ANTI: Commemoration of the Liquisa Church Massacre
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Tetum: ANTI nia observasaun ba komemorasaun masakre Liquisa tinan 2014, Julga Vitima sira ne’ebe buka lia los no justisa

A-N-T-I

Aliansi Nasionál Timor-Leste ba Tribunál Internasionál
(THE TIMOR-LESTE NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR AN INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL)

Tel: 77289241 or 77179655 / 77402231
e-mail: lanarra.del@gmail.com, atino@laohamutuk.org ka moniz@jsmp.minihub.org

ANTI's Observations of the 2014 Commemoration of the Liquisa Massacre
Judging the victims who are searching for truth and justice

Experience from the commemorations of past years

Every year, the commemoration of this massacre involves a reflection and the lighting of candles at the Liquisa Massacre Monument, near the church. After lighting candles, Christians and victims' families alike are usually invited to go to scatter flowers at Maubara Lake; the location where, in 1999, many bodies were discarded. On occasion, families have also just gathered together to scatter flowers from the beach at Liquisa. This is done as a means of paying homage to those who died or disappeared, and who don't have a grave or final resting place. The movement for this commemoration has become popular in Liquisa, as evidenced by the high levels of participation each year, particularly among students whose schools actively engage with the commemoration.

 

ANTI received a number of complaints from the families of victims because the organisers, in failing to pay homage to the victims, they failed to dignify the victims' sacrifice. This is a direct result the government deliberately not wanting to recognize the victims' status as victims of crimes against humanity.


This year, the commemorations were dominated by a celebration of heroism

At this year's commemoration, the Organising Commission, which organised the exhumation of human remains, carried out a commemoration but failed to give any consideration to the need to pay homage or even give recognition to the place where more than 200 people were massacred. After the church service, people were not invited to light candles, or lay or scatter flowers in memory of the victims. Instead the Organising Commission blended together the heroes and the victims' situation. As a result, the recent commemoration, which focused on heroism, was a far cry from recognising the reality of the victims.

ANTI received a number of complaints from the families of victims because the organisers, in failing to pay homage to the victims, they failed to dignify the victims' sacrifice. What ANTI observed is that these complaints from the victims and their families are especially pertinent and as a direct result the government deliberately not wanting to recognise the victims' status as victims of crimes against humanity. As such, ANTI considers this to be one means by which the Government is judging the victims who are continuing to seek the truth and justice. If the Government continues to abandon the victims in vulnerable conditions, this is, in reality, a further re-victimisation of the victims post-independence.

Recognition of heroes can be a fundamental part of strengthening the State, building national identity and empowering the People. On the other hand, reality demonstrates that victims also forcibly sacrificed themselves for the freedom of Timor-Leste and in this way it is similarly important that the State recognises the victims. Some people may call this heroism and that the victims are also heroes. However, total failure to recognise the victims' situation and their unique and differing need for truth and justice does not empower them and it does not strengthen the State. Rather, it only serves to minimise their sacrifice and ongoing suffering which, in turn, re-victimises victims and their families and ostracising them as people who only complain. They continue to cry out for truth and justice because there hasn't been any. Moreover, many are yet to receive recognition or be dignified by the State since independence. Dignifying the victims of crimes against humanity is fundamental to valuing a humanity that is genuinely equal, and thereby allowing us to build a nation that is credible and just.
 


ANTI nia observasaun ba komemorasaun masakre Liquisa tinan 2014

Julga Vitima sira ne’ebe buka lia los no justisa

Esperensia komemorasaun tinan kotuk liu ba

kada tinan komemora loron masakre ne’e sempre iha reflesaun no kontinua ho sunu lilin iha monumentu nian. Depois de sunu lilin sarani ho familia vitima sira mos ba kari aifunan iha Lagoa Maubara (fatin ne’ebe mate isin sira soe iha laran) iha tinan 99. Iha tinal balu liu ba kotuk mos familia sira husi masakre nian halibur malu hodi kari aifunan deit iha tasi ibun Liquisa nian hodi fo homenjen ba sira ne’ebe mate no lakon ne’ebe rate laiha. Moviementu ba komemorasaun ne’e sai popular iha distritu Liquisa nian laran tamba iha kada tinan bainhira atu komemora loron masakre refere iha partisipasaun masimu husi alunus estudante sira ne’ebe hetan orientasaun husi ida-idak nia eskola.

Iha tinan ida ne’e komemorasuan refere dominan ho selebrasaun heroismu

Iha komemorasaun tinan ida ne’e Komisaun Organizasaun ne’ebe mak rekoilha restus mortais sira halo komemorasaun maibe la kunsidera hodi la fo omenajen ba fatin masakre ne’ebe ema atus rua resin mate. Organizadora la konvida partisipante sira atu sunu lilin no kari ai-funan iha iha fatin monumentu ka iha Lagoa Maubara nian hodi lembra vitima sira. Komisaun Organizadora sira hahu kahur entre heroi no vitima nia situasaun. Tamba ne’e mak komemorasaun ne’ebe foin lalais ne’e iha sintidu eroismu nune’e dook husi kontekstu vitima nian natureza.

ANTI hetan lamentasaun husi familia vitima sira tamba ho asaun husi komisuan oragnizadora sira ne’ebe la fo omenajen ne’e la diginifika vitima sira nia sakrafisiu. Saida mak ANTI observa ba lamentasaun ne’ebe husi vitima no familia vitima sira ne’e pertinente duni ho natureza ne’ebe governo kria hodi lakohi atu rekuinhese vitima sira nia statutu nudar vitima ba krime kontra umanidade nian. No ANTI konsidera ida ne’e meius ida husi Governo atu julga vitima sira ne’ebe buka hela lia los no justisa. Tamba sei Governo TL rasik husik kondisaun vitima sira nafatin iha vulneravel nia laran ne’e mos parte ida ba violasaun direitus umanus foun iha tempo ukun an nia laran.

Atu rekoiñese eroi sira bele sai parte fundametal hodi hametin estadu, harii identidade nasional no hakbiit povu. Iha sorin seluk, realidade hatudu katak vitima sira mos obrigadu (terpaksa) sakrifika sira nia an ba liberdade Timor-Leste nian no nune’e sira mos nudar parte importante atu estadu rekuiñese vitima sira. Dala barak iha ema balu kahur hodi konsidera ne’e hanesan “eroismu” no vitima sira hanesan “eroi sira”. Maibe failansu totál atu rekoiñese vitima nia situasaun no sira nia nesesidade ne'ebé uniku no diferente atu hetan lia los no justisa se bainhira la bele hakbi'it ba vitima sira nune’e sei la bele hametin estadu. Ne'e so bele minimiza ba sira nia sakrifikisu no sofrementu ne'ebé mak nafatin lao. Nunee halo vitima sira sai tan vitima ba dala rua no ida ne’e hetok izola liutan sira, husik hela iha situasaun halerik nia laran. Maske vitima sira sei halerik no buka ba lia los no justisa tanba sira seidauk hetan justisa. Defaktu hatudu mos, vitima sira seidauk hetan rekuiñesementu no dignifika iha tempo ukun nia laran. Dignifia vitima krime kontra umanidade ne’e nudar aliserse atu ita hahu fo valor ba umanidade ne’ebe igual no jenuinu hodi hari’i nasaun ho kredivel no justu.


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