In April 1997, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights adopted a resolution on human rights violations on East Timor and urged the Indonesian government to provide access for U.N. experts and non-governmental human rights organizations. Access is fundamental to ensure adequate safeguards against further human rights violations.

In May 1997, a report says that the Falantil (Armed East Timorese Resistance) movement had increased its attacks against military and government targets. By mid-June 1997, about 40 people were killed in the attacks, including civilians and members of the armed forces, police and Falantil.

The ensuing retaliation by the Indonesian security forces has resulted in the arrest of many East Timorese, including those involved in peaceful activities in support of independence in East Timor. The military authorities have arrested more than 114 individuals. Most of them have been taken to military or police headquarters for questioning and then released.

In East Timor, torture and ill-treatment of political detainees in both police and military custody is common, especially during interrogation. Moreover, the detainees are denied access to legal counsel and their families.

A Chronology of the Detentions

17 May 1997: The East Timor Human Rights Centre (ETHRC) in Australia has informed the human rights community that Joaquim Moreira was reported missing following his arrest but is now believed to be in detention at KODIM (district military command) headquarters in Baucau. Moreira was released on 19 May but rearrested on 13 June during the current military operation.

29 May 1997: Eleven East Timorese men were arrested in the subdistrict of Atabae in Bobonaro District. The 11 men were arrested for their alleged involvement in the burning of two polling booths on 28 May in the Atabae area in the lead up to the Indonesian election on 29 May. They were detained at KORAMIL (subdistrict military command) headquarters in Atabae before being transported to KODIM headquarters in Maliana where they were detained for four days. Four detainees were then released while the rest were taken to POLRES (regional police headquarters) in Maliana for further questioning. They were then all released on 8 June. Although all 11 men have been released, they must report periodically to the local authorities.

During their imprisonment, all 11 men were subjected to torture and ill-treatment. When they were arrested, they were beaten. They were also handcuffed and placed in trucks and beaten with bamboo poles and blocks of wood. On the way to the detention centre, they were punched, kicked, burned with cigarettes, verbally abused and even shot at.

5 - 16 June 1997: About 100 detainees were arrested in Quelicai in Baucau District as part of an intensive military operation launched by members of Battalion 312 and Team SAKA (a team of East Timorese who have been recruited into the Indonesian military). Seven of the detainees are believed to be in detention at KORAMIL headquarters in Quelicai. Eight detainees disappeared following their arrest, and steps taken to locate them have been unsuccessful.

25 June 1997: Five East Timorese men were in military custody following their arrest in Caibada near Baucau. The five men were arrested by members of KOPASSUS (Special Forces Command) with David Alex, second in command of Falantil. Four of the men were taken to KOPASSUS headquarters at Kota Baru in Baucau (known as "Rumah Merah" or the "Red House"), which is reputed to be a torture centre of the Indonesian military. It is believed that the four men are still in detention there.

26 June 1997: Alex was reportedly killed following his arrest. There are conflicting reports about the circumstances of his alleged death. The Indonesian authorities claimed that Alex was buried at 8.30 a.m. in the Bidau-Santana area of Dili on 26 June, less than 24 hours after he was arrested. The circumstances of his alleged death cannot be clarified unless the authorities allow the body to be exhumed for identification by the family and permit an autopsy to be performed. It is believed that the authorities have refused the family’s request to have the body returned to them.

2 July 1997: Fourteen East Timorese men disappeared after their arrest by members of the Indonesian military. They were arrested during a military operation in the hamlet of Wadaboru, a part of the village of Guruça in Quelicai Subdistrict. The operation was conducted by members of Team SAKA, the Rajawali Battalion and KOPASSUS.

12 July 1997: Santina Morreira Belo, 22, was arrested with her baby, who is less than 1 year old. Since then, both have disappeared. Belo is from the hamlet of Defadae in the village of Makalaku in Quelicai Subdistrict. She is married and is the daughter of Deolindo and Deolinda Belo. She was arrested by members of KOPASSUS, the police and Team SAKA. The reason for her arrest and disappearance is not known.

28 July 1997: A total of 114 East Timorese civilians have been arrested in intensive military operations since early June 1997. The operation in the Quelicai Subdistrict was launched in response to the 31 May 1997 grenade attack by members of Falantil on an Indonesian army truck in Quelicai. Sixteen Indonesian soldiers and one policeman were killed. The fate of most of the detainees is still unknown.

ETHRC has expressed grave fears for the safety of those East Timorese people still in detention following the current military operation. As a number of the detainees have already been subjected to lengthy interrogation and torture, those detainees still imprisoned may be at serious risk of further torture and ill-treatment, especially if they are denied access to family members and independent legal counsel.

(Source: E-mail messages from the East Timor Human Rights Centre [ETHRC], Fitzroy, Australia.)