The Jakarta Post 
July 18, 2002

TNI formed East Timor militias: Eyewitness

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After two months of hearings by the East Timor ad hoc human rights trial, held in the absence of eyewitnesses from East Timor, an East Timorese finally took the stand on Wednesday to testify about the military's support for pro-Jakarta militia groups at the time.

Testifying against former Liquica officials being tried for an attack on a church on April 6, 1999, Antonio da Concesau Santos told the court that he saw militia groups gather in the Liquica military subdistrict headquarters before the assault was launched.

The church, he said, was sheltering more than 1,500 proindependence supporters after their pro-Jakarta rivals forced them from their homes and onto the streets.

Now a police officer in East Timor, Antonio was a clerk to the Liquica Church besides being a member of the National Police at the time of question. The church's priest, Rafael dos Santos, is his uncle.

"The Besi Merah Putih (BMP) militia was established by the Armed Forces (former name of the Indonesian Military/TNI)... I saw it myself... I saw them gathering in the military command headquarters before attacking the church."

The church is located near the military compound.

Antonio said he saw soldiers "holding M-15 rifles standing around the church compound during the attack", but he failed to clearly specify whether they participated in the attack, which resulting in the deaths of 22 people.

"The attack was launched by East Timorese," he said, adding that the Mahidi and Halilintar militias joined the BMP in the attack.

Reportedly, at least 30 people were killed during the attack, mostly women and children, and their bodies thrown into the sea and a lake.

The defendants --former Liquica military commander Lt. Col. Asep Kuswani, former police chief Lt. Col. Adios Salova, and former regent Leonito Martins-- rejected Antonio's testimony.

The three are charged with failure to prevent human rights abuses and to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Antonio arrived in Jakarta on Wednesday along with Timor Leste Attorney General Longhinus Monteiro, who was here to meet his Indonesian counterpart M.A. Rachman at the latter's office.

The two agreed to renew the Memorandum of Understanding to ensure that the difficulties in producing witnesses would not obstruct the trial of alleged human rights attrocities in East Timor.

"Attorney General M.A. Rachman accepted my proposal to set up a video link should the witnesses refuse to come to Jakarta due to fears for their personal security. For those who are willing to come, we'll do our best to get them here," Monteiro said.

In separate hearings, human rights ad hoc prosecutors are to summon victims Manuel Viegas Carrascalao and his daughter Maria Christina Carrascalao to testify against former Dili Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Hulman Gultom.

The first hearing in the case against former East Timor military command chief Brig. Gen. Noer Muis was delayed until next week because the defendant was attending the burial of his father in Aceh.

TNI formed East Timor militias: Eyewitness Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After two months of hearings by the East Timor ad hoc human rights trial, held in the absence of eyewitnesses from East Timor, an East Timorese finally took the stand on Wednesday to testify about the military's support for pro-Jakarta militia groups at the time.

Testifying against former Liquica officials being tried for an attack on a church on April 6, 1999, Antonio da Concesau Santos told the court that he saw militia groups gather in the Liquica military subdistrict headquarters before the assault was launched.

The church, he said, was sheltering more than 1,500 proindependence supporters after their pro-Jakarta rivals forced them from their homes and onto the streets.

Now a police officer in East Timor, Antonio was a clerk to the Liquica Church besides being a member of the National Police at the time of question. The church's priest, Rafael dos Santos, is his uncle.

"The Besi Merah Putih (BMP) militia was established by the Armed Forces (former name of the Indonesian Military/TNI)... I saw it myself... I saw them gathering in the military command headquarters before attacking the church."

The church is located near the military compound.

Antonio said he saw soldiers "holding M-15 rifles standing around the church compound during the attack", but he failed to clearly specify whether they participated in the attack, which resulting in the deaths of 22 people.

"The attack was launched by East Timorese," he said, adding that the Mahidi and Halilintar militias joined the BMP in the attack.

Reportedly, at least 30 people were killed during the attack, mostly women and children, and their bodies thrown into the sea and a lake.

The defendants --former Liquica military commander Lt. Col. Asep Kuswani, former police chief Lt. Col. Adios Salova, and former regent Leonito Martins-- rejected Antonio's testimony.

The three are charged with failure to prevent human rights abuses and to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Antonio arrived in Jakarta on Wednesday along with Timor Leste Attorney General Longhinus Monteiro, who was here to meet his Indonesian counterpart M.A. Rachman at the latter's office.

The two agreed to renew the Memorandum of Understanding to ensure that the difficulties in producing witnesses would not obstruct the trial of alleged human rights attrocities in East Timor.

"Attorney General M.A. Rachman accepted my proposal to set up a video link should the witnesses refuse to come to Jakarta due to fears for their personal security. For those who are willing to come, we'll do our best to get them here," Monteiro said.

In separate hearings, human rights ad hoc prosecutors are to summon victims Manuel Viegas Carrascalao and his daughter Maria Christina Carrascalao to testify against former Dili Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Hulman Gultom.

The first hearing in the case against former East Timor military command chief Brig. Gen. Noer Muis was delayed until next week because the defendant was attending the burial of his father in Aceh.

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