Investigation team finds 25 bodies in mass graves

Investigation team finds 25 bodies in mass graves

ALAS SELATAN, East Nusa Tenggara (JP): An investigation team
discovered at least 25 decaying bodies in three mass graves here
on Thursday.

They were the alleged victims of a militia attack on a church
in the East Timorese town of Suai in early September.

Munir, a member of the Commission for the Investigation of
Human Rights Abuses in East Timor, told The Jakarta Post the
remains were recovered from Oeluli beach, Kobalima district,
three kilometers from the East Timor border.

Munir, on a three day fact-finding mission with committee
member H.S. Dillon and a six-member forensic team led by the
University of Indonesia's Budi Sampurna, said the bodies were
buried one and a half meters deep in three closely located
graves.

He said some of the bodies could still be identified.

"We got information on these mass graves from witnesses we
interviewed during our first visit here in October," Munir said.

Quoting witnesses, Munir said the victims were killed during
an attack on a church in Suai by pro-integration militia on Sept.
6. According to the witnesses the bodies were then transported to
their current location about 20 kilometers southwest from Suai.

"We found three bodies in the first grave, 11 in the second
grave and 11 in the third grave," Munir said.

He identified the bodies in the first grave as three Catholic
priests who were reportedly helping refugees in Suai during the
height of the violence in East Timor.

"We have performed autopsies on the bodies: One of them died
of gunshot wounds and the other two died of knife wounds," Munir
said.

He refused to disclose their names, but said one priest was
from Central Java and the other two were from East Timor.

However Dillon later said that among the bodies was the
remains of Hilario Modeira a priest from the Suai parish.

Munir added that in the second grave at least one body was
identified as a child and three others were identified as women,
while in the third grave two bodies were identified as women and
two others as children.

"Bodies in the second and third graves were fully-dressed and
we also found some school books and school schedules," Munir
explained.

He said Thursday's exhumation, which began at 7 a.m., was
witnessed by local police chief and officials. It was guarded by
some 30 members of the police's Mobile Brigade unit.

"The bodies were then taken to Atambua hospital for further
examination. Forensic experts will also bring hair tissue and
other evidence to Jakarta on Friday for further examination,"
Munir said.

Munir and Dillon will personally bring the bodies of the
priests to the East Timorese capital of Dili on Friday, while the
other bodies will be handed over to the International Committee
of the Red Cross at the border.(bay/byg)