SERIOUS CRIMES UNIT: INFORMATION RELEASE

MALIANA INDICTMENT ISSUED CHARGING 57 PEOPLE INCLUDING 17 MEMBERS OF THE INDONESIAN MILITARY, THE COMMANDER OF THE MILITIA GROUPS OF EAST TIMOR, THE DISTRICT POLICE CHIEF AND THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR

The Acting Deputy General Prosecutor for Serious Crimes filed a major crimes against humanity indictment at the Special Panel for Serious Crimes at Dili District Court in Timor Leste at 15.00 on 10 July 2003.

The Maliana indictment charges a total of 57 individuals with a total of 14 counts of crimes against humanity including murder, attempted murder, torture and persecution committed against the civilian population of Bobonaro District between May and September 1999.

The accused include 4 Indonesian military (TNI) officers, one Special Forces Intelligence (SGI) member, and 12 East Timorese TNI non-commissioned officers. The indictment also charges Joao Da Silva Tavares ?the former Commander of the East Timor militia forces, the former Indonesian District Police Chief, the former District Administrator, and more than 30 DMP militia members.

The Maliana indictment charges the planned and coordinated TNI-militia attack on civilians at Maliana Police Station on 8 September 1999 which left at least 13 people dead. The victims included targeted pro-independence supporters and the 12 year old son of an independence leader. It is alleged that no actions were taken to prevent or curtail the attack by more than 400 armed Police Officers present at the Police station.

The indictment also charges the killing of a group of 13 escapees from the Police station attack including pro-independence leaders. It is alleged that 9 of the men who were captured were executed one after the other by TNI Sgt. Miguel Soares. Almost all of the bodies from the attacks were taken by trucks under the supervision of TNI soldiers to Batugade beach where waiting militia members dumped the bodies at sea.

All of the accused in the indictment are believed to be at large in the Republic of Indonesia. Arrest Warrants will be requested from Dili District Court which when received will be forwarded to the Attorney General of the Republic of Indonesia. The arrest warrants will also be forwarded to Interpol.

The Serious Crimes Unit has now filed 63 indictments at the Special Panels for Serious Crimes in Timor Leste charging a total of 296 persons. Of those indicted 216 remain at large in the Republic of Indonesia. Until now, 32 accused have been convicted in trials at the Special Panel for Serious Crimes in Dili District Court.

DETAILS OF THE ACCUSED

The following persons are included among the 57 accused in the Maliana indictment:

Lt. Colonel Burhanuddin Siagian (former Bobonaro District TNI Commander: from 1 January- 24 August 1999)

Lt. Colonel Bambang G. Supryanto (former Bobonaro District TNI Commander: from 25 August- 30 September 1999)

Lt. Sutrisno (former Chief of Intelligence Section of Bobonaro District TNI command1636)

Lt. M. Yusuf (former Chief of Operations of Bobonaro District TNI Command 1636)

SGI Rizal (Special Forces SGI Intelligence Task Force member)

Sgt. Dominggos dos Santos (former Inteligence section of Bobonaro District TNI Command 1636)

Sgt. Mau Buti (former Intelligence section of Bobonaro District TNI Command 1636)

Sgt. Manuel Lopes (former Intelligence section of Bobonaro District TNI Command 1636)

Sgt. Miguel Soares (former Intelligence section of Bobonaro District TNI Command 1636)

Major (Police) Budi Susilo (former Police Chief of Bobonaro district)

Guilherme Dos Santos (former Bobonaro District Administrator)

Joao Da Silva Tavares (former Supreme Commander of the Integration Fighting Forces (PPI) in East Timor)

Jorge Tavares (former Bobonaro district leader of FPDK Pro-autonomy Group)

Natalino Monteiro Goncalves (former Commander of the Dadurus Merah Putih (DMP) militia in Maliana)

Marcos Tato Mali (former Deputy Commander of the Dadurus Merah Putih (DMP) militia in Maliana)

10 July 2003

Serious Crimes Unit

Back to July menu
June
World Leaders Contact List
Human Rights Violations in East Timor
Main Postings Menu