Dili – East Timor's human rights court has sentenced a senior member of a pro-Jakarta militia to 15 years in prison for organizing an attack on the house of an independence leader's house which left a dozen people dead. Marcolino Soares was convicted by the Serious Crimes Panel of participating in and masterminding the attack on the home of Manuel Carrascalco, a pro-independence leader on April, 12, 1999.

Twelve people, including Carrascalco's son, died in the attack which was part of the rampage unleashed by Indonesia's military and its militia proxies before and after the 1999 referendum that hastened Dili's breakaway from Jakarta's rule.

Meanwhile, the Serious Crimes Unit (SCU), set up by Timor and the UN, has indicted seven militia bosses for a church massacre and other killings during the country's bloody breakaway from Indonesia. The seven, who are all believed to be in Indonesia, were charged with murder, torture and forced deportations committed from March to September 1999.

Five of the militiamen were also indicted for organizing the Suai church massacre, in which Indonesian troops and their militia associates attacked a church where refugees were sheltering. At least 31 people died in the attack, which was among the worst that followed the independence ballot five years ago.

Up to 1,500 people were killed in the violence orchestrated by Jakata's security officials in 1999. Only half these deaths have been examined by the SCU, which ceased its investigations this week and will close entirely next year.