04-23 translation ww2008

At school - on the floor and with the goats

The principle of Primary School III in Benunuk in the sub-district of Metinaro just to the east of Dili, Apolinario Manuel Luis Belo, says that the school he runs does not have enough desks and chairs so some of the students sit on the floor.

“Although our school does not have enough desks and chairs, the teaching-learning process is still smooth" said Apolinario when meeting the journalist of this newspaper in the Distict Office, Kaikoli, on Friday (18/4).It was also said that, apart from insufficient desks and chairs, the school is frequently ruined by the local community's animals, such as goats and cows.

According to Apolinario, there were 726 students registered at the school for the 2007/2008 school year. They are educated by 14 permanent classification 10 teachers, 3 contracted teachers and one honorary teacher (voluntary)The school has only 3 class rooms.

UNICEF assisted with 7 tents so some of the students were transferred to the tents. “A while ago, UNICEF assisted again with 14 tents. Each day the tents must be set up so that the children can sit in them and be taught," he added.

He said that all of these deficiencies had been reported to the Minister for Education and Culture. In 2006, a team from the education ministry did a survey and took pictures. However, until now, there has been no intervention to address these problems.“Not only that but several non-government organisations also collected data from the students and the teachers, but the outcome is the same," said Apolinario with a tone of disappointment.

Furthermore, based on the observations of this newspaper's journalist, this school is always surrounded by domestic livestock from the local community so that around the edges of the class room and inside the tents, there is always dung from the livestock. Every night, dozens of goats sleep on the porch of the school.

Gec http://www.suaratimorlorosae.com/details.php?id=12565&now=2008-04-22 translation ww2008


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Paulino Amaral - We don't want to be refugees any more

Although the refugees in the Kolmera Jardin are ready to leave the camp, some of the refugees still object because the government has forbidden them from living in their houses because there is a new project to be undertaken.

“Our house is not far from the Rapid Response Unit Headquarters in Fatuhada. Now, the government has forbidden us from living in that house. Where will my family go?" said Paulino in a community dialogue in Bairo Pite with the President of the Republic, Jose Ramos Horta on Thursday (15/5).

He asked this question to the President because he is confused after the government forbade him from returning to his original house. “I don't want to go from place to place. I am tired of being a refugee" he said.He added that he does not want to meet the same fate as refugees from the Guido Valadares National Hospital. When they went to return home to the former Police training centre in Kaikoli, they were refused by the police.

The Secretary of State for Social Assistance and Natural Disasters, Jacinto Rigoberto Gomes de Deus, said that refugees whose houses were noted in a government program for other development, were not permitted to return to those houses.

But they can stay at a temporary place to wait for the government program to build a new suburb.While those whose houses are not yet the subject of government intervention, they can go back to their original homes.

State Secretary Jacinto also announced to the whole community that previously lived in the old police training centres such as Kaikoli (next to the central office of the East Timor Electricity) or the one next to the old Mayor's office in Belarmino Lobo street, it is better if they find another place because these two locations are the subject of development by the government.

gec http://www.suaratimorlorosae.com/details.php?id=12792&now=2008-05-16 translation by ww2008



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Mrs Artemicio goes to Parliament

At the National Parliament Building in Dili on Wednesday, there came a woman from the town of Los Palos in the District of Lautem. Her name is Artemicia Rodriques Silva, a resident of the Kota Bemoris neighbourhood in the Village of Fuiloro, Sub-District of Lospalos.

She came carrying her child, who is still an infant. Her face was sad, her eyes clouded, occasionally gazing at the ceilings of the Parliament building, occasionally looking at the people's representatives, but not in a hurry to say what she wants to.

She is looking for a certain representative of the people whom she trusts very much and who is able to express her case which has impacted on her life for more than 5 years. She looks intently at the people's representatives one by one but remains quiet and calm. The person for whom she is looking has not yet arrived. After waiting for a long time, that person turns up. It is Engineer Mario Carrascalao, who is the President of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). Artemicia has her own reasons why she must meet with Engineer Mario Viegas Carrascalao.

The reason is not because they are related and not because of politics. Certainly not. The reason is that she remembers Mario's commitment during the Indonesian period. For 10 years (1982 - 1992), as the Governor of Timor Timur (the then 27th province of Indonesia - trans. note), Mario cared very much for the poor. He cared very much for all of the woes of the people who were suffering.

He even secretly supported the youth of East Timor in their clandestine activities when the TNI (Indonesian National Armed Forces) wanted to eradicate them. During his term of office, Mario made Friday the day for the "little people" to meet personally with him in his office in the Governor's Office (now the Government Palace). Through the Friday meetings, he helped many of the poor and really understood what the people needed. That is the main reason why Mrs. Artemicia came to the National Parliament yesterday.

Upon seeing Mario, she immediately went up to him and told him the problem that she has been experiencing. As is his character, Mario stopped immediately and asked her what her problem was. The problem is this. On 10 February 2002, her shop in the centre of Lospalos was burned down by a certain group. The shop building and all of its contents were burnt to ashes. She suffered about US$4000 in losses.

She lodged a complaint with the police asking them to pursue the perpetrators of the arson but the police have not been able to catch them. The case has been considered closed. She also took her case to the Lospalos Sub-District Administrator and the Lautem District Administrator. She asked the local administration to help lighten the burden that had struck her - at the least, to help her with a small amount of money to re-establish her shop. But the local administration paid her no attention whatsoever.

Artemicia said that after the arson, it was really hard for her family to live. "I have 9 children. All of them small. My husband, Yusuf Suba, has no job. I have no capital to re-open the shop. Since 2002, I have hoped that the district government would help me to reopen my business - but nothing. Until now, the district government has not given any attention to this" added Artemicia sadly.

During the Alkatiri government, when the National Parliament was presided over by Francisco Guterres alias Lu-Olo, she came to Dili. She met directly with Lu-Olo in the Parliament building to tell of the disaster that she experienced. But Lu-Olo just shrugged his shoulders and did nothing.

Then, in 2007, she returned to Dili and met with Estanislau da Silva (member of the Fretilin faction) to report her case to him. But that came to nothing too. On 14 May, she again came to the National Parliament building to meet with Mario Viegas Carraslao to tell him about the problem she has. In her heart, she believes that Mr. Mario can help to lighten the burden that she has borne for more than 5 years.

“I hope that Mr Mario will be the person who can help me at last. I believe that he gives great attention to the fate of little people like me" added Artemicia, full of hope.

car http://www.suaratimorlorosae.com/details.php?id=12790&now=2008-05-16 translation ww2008


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The tragic death of Domingos Guterres Silva

The fate of Domingos Guterres Silva (24) is truly tragic. Since childhood, he suffered from epilepsy so his appearance was not completely normal. He lived in Fatu Meta Surikmas. On 29 April last, at about 6.00 a.m., he walked from Fatu Meta Surikmas towards Beduku and Manleuana, and did not return home. His parents and siblings became worried and went out to look for him but could not find him.

After looking for a week, they found him in Beduku but he was not alive. It was rumoured that he had been murdered by ninjas in Beduku then buried not far from a house in Beduku Manleuana.On 9 May last, his family made a report to the Police station in Manleuana.

The police went to the location of the grave. Based on certain information, the police began an investigation to find out who the perpetrator of this murder was. They then exhumed the body. It turned out that the body of Domingos Guterres Silva had been sadistically tortured. His hands and feet were bound and he was buried upside down - his head downwards and his feet upwards. Banana trees had been planted on top of the grave so that it was difficult to see.

Based on rumours that developed, the police traced the perpetrators of this sadistic murder and eventually arrested 4 of 6 people strongly suspected of involvement in the murder. Two of the perpetrators are still being sought by the police. The body of Guterres was taken to the Guido Valadares National Hospital for autopsy and was returned to his family on Tuesday(12/5).

The family of the deceased said that information they obtained indicated that before being killed by ninjas, Guterres had asked for a drink of water from one of the perpetrators. He could not speak easily because of his epilepsy so he signed using his hands. It seems that at that moment, the perpetrator questioned Guterres but he could not answer. He could only respond using his hands. Whether it was by the Devil, the questioner, who had the initials JM, suddenly acted foolishly and badly. He called his 5 colleagues and afterwards they tied Guterres' hands and feet together and killed the disabled man with a samurai sword.

Guterres was born in 1974 in Dili to Francisco Guterres and Maria Marcal da Cruz. His brother, Joao Guteres Freitas, said that information that came to hand after this sadistic murder indicated that JM together with his colleagues murdered his disabled younger brother because they thought he was a ninja. “This is no reason. It is only an excuse to defend themselves. All his life, my brother could not speak clearly because he long suffered from epilepsy. If he wanted something, he would signal with his hands" added Joao.

He suffered epilepsysince he was small. He was mentally disabled but his body grew normally. He attended school until sixth year but in 1985 had to stop school because of his illness. His illness became worse until he could no longer speak normally. Prizaldo Almeida Translation ww2008 Original text in Indonesian at http://www.suaratimorlorosae.com/details.php?id=12773&now=2008-05-14

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