Liquica survivors still seeking justice, human rights and
truth
On 4 April 2009, more than 200 people gathered in the town of Liquiçá,
Timor-Leste. Under a banner “Reflections about Ten Years since the
Massacre 5-6 April 1999 in the Liquiçá Church” the contemplative
audience included local residents, survivors, and relatives of the
dozens of civilians killed there ten years previously, as well as a few
human rights activists. The designated topic was “Long road to achieve
justice, rights, and truth for the victims of the massacre.”
Participants heard from Father
Rafael dos Santos (in whose house most of the dozens of murders took
place), Vice President of Parliament Vicente Guterres, Minister for
Social Solidarity Maria Domingas Alves, Provedor for Human Rights and
Justice Sebastiao Ximenes, UNMIT Human Rights chief Louis Gentile,
former UNAMET official Patrick Burgess, Secretary of State for Training
and Employment Bendito Freitas, and representatives of the post-CAVR
Technical Secretariat and the organizing committee. After the speeches,
local residents and survivors were allowed to give testimony and
comments and to ask questions.
President Jose Ramos-Horta, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, and UN Mission
chief Atul Khare had promised to attend, but none made an appearance.
Neither did any of the former Commissioners of the Commission for Truth,
Reception and Reconciliation (CAVR) or Truth and Friendship Commission (CVA).
The Liquiçá massacre, committed by the Besih Merah Putih militia with
support from Indonesian military and police, killed and wounded more
than 100 unarmed refugees who had fled previous pro-Indonesia violence
to seek shelter in the priest’s residence after. It was part of a
systematic Indonesian campaign to terrorize people and sabotage the
UN-facilitated negotiations leading to the referendum. On the tenth
anniversary, officials scarcely mentioned Indonesia or accountability,
and the word “impunity” did not pass their lips, notwithstanding that
none of the directors of this campaign has been brought to justice.
The government representatives spoke in detail about future
recognition and payments from the Timor-Leste Government to veterans and
pro-independence victims. The dead Liquiçá refugees were described as "heroes" of the
independence struggle. Most in the audience were not satisfied, as this
did not address their concerns about where the bodies of their loved
ones were, how the perpetrators will be brought to justice, or why they
feel excluded from the benefits of independence.
Ten years of experience had led the community to expect disappointment,
so they were not surprised, even as they persist in demanding justice
and truth. As the meeting closed, they presented the following petition
(original Tetun follows English translation).
-- Charlie Scheiner
-------------------------------------------
FROM:
VICTIMS AND FAMILIES OF VICTIMS OF THE LIQUIÇA CHURCH
MASSACRE 5-6 APRIL 1999, LIQUIÇA DISTRICT, TIMOR-LESTE
PETITION:
WE CANNOT FORGET BUT CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE ON THE PATH TO JUSTICE
TO YOUR EXCELLENCIES:
1. President of the Repúblic, Dr. José Ramos Horta;
2. President of the National Parliament, Mr. Fernando Lasama de
Araújo
3. Prime Minister, Mr. Kayrala Xanana Gusmão
4. President of the Court of Appeals, Dr. Claúdio Ximenes
5. Prosecutor-General of the Republic, Dr. Ana Pessoa
6. Provedor for Human Rights and Justice, Dr. Sebastião Ximenes
7. Bishop of Díli Diocese, Dom Alberto Ricardo da Silva
8. Bishop of Baucau Diocese, Dom Basílio do Nacimento
9. Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in
Timor-Leste (UNMIT), Dr. Atul Khare;
10. CAVR
11. High Commissioner of Human Rights in Timor-Leste;
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen of the sovereign organs and
distinguished Parliamentarians; LiquiçaWe who have lost our husbands,
fathers, children and families as victims of the Massacre on 6 April
1999 give our humble and complete respect to your Excellencies.
We, families of victims, one more time would like, with open hearts
and infinite patience, to share our thoughts with the men and women who
lead our Nation, Timor-Leste, the United Nations, and national and
international non-governmental organizations that on Monday and Tuesday,
5-6 April 1999 (ten years ago), there was a major massacre in the Saint
Brito Church Residence in Liquiça that wounded many civilians and killed
powerless people only because they struggled for the principle of
INDEPENDENCE at that time. The terrible criminal actions and attitudes
came from PRO INDONESIA MILITIAS who were supported or together with the
MILITARY (TNI) and POLICE (POLRI) resulted in violations AGAINST THE
HUMAN RIGHTS OF TIMORESE CIVILIANS by the thousands, who in their
struggle for INDEPENDENCE thus hide themselves, together with Father
Rafael dos Santos and Father Yosep Daslan in the residence. Many
civilians were killed, wounded or tortured, although the final result
was INDEPENDENCE, and many women were widowed because their beloved were
killed, children were made orphans because their fathers died, and many
others became victims or were killed, or lost their parents, siblings,
and children that they loved very much, giving their lives for
INDEPENDENCE.
We have sad hearts and difficult lives until today, 5-6 April 2009,
when the clock marks ten years already passed, no person, group,
national or international NGO, government or state has come to tell us
where our wives, husbands, children, mothers or fathers, brothers and
sisters or family who were massacred: WHERE WERE THEIR BODIES BURIED OR
DISCARDED?? DUMPED IN THE RIVER OR MAUBARA LAGOON OR IN KARIMBALA SEA
FOR FISH TO EAT?
The Criminal Militia Leaders who, together with the Criminal Military
TNI and POLRI who assassinated our husbands, our fathers and our
children in the Residence of S.B. Church in Liquiça on the 5-6 April
1999 until today have not been jailed or received any penalty, but have
become POLITICAL THEATRE FOR THE LEADERS OF THE TWO COUNTRIES which lack
MORAL AND POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE REPARATIONS ACCORDING TO
THE RECOMMENDATIONS of CAVR’S “CHEGA.” Afterwards,
CVA was created, comprised of TIMORESE
who never dreamed of the PRINCIPLE OF INDEPENDENCE but used the Timorese
people’s money to go back and forth DILI-DENPASAR and DENPASAR-DILI,
with great concern for the families of victims and others who were
killed, who cry and pray for those killed because of INDEPENDENCE, going
and coming but never finding any work, and never receiving attention
from most of the leaders who in the hard times lived in foreign
countries or abroad.
KOFI ANNAN, former UN Secretary-General, came to visit the Massacre
site in 2000, and Mary Robinson, High Commissioner for Human Rights,
visited the same site in 2003 to show solidarity for us, the victims who
continue to wait patiently for the process of JUSTICE and TRUTH.
After the long time from the Transition to the Restoration of
Independence on 20 May 2002, we hoped that these cases could be
processed in Court to achieve Accountability for those people who were
involved in human rights violations on 5-6 April 1999, as is guaranteed
in Article 160 of our own Constitution or Mother Law. In Indonesia, they
created the Ad Hoc Human Rights Court to process cases of human rights
violations which happened in Liquiça and other places of our beloved
independent Timor-Leste before and after the 1999 REFERENDUM, but not
one TNI or POLRI, high or low, has been held responsible, because the Ad
Hoc Court was only another POLITICAL THEATER to justify that they did no
wrong. Timor-Leste itself had trials, conducted by the Special Panels,
but their mandate already ended in 2004 according to the UN’s mandate.
The CAVR process also concluded its mandate to write a report and make
recommendations under the name Chega
in October 2005, but until today the National Parliament, the first and
second legislatures, have not discussed or debated this report or its
recommendations. Victims and families of victims until today continue to
suffer, until when can we truly say AMEN because fair JUSTICE and TRUTH
is served according to the MOTHER LAW as REQUIRED.
Maybe you have already forgotten, but there must be JUSTICE it is the
right path and TRUTH? For this reason we, victims and victims’ families,
commemorate and celebrate the tenth anniversary of the MASSACRE on 6
April 1999, to express our demands based on the Constitution Article 48,
by which we exercise our rights as follows:
1. We demand that National Parliament recognize and consider
6 April 1999 as an historical day for Timor-Leste, especially for
Liquiçá District.
2. We demand that National Parliament urgently debate the
CAVR Report “CHEGA” and its recommendations and to enact a
resolution or law to implement JUSTICE for us the VICTIMS.
3. We urgently demand that National Parliament make a law
about REPARATIONS: (a) Medical treatment, especially for victims who
were shot in the massacre, (b) financial support every month for
every victims’ family or every person until JUSTICE and TRUTH are
achieved, to discover where our husbands’, fathers’ and children’s
bodies were buried or dumped? (c) scholarships for boy and girl
orphans from pre-primary school through university in Timor-Leste or
foreign countries.
4. We demand the Government of Timor-Leste allocate state
funds for a reparation program for victims and victims’ families who
until today have not found work and continue to suffer and have
difficult lives every day.
5. We demand that the state hold trials for the criminal
perpetrators who committed these human rights violations ten years
ago.
6. Finally, we victims and victims’ families ARE NOT
SATISIFED with the MEMBERS OF CAVR who became Members of CVA, using
our rights to politicize our suffering and contribution to the
independence of RDTL, and they who contradict INDEPENDENCE today,
they play freely with the rights of Timorese, while not debating in
Parliament to find any solution, and we victims and victims’
families ask and are really concerned: are we who are still alive,
and those who died, considered AS THIEVES?
7. We attached to this Petition our Petition from 5-6 April
2008, to which we victims and families of victims have not yet
received any ANSWER or CONSIDERATION.
We pray and request God the Father, the souls of the Dead, and our
Sacred Country Timor, to support victims and families of victims in
attaining justice and truth,
We victims and families of victims still put our trust in the
Leadership of the President of the Republic Dr. Jose Ramos-Horta,
President of the National Parliament Mr. Fernando Lasama de Araújo,
Prime Minister Kayrala Xanana Gusmão including Bishop of Díli Diocese D.
Alberto Ricardo and Bishop of Baucau Diocese D. Basílio do Nacimento to
provide Reparations according to the CAVR report CHEGA” in order to
finally achieve some social justice at last. Many thanks for your
attention and consideration.
HUSI:
VÍTIMA E FAMÍLIA VÍTIMA MASSACRE IGREJA LIQUIÇA
5-6 DE ABRIL 1999, DISTRITO LIQUIÇA, TIMOR-LESTE
PETIÇÃO:
HALUHA MAK LABELE MAIBE LUTA NAFATIN BA DALAN JUSTIÇA
BA SUA EXCELÊNCIA SR/A:1. Presidente da República, Dr.
José Ramos Horta;
2. Presidente do Parlamento Nacional, Sr. Fernando Lasama de Araújo
3. Primeiro Ministro, Sr. Kayrala Xanana Gusmão
4. Presidente do Tribunal Recurso, Dr. Claúdio Ximenes
5. Procuradoria Geral da República, Dra. Ana Pessoa
6. Provedoria dos Direitos Humanos e Justiça, Dr. Sebastião Ximenes
7. Amo Bispo da Diocese de Díli, Dom Alberto Ricardo da Silva
8. Amo Bispo da Diocese de Baucau, Dom Basílio do Nacimento
9. Representante Sec. Geral da ONU em Timor-Leste (UNMIT), Dr. Atul
Khare;
10. CAVR
11. Comissário Alto Direitos Humanos
em Timor-Leste;
Excelência Senhores e Senhoras do Orgão Soberano e Destintos
Deputados e Deputadas; Liquiça
Ba dala uluk ami nebe lakon laen, aman, oan e família víctima ba
Massacre 6 de Abril de 1999 hatóo ami nia hakraikan no respeito tomak ba
Sua Excias sira.
Ami família victima ba dala ida tan hakarak hó laran luak no
paciência tomak fó hanoin ba Senhores e Senhoras Nai Ulun Bot Nação
Timor-Leste ONU no Organização não Govermental Nacional no Internacional
katak iha loron Segunda no Terça-feira data 5-6 de Abril 1999 (tinan 10
liu ba) acontece Massacre Bot ida iha Residência Igreja São de Brito
Liquiça nebé hakakenek vítima civil barak no hamate (oho mate) ema força
laek tamba deit luta ba princípio UKUN RASIK”AN iha tempo neba. Ação no
attitude at (Criminosos) husi emar MILICIAS PRO INDONESIA nebe suporta
ka hamutuk hó MILITAR (TNI) E POLICÍA (POLRI) hodi hamossu VIOLÊNCIA
CONTRA DIREITOS HUMANOS POVO CIVIL TIMOR OAN rihun ba rihun nebe Hakarak
Luta ba UKUN RASIK”AN mak la iha força hodi ba subar an hamutuk ho Padre
Rafael dos Santos no Padre Yosep Daslan iha residência. Ema Civil barak
mak mate, kanenek no tortura saseluk nebe iha resultado ikus maka UKUN
RASIK”AN no Feto barak sai faluk tamba (laen kaben) nebe hadomi mate,
oan kiak barak tamba aman mate no ema barak sai vitima ka mate restu, no
inan-aman maun-alin barak lakon oan sira nebe hadomi teb-tebes maybe fó
no entrega an vida tomak ba UKUN RASIK”AN.
Laran tarido no susar tebes maka tóo ohin loron 5-6 de Abril de 2009
nebe marka ona ponteiro ba TINAN SANULU (10) ona, ema ida, grupo ida,
organização não-govermental nacional internacional ida, governo no
estado ida mai hateten ba ami fen kaben, oan feto ka mane, inan ka aman,
maun no alin ka eh familia bot nebe Sai Massacrrado (nakukun) katak:
SIRA ISIN MATE HAKOI NO SOE IHA NEBE?? SOE IHA MOTA KA SOE IHA LAGOA
MAUBARA KA SOE IHA TASI KARIMBALA HODI IKAN HAN??
Autor Milicia Criminosos sira nebe hamutuk ho Autor Criminoso Militar
TNI no POLRI nebe halao assassinato ba ami nia laen kaben, ami nia aman
no ami nia oan sira iha Residência Igreja S. B. Liquiça iha dia 5-6 de
Abril de 1999 toó ohin loron sei dauk hetan kastigu ou pena ida ba sira,
SÓ SAI TEATRO (SANDIWARA) POLITIKA ULUN BOT NASAUN RUA nebe la iha
RESPONSABILIDADE MORAL POLITIKA HODI HALO REPARASAUN TUIR REKOMENDASAUN
CAVR “CHEGA”. Tuir fali haríi CVA nebe Composto husi ema TIMOR-OAN nebe
ukuk nunka mehi ba PRINCIPIO UKUN RASIK A’AN hodi usa povo timor nia
osan hodi semo ba mai DILI-DENPASAR E DENPASAR-DILI, kuitado tebes ba
familia vitima no mate restu sira nebe halerik no reza ba sira nebe oho
mate tamba UKUN Rasikan, lao ba lao mai nunka hetan serviço ida e nunka
hetan atenssaun husi nai ulun bot balun ke iha tempo susar iha hela
estrangeiro ka rai liur.
KOFI ANNAN EIS-SECRETARARIO GERAL ONU nian mai visita toó iha fatin
Massacre iha tinan 2000 no Mary Robinson, Komisariu Altu Nivel ba
Direitus Humanus nian mós mai visita iha fatin hanesan iha tinan 2003
hodi fó solidariedade baa mi vitima sira hodi kontinua hein ho paciência
processo ba JUSTIÇA NO LIA-LOS.
Depois de tempo naruk ida husi Transisaun ba Restaurasaun
independência loron 20 de maio de 2002, hein katak kazu hirak nee bele
procesa iha Tribunal hodi hetan Akontabilidade ba ema sira nebe mak
involve iha violasasaun direitos humanos iha dia 5-6 de Abril de 1999,
tamba Konstituissaun ka Lei Inan rasik fó garantia iha artigo 160. Iha
Indonesia haríi Tribunal Ad Hock HAM hodi processa kazu violassaun
direitus humanos mak akontece iha Liquiça no fatin seluk iha rai doben
independente Timor-Leste antes no depois de REFERENDUM tinan 1999 maibe
laiha TNI no POLRI bot ka kiik ida maka responsabiliza, tamba tribunal
ad-hock hanesan fali TEATRO ka SANDIWARA deit hodi justifika katak sira
la sala. Iha Timor-Leste rasik halo dunik processo julgamento liu husi
tribunal painel special maybe nia mandate remata tiha ona iha tinan 2004
tuir mandate ONU nian. Processo CAVR nian mós remata tiha ona ho nia
mandate hodi hakerek relatoriu no hasai rekomendassaun ho naran “CHEGA”
iha fulan Outubru tinan 2005, maybe too agora Parlamento Nacional iha
primeira no segunda legislature seidauk diskuti no debate kona ba
relatoriu no rekomendassaun refere. Vitima no familia vitima sira too
ohin loron sei sofre nafatin ba nafatin too bain hira los maka AMEN KA
JUSTIÇA NO LIA-LOS nebe JUSTU tuir LEI INAN HARUKA.
Karik ita atu haluhan tiha deit ou tenke iha JUSTIÇA mak DALAN LOS NO
LIA-LOS?; ho razaun ida nee maka ami vitima no familia Victima sira nebe
maka komerara no celebra tinan bad ala sanulu (10) loron MASSAKRE 6 de
Abril de 1999 hodi hatoo ami nia ejijencia baseia ba Konstituissaun
artigu 48 hodi ezerse ami nia direitu maka hanesan tuir mai nee:
1. Ami ejiji ba Parlamento Nacional atu rekonece e considera
loron 6 de Abril de 1999 hanesan loron istoriku ba Timor-Leste
especial ba Distrito Liquiçá.
2. Ami ejiji ba Parlamento Nacional atu debate urgente ba
Relatoriu CAVR ho nian rekomendassaun “CHEGA” hodi hasai resolussaun
ou lei hodi implementa JUSTIÇA ba ami VITIMA sira;
3. Ami ejiji Urjente ba Parlamento
Nacional atu halo lei kona ba REPARASAUN: (a) Tratamento saúde
especial ba vitimas nebe sofre husi tiru, iha Maassacre laran (b)
ajuda financeiro kada fulan ba kada familia vitima ou kada ema ida
iha fulan ida too hetan JUSTIÇA NO LIA-LOS hodi deskobre ami nialaen
kaben, aman no oan nia isin mate hakoi no soe iha nebe??? (c) bolsa
de estudo ba oan kiak feto no mane iha escola pre primária toó
universitário iha Timor-Leste no nassaun estrangeiro;
4. Ami ejiji ba Governo de Timor-Leste atu tau orsamento
financeiro estado nian ba programa reparassaun ba vitima no familia
vitima sira nebe too ohin loron sidauk hetan servico e sei terus no
susar ba vida moris loro-loron nian;5. Ami ejiji ba estado
atu halao processo julgamento ba autor criminoso sira nebe halo
violasaun direitus humanus nebe maka akontece tinan sanulu (10) liu
ba;
6. Ikus liu ami vitima no familia vitima LA SATISFAZ ho
MEMBROS CAVR e IKUS MAI SAI Membros iha CVA nebe usa ami nia direito
hodi politiza ami nia sofrimento de contribuição ba nassaun RDTL
independente e soberrano, e sira be uluk kontradiz ho UKUN RASIKÁN
agora sira goza livre dadaun timor oan barak nia direito seidauk
debate iha Parlamento Nacional hodi buka nia solução e ami husi
Vítima no família Vítima questiona no preocupa tebes hodi hateten
keta ami mate restu no sira mate née tamba NAOKTEN KARIK?
7. Iha Petição ida neé, ami anexa mós Petição 5-6 de Abril
de 2008 nebé sei dauk hetan RESPOSTA E CONSIDERAÇÃO mai ami vítima e
família vítima.
Ami harohan no hamulak ba Aman Maromak, ba Matebian sira, no Rai
Lulik Timor hodi haraik tulun ba vitima no familia vitima hodi hetan
justisa no lia-los,
Ami vitima no familia vitima mós sei fiar metin ba Liderança Senhor
Presidente da República, Dr. José Ramos Horta, Senhor Presidente
Parlamento Nacional Fernando Lasama de Araujo, no Senhor Primeiro
Ministro, Kayrala Xanana Gusmão inclui Amo Bispo Diocese de Dili,
D.Alberto Ricardo no Amo Bispo Diocese de Baucau, D. Basílio do
Nacimento hodi hetan Reparação tuir relatoriu CAVR “CHEGA” hodi nunee
bele hetan Justiça-Social ida iha loron ikus. Obrigado wain tebes ba
atenção no consideração.