Home > South-East Asia >> East Timor

Chega debate points to cemetery where the Santa Cruz massacre occurred, judge the perpetrators of the crimes now

Timor-Leste National Alliance for an International Tribunal (ANTI) Press Release - November 13, 2008

Today we are all thinking back on the major event which took place 17 years ago, thinking anew about an event with significant impact for our youth and which woke up the international community.

We know that our independence was not a gift from the invading nation not from the international community, rather our independence came from all our people’s sacrifices, and the sacrifices of those who gave their lives for the liberty of our country.

Since the liberation of our country, in the past eight years the victims of the Santa Cruz massacre have yet to achieve truth or justice, those responsible from the invading Indonesian military who committed grave crimes have yet to be brought before a court and judged. Worse yet, our leaders in Timor-Leste have launched cheap propaganda claiming we must forget our past suffering because Timor-Leste no longer needs justice.

Deputies in the National Parliament currently prioritize discussion on the purchase of luxury cars for their use rather than give importance to the Chega Report. As families of the victims, we will never forget and remain sad today due to the loss of so many loved ones taken from us. Even sadder because until today we do not know where our loved ones were buried; where are the remains of those who gave their lives on that day? Why have they not only lost their lives, but also their bodies have disappeared?

Because of this, the victims’ families will not be silent but continue to call for those who took the lives of our loved ones to take responsibility for their action. We are independent but still searching for the truth and justice to satisfy those of us who lost so many of our loved ones. Consequently, ANTI makes the following demands:

1. We demand the Indonesian Government reveal where those killed in the Santa Cruz Massacre of November 12, 1991 are buried as truth telling to the victims’ families.
2. We demand the Timor-Leste National Parliament give priority to discussing the CAVR or Chega Report in November 2008!
3. We demand the governments of Timor-Leste and Indonesia judge, in a court of law that is impartial and just, the perpetrators of the crimes of the Santa Cruz Massacre as a means to end the chain of impunity in Timor-Leste and Indonesia.
4. We demand the United Nations take the perpetrators of the Santa Cruz Massacre before an international tribunal as a step towards fulfilling the process of democratization, reconciliation and friendship between Indonesia and Timor-Leste.
5. We demand that the government of Timor-Leste give priority to justice, to prevent the growing impunity in our country.

Timor-Leste National Alliance for an International Tribunal (ANTI)
Secretariate National NGO Forum,
Caicoli, Dili, Timor-Leste
Telephone +670-728-4602

See also:

• East Timor links
• East Timor News Digest
• Statements & press releases on East Timor
• Resources on East Timor