Witnesses say military-like people buries Suai victims

Witnesses say military-like people buries Suai victims

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police witnesses testifying in the ongoing Human Rights Tribunal
said on Tuesday that a number of people using military uniform
had held a mass burial of about 27 bodies, including three
Catholic priests, massacred at the St. Ave Maria Church in Suai
town, Covalima regency, East Timor on Sept. 6, 1999.

They also testified that the burial at Metamauk village in
Wemasa, Belu, East Nusa Tenggara, was held in the presence of
former Suai military commander Lt. Col. Sugito -- one of the five
defendants accused of committing gross human rights violations.

First Inspector Sudarminto, former company commander of the
East Nusa Tenggara's Mobile Police, said that he came to the
grave site after being informed by his subordinate, Brig. Julius
Basabai, that a convoy of several cars driven by military
personnel had passed their territory in Wemasa.

"I, along with my subordinates, arrived at the location a few
minutes later. But suddenly, an unidentified man wearing a
military uniform came and asked me not to go any closer to the
location.

"I only heard after that it was a mass burial for about 27
East Timorese who killed in the massacre at the St. Ave Maria
Church," Sudarminto said.

Tuesday's hearing was part of the ongoing trial of four mid-
level military officers and one policeman accused of rights
violations in the massacre at the church, where at least 27
people were killed in the attack, including Catholic priests
Tarsisius Dewanto, Hilario Madeira and Francisco Soares.

Sugito, along with four other defendants, former Covalima
regent Col. Herman Sedyono, former Suai military commander Lt.
Col. Liliek Koeshadianto, former Suai military command's chief of
staff Capt. Achmad Syamsuddin, and former Suai Police precinct
chief Lt. Col. Gatot Subiaktoro are charged with violating
Articles 7, 9, 37 and 42 of Law No. 26/2000 on human rights
violations.

The crimes carry sentences ranging from 10 years imprisonment
to death.

Asked whether the uniform was only worn by military personnel,
Sudarminto said: "All that I know is that only military personnel
wear uniforms with stripes."

Meanwhile, Julius Basabai, former chief of Metamauk Police
Station, said that he saw a number of people wearing military
uniform in three cars, including a truck, pass his location from
Suai, East Timor, at about 8 a.m.

"I followed them after reporting it to my superior
(Sudarminto) and I observed these people bury about 27 people
there, while Pak Sugito watched."

During the trial, Basabai seemed to be inconsistent in his own
testimony, as sometimes he admitted that he saw the bodies, but
later changed his statement when the defense lawyers challenged
him.

When presiding judge Cicut Sutiarso questioned Basabai about
his inconsistency, the latter said: "Please understand my
position, Sir ... I'm thinking about my safety as everything I
have told this court, could pose a threat to my life. I also came
from Belu ... far away from here with only a few cents."

Another witness First Insp. Philipus Kanakaja confirmed all
physical evidence that had been presented to the court, including
two window blinds belonging to the church, that "had been used to
cover the bodies of three Catholic priests."

"I came to the location after receiving information from my
subordinates. Just as I arrived there (Metamauk village), I held
a dialog with an unidentified man wearing a military uniform and
asked him why they were holding a burial. I saw blood from the
corpses that had been covered by clothes," Kanakaja said.

"From this man, I learned that the bodies were victims of the
St. Ave Maria massacre," Kanakaja added.

The hearing was adjourned until May 15.