Tom Allard, Kupang, West Timor – Eurico Guterres – the militia leader found guilty and then acquitted of crimes against humanity during East Timor's violence-soaked birth as a nation – is hoping to catapult himself into Indonesia's national parliament, raising concerns any victory would greatly enhance his finances and influence.
Campaigning to represent one of Indonesia's poorest provinces, Guterres retains strong support among the pro-integrationist refugees from East Timor.
He is regarded as a national hero by many Indonesians, despite detailed allegations of his incitement of murderous rampages in 1999.
In an interview with the Herald, Guterres denied he had any links with the Indonesian security establishment that sponsored his Aitarak (Thorn) militia in East Timor. He described himself as a mediator and advocate for the downtrodden.
"The living conditions at the refugee camps here are not good. They are being neglected," he said. "There are some who wish to return to Timor Leste [East Timor]. That's why I wanted to run, because I wanted to make sure, if and when they return, they will be accepted well."
Guterres lives in Kupang, the capital of West Timor, but has been campaigning for the past week in the towns and villages along the border with East Timor, where most of the refugees from the 1999 conflict live.
The region's living conditions remain harsh. Local media reported the deaths of six children due to malnutrition this month. The area is also rife with smuggling of fuel, drugs and, in some instances, weapons into East Timor, say police sources.
Guterres was accused of orchestrating a militia attack on the house of a prominent pro-independence activist, Manuel Carrascalao, in 1999, which resulted in 12 deaths. This allegation was the centrepiece of his indictment on charges of crimes against humanity.
He also made an infamous speech in East Timor's capital Dili, declaring the country would become a "sea of fire" if East Timorese voted for independence.
Guterres served two years of a 10-year sentence before being acquitted and released last year. He is the only person ever jailed in Indonesia for the abuses in East Timor in 1999.
"What happened in Timor Leste for me is in the past. I was tried, I was in prison, but the Supreme Court found me not guilty," Guterres said. "I have never killed anyone, nor issued orders to kill anyone. But, because I was the leader then, people assume the killings was done under my order."
Ed Rees, a Timor analyst and security consultant, warned that Guterres had the "ability to be a problem" if elected to Parliament and is probably still "ultimately answerable" to military figures in Jakarta, retired or otherwise.
Prabowo Subianto is the Indonesian military counter-intelligence officer widely credited with enticing Guterres to become a spy and later a militia leader for Jakarta. Mr Subianto went on to head the notorious special forces unit Kopassus and is now running a well-financed bid for Indonesia's presidency.
"The people in [West Timor's border area] aren't having a great time," Mr Rees said. "If Guterres was given money and direction, there's certainly a lot of tinder for a fire."
Indonesia's Parliament is notoriously corrupt and its representatives are well remunerated by local standards.
Reflecting the flexible ideologies of many Indonesian political parties, Guterres, a Catholic, is running for the National Mandate Party (PAN), which has its roots in the moderate Indonesian Islamic movement Muhammadiyah.
PAN secured about 10 per cent of parliamentary seats in the last election. It is not traditionally strong in West Timor but Guterres's high profile means few pundits are writing off his chances.
And, despite his murky past, Guterres is promoting himself as a political cleanskin and bemoaning the justice system. "There's corruption everywhere, but no one has been arrested. I want to change all that."