Dili – Civil and military officials in East Timor have recently exhumed the bodies of over 250 people who died during new nation's quarter-century independence struggle against occupying Indonesian forces.

The victims of Timor's bloody independence war had been buried in makeshift graves in the center and east of the country and are being returned to their families for proper burial as part of a East Timor Defense Force (ETDF) initiative to "honor fallen heroes".

Capt. Mau Kalo of the ETDF told Lusa there had been widespread popular calls for proper burial of the war dead, both guerilla fighters and civilians, and rigorous contacts with ex-fighters had established at least 3,000 Timorese are buried in one mountainous zone in the center of the country.

Bodies are being taken for full identification to a school outside of Dili before being handed over to families, Capt. Kalo said.

Timor's prime minister, Mari Alkatiri, told Lusa he welcomed the exhumation process, saying it was time to "restore the truth of history".

"It is important the initiative progresses in a coordinated fashion under the charge of sovereign bodies, particularly parliament. It is not just enough to exhume the bodies, they have to be properly identified to ensure no errors are made", the Timorese leader said.