From etio@ozemail.com.au Wed Jul 1 23:08:34 1998
Date: Wed, 1 Jul 1998 18:08:16 +0000
From: East Timor International Support Center
To: east-timor@igc.org
Cc: indonesia-act@igc.apc.org
Subject: ETISC: From the road to Dili to the shootings in Baucau
From the road to Dili to the shootings in Baucau
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This is the detailed chronology of events from June 27-June 29 --
from the EU Ambassadors' visit to Dili to the tragic shootings in
Baucau. The following information was supplied to ETISC by Yayasan
Hak. The original report was in Bahasa Indonesia.
The road to Dili: June 27, 1998
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Pro-integration groups are mobilised by Indonesian government
officials, with explicit instructions from Jakarta to oppose any
demonstrations by East Timorese clamouring for a referendum for East
Timor. The government officials have been given orders that the
pro-integration demonstrations are to be held in conjunction with the
visits of the European Union (EU) ambassadors from Britain, the
Netherlands and Austria and are to proceed for eight hours when the EU
ambassadors are in Dili.
Besides hardcore pro-integration groups, East Timorese -- mostly poor
farmers -- are rounded up, from other parts of the territory, by the
authorities to be bussed in to Dili. The poor East Timorese are
tricked into going with promises that they would be welcoming back
Nobel Peace laureate Bishop Belo, after his meeting with new
Indonesian President B J Habibie. Some of the East Timorese, were
duped into thinking they were travelling to Dili to welcome Habibie,
who they thought was visiting East Timor.
Security access
-----------------------
Each pro-integration civilian group is given two rifles and a
hand-grenade to force, if necessary by the use of arms, the East
Timorese to Dili. The time has been fixed. The "pro-integration" East
Timorese, from various districts, are to start moving into Dili from
4:30 am onwards. They are due to arrive at Dili's airport in the
sub-district of Comoro, between 10.00 am and 12.00 noon.
Each East Timorese in the convoy is given an Indonesia flag and asked
to shout these slogans: "Viva Indonesia!, Viva Integration! Long Live
Indonesia! Integration, Yes, Autonomy No!"
For fears that the pro-integration convoy could be attacked by East
Timorese favouring independence, protection is sought from the Police
Mobile Brigade (Brimob) and the Indonesian army. The armed forces
(Abri)-sponsored groups like SAKA, Makikit and Halilintar (Lightning)
are also asked to provide protection.
Comoro: June 27, 1998
--------------------------------
The EU ambassadors have arrived in Dili from Jakarta. At 11.45 am
before the foreign diplomats emerge from the VIP lounge and make their
way to Dili's Hotel Mahkota, former East Timor governor Manuel Viegas
Carrascalao approaches the airport in his private vehicle -- a red
four-wheel-drive -- and drives into the VIP arrival area. He, too,
wants to meet them.
Ten minutes after Carrascalao's arrival, seven motorcycles are seen
speeding towards his four-wheel-drive. The youths on the motorcycles
want to smash the vehicle. They also hurl abuses at Carrascalao. One
of them wants to enter the vehicle forcefully and is seen brandishing
a dagger. He screams out that he wants to stab the former governor.
According to witnesses in the crowd, the youth with the dagger is one
Eurico -- a member of the Abri-controlled Gada Paksi para-military
group.
Carrascalao's personal bodyguard, Pedro, and the district head of
Comoro, Vitorino dos Santos are quick to act. They shield the former
governor from the attack.
They youths now hurl abuses at Carrascalao. "Smash his vehicle and
kill him!" they shout.
They go on further. "You are responsible for dividing the East
Timorese. We will soon kill you!"
The EU ambassadors soon emerge from the VIP exit and those East
Timorese who were bussed in to Dili on the promise that they were
either going to greet the Indonesian president or Bishop Belo, are in
for a rude shock. After realising that they had been duped, they
express their rage by breaking away from the pro-integration convoy.
Five truckloads of them then make their way to the University of Timor
Timur to join the pro-independence protestors, shouting "Viva Timor
Leste! Viva Xanana Gusmao! Abri are killers!"
From Comoro Airport to Dili's Regional Legislative Assembly Building
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The pro-integration convoy has been given strict orders to trail the
vehicles with the EU ambassadors. All along the way slogans like "Viva
Indonesia! Long Live Indonesia! East Timorese Want Autonomy Under
Indonesia!", are shouted by the pro-integrationists.
The convoy, now, has dwindled to about 250 people and when they reach
the Legislative Assembly Building several speakers proceed with
orations on "The Concepts of Autonomy, Integration" and "How Indonesia
Has Developed East Timor."
A clash soon occurs at around 3.00 pm with the pro-independence
demonstrators who had gathered there earlier. After 10 minutes, the
Mobile Police Brigade (Brimob) arrives on the scene and breaks-up the
fight.
Brimob gives the demonstrators -- pro-and-anti-integration -- ten
minutes to leave the area. Clearly outnumbered by the pro-independence
demonstrators, the pro-integration East Timorese clear off from the
vicinity of the Legislative Assembly Building.
Manatuto: June 27, 1998
----------------------------------
More pro-integrationists are being mobilised by the Indonesian
government authorities -- many of them government servants who have
been threatened with the sack if they failed to join the protests in
favour of Indonesia.
In the meantime, a convoy of pro-independence East Timorese from
Baucau, Lospalos and Viqueque are making their way to Dili to meet the
EU ambassadors. In Manatuto, the pro-independence convoy is blocked by
the pro-integrationists on the road leading to Dili. The tensions
build up and both groups clash.
The security forces soon are at the scene and live shots are fired. A
21-year-old East Timorese man, Manuel Marques Soares is killed by a
stray bullet. Two others are injured -- Candido Soares, 30 and Manuel
Martins, 23.
The enraged crowd [pro-independence] brings Manuel's body to Dili and
the procession tries to take the corpse inside the complex of the
Jakarta-appointed governor Abilio Soares.
The crowd, now, has swelled to over 10,000 and are blocked from
entering by hundreds of troops who use tear gas to disperse them.
Protesters throw stones at the soldiers before the crowd moves on and
continue to circle the capital, shouting "killers" whenever they pass
military bases.
Dili, June 28, 1998
--------------------------
After the first mass on Sunday, thousands make their way to the
University of Timor Timur to join pro-independence protestors already
assembled there since 7.00 am. Anti-Indonesia banners are displayed
prominently: "Autonomy No! Referendum Yes!", "We Want Referendum and
Reject Integration", "Free Xanana Gusmao."
Student leaders make arrangements to meet the EU ambassadors in Hotel
Mahkota. The negotiations go on well and the students make their
demands known, among which include:
To demand the European Union push forward the effort of the Portuguese
and the Indonesian governments, as well as the United Nations to find
a fair solution to the East Timor conflict -- through a referendum
under the auspices of the United Nations. They also urged the release
without any precondition all political prisoners both inside and
outside East Timor, including the President of the National Council of
Timorese Resistance (CNRT), Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao.
Around midday, thousands of anti-Indonesian protesters escort the
three European ambassadors through the streets of Dili. The crowd of
about 5,000, many on foot and some in trucks, forced the ambassadors'
mini-bus to a crawl through the streets of Dili. The protesters,
including students and local residents, shout "Referendum" and "Dead
or alive, we prefer to be independent," as they followed the envoys.
Troops stood back and watched from a distance and there were no
reports of violence. One banner draped on a truck said "East Timor is
not part of Indonesia." Others had pictures of jailed East Timorese
guerrilla leader Xanana Gusmao.
Dili -- Baucau: June 29, 1998
----------------------------------
Encouraged by the turnout of the pro-independence supporters the
previous day, civil servants now join the anti-Indonesia protests --
completely disregarding the earlier warning that they might lose their
jobs if they didn't support integration with Indonesia.
It's early in the morning and there are now about 500 cars on the
streets of Dili and about 1,000 motorcycles. The anti-Indonesia,
pro-independence banners are displayed openly. There is a euphoric
feeling [short-lived!] in Dili -- reminiscent of the day independence
was declared on November 28, 1975.
Word has got around that the EU ambassadors will be making their way
to Baucau, 150 km from Dili, for a meeting with Bacau Bishop Basilio
Nacimento. The news in Dili is that over 5,000 East Timorese, wanting
referendum, have gathered outside the Bishop's residence.
The EU delegation leaves Dili about 8.00 am and at 2.00 in the
afternoon the ambassadors' mini-van are on the road near Bishop
Nacimento's residence. The huge crowd surges towards the van yelling
"Viva Timor Leste", "We Want Referendum". The EU ambassadors manage to
break through the crowd and make their way into Bishop Nacimento's
residence.
The army soon is at the scene. Eight trucks with 500 Rajawali troops
led by Lt Colonel Wisnu try to break up the peaceful demonstration.
The crowd is agitated when they spot a van carrying plainclothes
military intelligence officers. The protesters, who had been chanting
slogans demanding independence for East Timor, smash the rear
windscreen of the van at which point the security men opened fire into
the crowd.
There's complete mayhem, now. Many in the crowd run towards Bishop
Nacimento's residence.
Orlando Marcelino da Costa, 35, is killed instantly. Five are
seriously wounded: Sesaltinho da Costa, 19; Sejarino Jesus da Costa,
39; Aldemero Correia, 30; Dirce Elisabet do Rosario, 15; Maria
Imaculada do Rosario, 17.
The plainclothes military intelligence officers then drive straight
into the crowd. Two are injured: Adelson Ximenes Correia, 19 and Jao
da Costa, 20.
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Hon Chairman: Jose Ramos-Horta
Nobel Peace Laureate 1996