Investigation team finds 25 bodies in mass graves<\/p>\n
ALAS SELATAN, East Nusa Tenggara (JP): An investigation team
\ndiscovered at least 25 decaying bodies in three mass graves here
\non Thursday.<\/p>\n
They were the alleged victims of a militia attack on a church
\nin the East Timorese town of Suai in early September.<\/p>\n
Munir, a member of the Commission for the Investigation of
\nHuman Rights Abuses in East Timor, told The Jakarta Post the
\nremains were recovered from Oeluli beach, Kobalima district,
\nthree kilometers from the East Timor border.<\/p>\n
Munir, on a three day fact-finding mission with committee
\nmember H.S. Dillon and a six-member forensic team led by the
\nUniversity of Indonesia's Budi Sampurna, said the bodies were
\nburied one and a half meters deep in three closely located
\ngraves.<\/p>\n
He said some of the bodies could still be identified.<\/p>\n
\"We got information on these mass graves from witnesses we
\ninterviewed during our first visit here in October,\" Munir said.<\/p>\n
Quoting witnesses, Munir said the victims were killed during
\nan attack on a church in Suai by pro-integration militia on Sept.
\n6. According to the witnesses the bodies were then transported to
\ntheir current location about 20 kilometers southwest from Suai.<\/p>\n
\"We found three bodies in the first grave, 11 in the second
\ngrave and 11 in the third grave,\" Munir said.<\/p>\n
He identified the bodies in the first grave as three Catholic
\npriests who were reportedly helping refugees in Suai during the
\nheight of the violence in East Timor.<\/p>\n
\"We have performed autopsies on the bodies: One of them died
\nof gunshot wounds and the other two died of knife wounds,\" Munir
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He refused to disclose their names, but said one priest was
\nfrom Central Java and the other two were from East Timor.<\/p>\n
However Dillon later said that among the bodies was the
\nremains of Hilario Modeira a priest from the Suai parish.<\/p>\n
Munir added that in the second grave at least one body was
\nidentified as a child and three others were identified as women,
\nwhile in the third grave two bodies were identified as women and
\ntwo others as children.<\/p>\n
\"Bodies in the second and third graves were fully-dressed and
\nwe also found some school books and school schedules,\" Munir
\nexplained.<\/p>\n
He said Thursday's exhumation, which began at 7 a.m., was
\nwitnessed by local police chief and officials. It was guarded by
\nsome 30 members of the police's Mobile Brigade unit.<\/p>\n
\"The bodies were then taken to Atambua hospital for further
\nexamination. Forensic experts will also bring hair tissue and
\nother evidence to Jakarta on Friday for further examination,\"
\nMunir said.<\/p>\n
Munir and Dillon will personally bring the bodies of the
\npriests to the East Timorese capital of Dili on Friday, while the
\nother bodies will be handed over to the International Committee
\nof the Red Cross at the border.(bay\/byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/investigation-team-finds-25-bodies-in-mass-graves-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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