AHRC UA990419 East Timor 19 April 1999
ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION URGENT APPEAL
More then 30 people killied in East Timor by militias. The 18-year-old adopted son of Manuel Carrascalao, Manuelito, was killed. On Saturday, at least four truckloads of militia with guns and a rocket drove around Dili.
No action was taken whatsoever by the military. After the pro-integrationist rally had finished outside the Governor’s palace and they when on a rampage burning houses, shooting into the air, and killing people.
Manuel Carrascalao and his daughter Chris had gone to met with military commander Colonel Tono Suratman to complain about the attacks underway by the death squads. Manuel left his house as neighbouring house was being attacked to urge the military commander to take action to protect those being targeted. He was worried the militias would attack the family home where over 170 refugees were taking refuge, mainly women and children. Its now confirmed that at least 12 people were killed at Manuel’s house including his 18 year old son. Manuel and his daughter Chris are now taking refuge at the home of Bishop Belo.
The parents of Xanana Gusmao who live in Manatuto are being targeted by the ARBI death squads. His sister, Armandina, who lives in Dili may also be in grave danger. Julio Araujo, the brother-in-law of Xanana Gusmão, is a target for the militias. Mario Carrascalão, President Habibie’s Special Adviser on East Timor, in Jakarta, has \”gone to a safe place\” following the arrival from Dili of 150 armed militiamen who have sworn to assassinate him.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Indonesian military, police and civilian administration directly support the violence against East Timorese civilian. Indonesian military Personnel and civilian senior authorities in East Timor, including the Governor, the Danrem (commander of Police), the Kapolda and Dandin (miliary command) and the District Bupatis, attended the gathering called by paramilitary leaders where Eurico Guterres, the leader of the Dili-based paramilitary known as Ai-tarak, declared that: \”As from today, I order all the pro-integration militia to wipe out all the traitors of integration. Capture them. Kill them. I will take the responsibility.\”
Mario Carrascalão has accused General Zaki, the former head of Indonesian intelligence in East Timor, as the organising power behind the militias. General Zaki is challenging President Habibie for the position of head of state. The Army that already has 17,000 troops in East Timor has brought in many more militias from outside East Timor. According to our sources, Captain Eusebio Belo, an army officer who now works with the army intelligence unit, BIA, has been supplied with a large sum of money to recruit a militia force from among hoodlums from Eastern Indonesia, for use in East Timor. The armed forces is believed to have supplied a billion rupiahs to arm and equip these gangs and supply them with pocket money. Despite President Habibie’s Janaury 99 offer of independence to EastTimor if autonomy is rejected by the people, the military wants to stay.
17 April 1999 UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he “strongly deplores these new acts of violence and regrets this apparent inability of the Indonesian authorities to control the violence by militias to protect the civilian population.” He called “for an immediate end to this escalation of violence by all sides.”
18 April 1999 perhaps as many as at least two people have been killed in the Dili suburbs of Becora. Troops and militia went from house to house searching out pro-independence families, butchering them, and looting, wrecking and burning their houses.
19 April 1999 In the night, the riot police appeared in Dili city centre after 48 hours of rioting and killing by the militias.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
PLEASE Email OR FAX IMMEDIATELY!
We are deeply distressed at the terrible violence being perpetrated in East Timor by the Indonesian military’s paramilitary units, and call for immediate and international action to protect the defenceless population.
action be taken immediately to stop the violence and bring the militia under control.
the military and paramilitary killings in East Timor must stop and the paramilitaries must be disarmed and disbanded immediately. Economic and other sanction should be applied, internationally, if they do not.
a continuing UN and International monitoring presence must be allowed in East Timor immediately with some military presence to monitor the performance of the military as well as to provide the mission with adequate security.
The militalry commander did nothing to help and must be held directly responsible for the Manuel’s death and the other casualties that occurred at the Carrascalao residence and elsewhere in Dili.
the military failed to take steps to stop the killings in the grounds of the Catholic church in Liquica on 6 April 1999, militaty commander did nothing to help and must be held directly responsible
SEND APPEALS TO:
1. PRESIDENT YUSUF HABIBIE, President of the Republic of Indonesia, Istana Negara, Gedung Binagraha, Jl. Veteran, Jakarta Pusat, INDONESIA, Faxes: +62 21 345 7782, Telegrams: President Habibie, Jakarta, Indonesia, E-mail: habibie@ristek.go.id
2. Mr. Kofi Annan UN Secretary-General, Secretary-General of United Nations, D-519 Palais des Nations,Geneva 10, Switzerland, Email: ecu@un.org
3. Mary Robinson, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Palais des Nations, 8-14 avenue de la Paix, CH 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, Fax number: (41 22) 9170213, Fax: 41 – 22 – 917 0022 (Hotline – Human Rights), E-mail: webadmin.hchr@unog.ch
CC COPIES TO:
1. Commander of the Armed Forces (ABRI), General Wiranto, Panglima ABRI, Markas Besar ABRI, Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat No 13, Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia, Faxes: 62 21 36 1471 (Armed Forces HQ) 62 21 37 8144 / 35 6404/384 5178
2. Indonesian embassy in Washington DC, fax: 202-775-5365
and Diplomatic representatives of Indonesia accredited to your country.
