Soldier admits killing six

Soldier admits killing six

DENPASAR, Bali: A court-martialled soldier admitted yesterday
to killing six unarmed East Timorese rebels but insisted that he
was only following orders.

First Class Private Rusdin Maubere, testified yesterday that
he received a "signal" from First Lt. Jermias Kasse to "finish"
the prisoners, after their colleague, First Class Private
Costodio Bareto was seriously injured by a rebel identified as
Antoni Alves, Antara reported.

"If anyone from our side gets hurt, finish the rebels,"
Maubere quoted Kasse as saying.

"I brought the four prisoners who were tied up together to a
river. I told them to squat and I shot them. Then I took the
other two to the river and I finished them off as well," he said.

Maubere said he used 17 bullets from the total of 100 loaded
in his G3 weapon.

Kasse in a separate trial testified that he ordered his
subordinates to "finish off" the hostages because the situation
at the time was "very emotional" after they saw their fellow
soldier injured by a rebel.

"There was no comment (from Maubere) when I said 'finish'
them. He immediately took away the hostages and did so," he said.

Both Maubere and Kasse are being tried on charges of
disobeying Liquisa military Commander Tris Suryawan's order not
to shoot unarmed rebels during the incident which took place
earlier this year.(pwn)