Newspaper key: NTT X ­ NTT Ekspres; PK ­ Pos Kupang; ST ­ Surya Timor; RT ­ Radar Timor

Wednesday, 1 Nov. 2000

NTT X ­ "Cancio Lopes de Carvalho: I'm ready to be tried in International Court"

KUPANG ­ "The law in Indonesia has been politicized and certain parties have intervened in it, what more in relation to the weapons of former PPI members. If there continues to be legal intervention, I am ready to be tried in an International Court," said former PPI Sector C Commander, Cancio Lopes de Carvalho to reporters on Tuesday (31/10). He said he was ready to be arrested by police as long as they followed legal procedures and were supported by evidence and a witness. Regarding the NTT Chief of Police statement that he'd put a red circle around Cancio's statement that he wasn't going to surrender weapons, Cancio said that didn't mean he still held organic weapons, but that his men would only surrender their weapons to the UN Sec. Council. Besides that, Cancio said that based on experience, several men who surrendered weapons were then arrested for no clear reason. This makes his men unwilling to turn over weapons to TNI/police but directly to the UN Sec. Council. Cancio is convinced that because the Chief of Police statement came after he was in Bali it means there was intervention from Udayana Commander Kiki Syahnakri, and that if the Police Chief wanted to catch him to do so rather than making threats in the newspaper. Cancio said that if he is arrested he will remain quiet and not give an explanation because he will only give that to an international court because the weapons issue is an international problem. He said that if he's arrested and forced to speak, he'll order his men to move. "It's not only Eurico who can incite the masses, I can too," stressed Cancio. This is not an empty threat but something he will do if he is arrested and forced to stand trial.

ST ­ "Cancio and friends ask UN Sec. Council to arrest Tavares: PPI internal conflict increasingly sharp"

KUPANG ­ The conflict among former PPI commanders seems to be spreading as evidenced by a second letter sent to the UN Sec. Council by four PPI Sector commanders to ask that body to arrest Joao Tavares and 25 of his followers for sending them a threat letter. A gap in the PPI leadership was admitted by the four signatories to the letter ­ Cancio Lopez de Carvalo, Joaonico Cesario, Domingos Pereira, and Nemecio Lopez de Carvalo in a press conference in Kupang on Tuesday (1/10). According to Cancio, since their first letter to the UN Sec. Council on 14 Oct., the four have been even more threatened by PPI Commander Joao Tavares and 25 of his men as well as by men outside PPI such as Untas Sec. Gen., Filomeno de Hornya and Untas political deputy, Mario Viera. "They continue to threaten us, and there is a strong suspicion their threat is moved by a group who's interested in closing the case of hr abuses in E. Timor. They are scared that we will open all the secrets on behalf of peace for E. Timor and its people," explained Cancio. Tavares has sent letters to the police in Belu and Kupang asking them to call Cancio for an explanation since he feels the four have belittled E. Timorese pro-integrationists. Cancio explained that names of all the pro-integration and pro-independence fighters are with the UN Sec. General, meaning they will know quickly about the safety of Cancio. Meanwhile, Nemecio Lopez da Carvalo said, Joao Tavares's threat will not solve the problem. "If they really treat us violently we will let them have it. But will that way solve the problem? When we were threatened by Untas Sec. Gen. Filo de Hornay, my men immediately sought and threatened him in return. As a result Hornay asked for protection from the NTT Chief of Police. If he's brave, why is he afraid and asking for protection," he continued full of enthusiasm. "One thing is for sure, we won't respect Tavares because we aren't under his command. Our troops stand on their own," stressed Nemecio. [Also covered in RT ­ "Cancio criticizes NTT Chief of Police; TNI Chief of Staff says Syahnakri is candidate for Vice Chief of Staff." This article has an added story about Udayana Commander Kiki Syahnakri. From Semarang it has been reported that TNI Army Chief of Staff, Endriartono Sutarto told reporters that Kiki Syahnakri is included in the nominations for the post of Army Vice Chief of Staff. The other nominee is Lt. Gen. Amir Sembiring. They are both considered to have the same qualities and good reputations so that it isn't yet certain who is to be installed this coming Friday.]

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