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Asylum seekers threatened and mistreeted by Embassy staff

[The following statements were prepared by two women who had originally planned to enter the Australian embassy in Jakarta and request political asylum on December 7, at the same time as the Dutch and Russian embassy actions. This was postponed because of the presence of large numbers of security personnel surrounding the embassy compound. In late January 1996, they made a bid for asylum in the Australian embassy. The women alleged that they were threatened and mistreated by embassy staff, and eventually accepted a flight to asylum in Portugal.]

Maria Transfigursao de Jesus Carvalho (23)

When Indonesian troops invaded East Timor on December 7, 1995, I was three years old. Although I was still young I could feel the suffering of my family. The bombing and shooting occurred all across Dili, the screams and tears could be heard everywhere. In Vila Verdi, thousands of people, the old, young, pregnant mothers and children were sadistically slaughtered. Both my older brothers were killed by Indonesian soldiers. As many as 200 people died at that time and their bodies carried away by a army tractor. Who knows where they were taken.

After the death of my older brothers by father was arrested and tortured for months. According to my father, many of others were murdered while they in goal, although he was able to escape. We were moved to the Viqueque district. Many others fled to the mountains.

At Viqueque we continually moved from one place to another. Viqueque was controlled by Indonesian soldiers from 1975 to 1977. Many of its residents were killed, many houses were burned and many women were raped. We escaped to the mountains where we lived on the run for four months. Finally, in 1979 we were captured by Kopassus troops and returned to Viquequie and lived there until 1984.

In 1981 in one of the villages of Viqueque, Craras, all of the men were slaughtered, only women were left. In 1983 something very tragic happened and I became one of the witnesses.

On September 29, 1983, a member of Falintil was captured and killed, then he was decapitated and his head carried through the villages of Uma Tolu, Lalirik, Dilor and Ahik. There they placed the head on some high ground in a football field and all the people were forced to attend while an official announced that "if there are members of society who fight the Indonesian Armed Forces their heads would be cut off like this". They then burned the head even though the neck was still covered in fresh blood.

On July 7, 1984, our family moved from Viqueque to the Verde village where we have lived until now. When I was 18 years old I became involved in the struggle. My family did not know this. Along with several other friends we established a clandestine organisation especially for women called OPMT (Organisacao Popular De Mulher Timorense). My task was to find funding and donations which we would send to the Falintil soldiers in the mountains.

The planned arrival of the Portuguese parliament in 1991 forced us to increase our level of activity. We had several meetings which included Sebastiao Gomes, to prepare for an action for the visit. The visit was canceled and thus, the incident of October 28 occurred in which Indonesian soldiers entered and attacked a youth at the Motael church. It was in this incident that Sebastiao Gomes was shot dead. After this we began arranging for the commemoration of 14 days after the death of Sebastiao, exactly on November 12.

On November 12 we gathered at the Motael church for the mass which began at 6am. After the mass, around two thousand, mostly young people gathered in front of the church then moved off toward the Santa Cruz cemetery. I was at the front of the march and upon arriving at the cemetery, went straight inside. Then suddenly, as we were praying, we heard the sound of bullets. I know that many of my friends died on that day. Those of us who were safe tried to find a place of safety to gather in the cemetery. Indonesian troops approached us and a number of men were beaten with rifle butts and stabbed with bayonets. The women were sexually abused and a number of my women friends were raped. It was very sadistic.

In September 1995, myself and several friends signed a petition to be delivered to the International Women's Conference in Beijing being held between the 4th and 15th of September. Up until this time I have continued to be involved in the clandestine movement, seeking donations to support our struggle internationally.

Odilia Victor (25)

When Indonesian troops invaded East Timor on December 7, 1975, I was five years old. I witnessed the paratroopers landing and war ships shelling the city.

Our family did not flee to the mountains because my older sister was pregnant and continued to live in the village of Cacaulidun, in Bairo-Pite until my sister gave birth to her child.

In 1978, by father was arrested and accused of helping Falintil in the mountains. Along with many others, he was taken to a detention centre in Dili where they were tortured, beaten and scalded with hot water. Many died. After the arrest of our father, we suffered greatly. We had no food, milk or money. A week after our father was arrested, soldiers came to our house and send that if they wanted our father to be safe my sister would have to "serve" them. For the sake of our father she did this and as result, she became pregnant to a number of soldiers and gave birth to a boy in 1979.

In 1979 my father was released from jail however my sister was still forced to "serve" the soldiers for four years. At the time I was 10 years old and since then, I have hated the Indonesian soldiers.

A number of incidents occurred beginning with the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1989 until the visit by the US ambassador Don Monjo in 1990. Leading up to the November 12 action in 1991, I was asked by a number of friends to help making banners and so on. My family did not know about any of these activities. With courage and fear I joined the November 12 action -- perhaps this was the first time I became involved in the East Timorese independence struggle. My fear was that I would suffer the same fate as my sister. My courage came from the moral call to defend my land.

On November 12, the mass at the Motael church began at 6am then we lined up to march to the Santa Cruz cemetery. There were about two thousand youths, I was at the rear, and as we marched we shouted slogans of independence, long live Xanana Gusmao and Free East Timor.

On arriving at Santa Cruz, myself and several other women friends were ordered to enter the cemetery although many others were still outside. Then suddenly, as we were praying, we heard the sound of bullets and everyone began running for safety. I know that many of my friends died on that day. Myself and my sister also leapt over the back fence and ran in the directions of Bishop Belo's residence in Bidau but we were unable to enter his house because soldiers had already cordoned off the building. Thus we were safeguarded by one the Bidau villagers until night time then accompanied back to our house. We heard that many women and young girls who had not been able to save themselves were gang raped by soldiers in the cemetery.

One year after the November 12 incident we began clandestine work again. I joined an organisation called OPMT (Organisacao Popular De Mulher Timorese) and had the task of finding funds and donations to help Falintil and to protect youths being sough by the Indonesian military. My photograph was taken during the NINJA case in February 1995 is still in the possession of Indonesian Intelligence.

I left East Timor to continue our struggle. When ever and where ever I can. ADEUS.