[ETAN/US received the following document as a fax, in English, from the resistance in East Timor. This is the first direct report we have seen giving the East Timorese internal resistance's view of recent events. (The report is dated June 3, 1997.) Given the predominance of official Indonesian reports, we post this document, because we believe that the East Timorese should be allowed to speak for themselves. Note: we have tried to transcribe the document exactly as written, preserving mis-spellings and grammatical awkwardness.]
1. With many honors and high consideration, we want to inform to the International organizations of Human Rights and International Community on all the incidents before to begin the general elections in Indonesia and after elections in East Timor.
Now, Indonesian forces begin to arrest and to kill the youngmen and persons of population. Many youngmen and activists are detained, tortured, beatten and interrogated.
We appeal and call attention specially to United Nations organizations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Commission, American Watch, European Union European Parliamentary, American Congress and CPLP to take a clear and concret measure on violations and massacres that indonesian forces are practising at this moment in East Timor.
2. We appeal to these great organizations that if they are lovers of the peace and social justice. If you are defenders of Human Rights in the world, please to press indonesian government to withdraw out its forces from East Timor because Timorese People rejected and reject the integration of East Timor into the Indonesian Republic. Indonesia is a violator, transgressor and murderous country. Indonesia never respected the Human Rights and the right of the Timorese People.
3. Now indonesian government send more 15 battalions of the effective militaries to East Timor. After its general elections, indonesian forces begin to arrest and to kill all the youngmen with person of population who are suspected to colaborate with the guerrilla fighters in the assaults against indonesian military forces and policial forces during the general elections in East Timor. Really indonesian government is not happy and satisfied with the elections in East Timor because the urns or ballots boxes were burnt by the guerrilla fighters and the population in all the territory of East Timor. Guerrilla attacks
4. Now we go to inform to the International Organizations and International Community that Timorese guerrilla fighters have done the following attacks:
a. On 26th May 1997, the guerrilla fighters from Falintil attacked the policial forces in Laga-toaucau and they killed (3) three indonesian policemen and (2) two were wounded gravely.
b. On 27th May, the guerrilla fighters have assaulted one car of police Brimob (brigade moviable) they flung into the car a grenade in which killed (4) policemen, (2) were wounded. The attack was done in Baguia.
c. On 28th May, the guerrilla fighters came from the mountain with one car, mark kisang to Dili. The car "Toyota kisang" was driven by the youngman named Adalia Orlando Heriques. The guerrilla fighers have killed (17) seventeen policeman and many of them were wounded. They are interned in Military Hospital, in Dili. (4) guerrilla fighters were dead and (2) two were captured and detained. Five (5) youngmen were dead also. Many youngmen were wounded and many of them were disappeared so far today. d. On 29th May 1997, the guerrilla fighters were commanded by the David Alex Caitula (?), they intered in Baucau's Laga Baguia, Quelicai, Viqueque and Ossu. They burnt all the urns in the villas and villages. On that day, the guerrilla fighters have killed (1) one indonesian intelligence with his wife
e. On 30th May 1997, one military car came back from Quelicai to Dili, brought 35 policemen arrived in a village called Maumana, the car was assaulted by the guerrilla fighters, flung one grenade into the car and killed the following javanes forces or policemen:
- 21 policemen were dead and burnt
- 10 were wounded gravely
- 4 fled away themselves
The ten (10) wounded were intered in the hospital named Wira Husada in Lahane-Dili
f. On 31th May, at nine o'clock, in Welaicama-Baucau, the guerrilla fighters had been shot and burnt the car of staf of governor for the Baucau's District. They burnt also 1 motor-bycicle.
Lospalos' District
5. On 29th May, indonesian forces and policemen have killed 10 youngmen who destroyed and burnt the urns of elections in hospitals. In Lospalos, the youngmen went to watch the RTPI, indonesian forces from Command red bonnet arrested them and killed 8 youngmen. Those youngmen watched RTPI in the homes of some teach named Alvaro. This one with his sons were dead by the indonesian forces. His Television and parabolic antene were destroyed. Indonesian military forces said to them: why do you like to watch Portuguese television? Did you not like to watch indonesian television? You are indonesian enemies. You are Fretilin. You must be dead.
6. During the general elections (9) nine indonesian militaries were dead in Ermera's district.
NW: NB: On that assult in Bairro Pite; five (5) youngmen were dead on 28th May, at night. Their names are here: Alberto, Carlito, Gaspar, Romeu. Another, we are still identifying. Indonesia only announced that (17) seventeen Indonesian policemen were dead in Bairro Pite-Dili.
Arrestings
On 31th May, indonesian forces and policmen arrested many youngmen in Dili, specially the youngmen of Bairro Pite; Fatumeta, Manleuana and Comoro.
1. Indonesian military forces and policemen have arrested David Dias Ximenes, ex-scond leutenant of portuguese army. He was ex-political prisoner. He was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment. He was banished to Cipinang's prison in Jakarta. He was released on 17 of August 1991.
2. At this moment, he's detained by the indonesian forces in the Police's Command in Comoro-Dili for the interrogations on assault in Bairro Pite. David Dias Ximenes has been accused by the indonesian authorities that he's the author of assaults on 28th May 1997, in Dili. Indonesian authorities said that the assaults were organized by him. However, the accusations are falses. The assaults were organized by the Armed Resistance. The general elections were boicoted in all the territory of East Timor.
Only in Dili the military forces and the policemen have arrested more 180 youngmen. They are still seeking all the persons to arrest, to condemn and to sentence them to the prison.
We have got the names of 8 youngmen more active that participated in the assault of Bairro Pite-Dili.
- Ernesto Soares, 27 anos de idade
- Antonio Barros, 25 anos de idade
- Francisco Martins, 28 anos de idade
- Emilio Egildo Pereira, 27 anos de idade 5 Ecelso Alidalo, 40 anos de idade
- Baptista Guterres, 29 anos de idade
- Jacinto Barros, 24 anos de idade
- Tomas Maia, 26 anos de idade
3. On 3th June 1997, the wife of David Dias Ximenes, named Beatriz Magno Ximenes was arrested by the indonesian forces. She was arrested at 12o'clock in Dili. Now, she's detained with her husband in Police's Command in Comoro.
She was interrogated and released again in the following day.
The house was destroyed to seek the guns and documents from the Maubere Resistance. The indonesian forces got some documents at his home. Those documents were written in english and portuguese language. The indonesian authorities go to arrange some people whose knows portuguese language to translate these documents into indonesian language (bahasa indonesia).
4. One advocate named Aniceto from the Indonesia Institute of Legal Helping had gone to Police Prison to visit David Dias Ximenes. The advocate was allured by the Commander of Police, Mr. Yusuf Muharam so that Anicete can not defend David Dias Ximenes and the Timorese youngmen. The Police's Commander wanted to give him a special job because Aniceto want to defend the Timoreses. So, the Commander wanted to allure him. But, Aniceto refused to accept that special job because he's a defender of Human Rights.
5. And also, we pretend to elucidate to the International organizations of Human Rights and International Community that the Center of Human Rights in Australia announced to the world that during the general elections in East Timor, many Timoreses and many indonesian policemen died there. Two hundred (200) people were dead.
6. This true, because the Military Commander, Mahidin Simbolon, and Commander of Police Yusef Muharim recognized that many indonesian forces died in East Timor.
7. Indonesian government said that Commander was not able to exterminate guerrilla resistance. So, he must be substituted by another military Commander. Therefore, Mahidin Simbolon was substituted by the new Commander Slamet Sidabutar from II group of Command (Kopasus).
8. On the first of June 1997, Commander Slamet Sidabutar had a meeting in Baucau with all the Commanders of operations to arrest and to kill all the Timorese youngmen. All the people had been involved in the assaults of general elections. They will be clean out by the indonesian forces.
9. Colonel Infantary, Slamet Sidabutar declared that indonesian forces have not difficulties to finish the guerrilla fighters or Armed Resistance. But, they have many difficulties to exterminate Clandestine Resistance, because the Clandestine Resistance is very strong. So, we must take major attention to wipe out the Clandestine Resistance firstly.
10.Acceding with the declaration of javanese Commander, Slamet Sidabutar, indonesian forces have arrested more 500 in all the territory of East Timor, after the general elections.
Appeal
11. So, Timorese People, more once, appeals to the United Nations organizations, international organizations to help and to support Portuguese government and Timorese diplomatic Representation so that can find a just and internationally accepted solution for East Timor's question.
Maubere People demand to general Secretary, Mr. Kofi Annan of United Nations to press Indonesia and Portugal so that the can resolve quickly the problem of East Timor to finish at once the sufferings of Timorese People.
12. Maubere People demand to general Secretary of United Nations so that can not adjourn always the Timorese question because with the adjournment of problem, indonesian forces go to kill Timorese group by group until to exterminate the Timorese Resistance. The people of East Timor doesn't want the war. The Timoreses want the peace, social justice, and freedom like the other peoples in the international world. The Timorese want to live free and peacefull with Asian Peoples, specially indonesian people. But, indonesian government didn't accept the opinion of East Timor's People. So, the struggle was continuing so far today.
Timor Leste - 3 June 1997
Three signatures, names illegible Seals of Falintil and Comite Ejecutivo