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Woman raped, held as slave at military post

Source
South China Morning Post - January 23, 1997

Joe Leahy, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights is to investigate allegations an East Timorese woman was raped and held as a virtual slave at a military post after being accused of being a member of the territory's Fretilin guerilla movement.

A report submitted yesterday by an alliance of 14 activist groups alleged the woman, Alianca Henrique dos Santos, 23, and seven relatives were arrested without warrant in November and taken to Ermera, about 60 kilometres southwest of Dili.

The report contains a letter from East Timor's bishop, Nobel Peace Prize winner Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo to the Dili military command on December 25 urging it to investigate the allegations.

Ms dos Santos and other detainees were tortured, and she was beaten, warned she would be killed, kept handcuffed and raped on three occasions by soldiers, the report alleges.

Another detainee was stripped naked before her husband and children and led away, it said.

"Alianca was frequently ordered to boil water and do other work by soldiers while repeatedly being rebuked as a member of the rebel movement," the report said.

The group was eventually discovered by a member of their village church, who managed to secure their release.

Human rights commission member Clementino dos Reis Amaral said yesterday he and a team would investigate the claims during a trip to the territory early next month.

East Timor military and police officials were unavailable for comment.

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