Subject: FORTILOS: Parents of Aniceto Guteres Lopes
terrorised
Date: Sat, 19 Jun 1999 14:28:17 +0000
From: tapol@gn.apc.org (by way of "John M. Miller" <fbp@igc.apc.org>)From:
tapol@gn.apc.org (TAPOL) Subject: Parents of Aniceto Guteres Lopes terrorised
From: FORTILOS <fortilos@indo.net.id> Parents of Aniceto Guterres Lopes
terrorised and their house surrounded
On Tuesday, 8 June, members of the Dadarus Red and White militia attacked Memo village,
Maliana sub-district in the district of Bobonaro. The attack was directed at the parents
of Aniceto Guterres Lopes, Director of the human rights organisation, Yayasan HAK. Some
members of the family sustained injuries, while several people were taken into custody and
are being held at Maliana Kodim (military command). One of those being held is Afonso
Reis, 22.
The militia surrounded the house and pelted it with stones. When the people inside
tried to flee, they arrested two people and tortured them. The two men are: Justino
Goncalves dos Santos, 31 and Dinis dos Santos, 34, cousins of Aniceto.
The attack is believed to be linked to Aniceto's human rights work. The district head
of Bobonaro, Guilherme dos Santos, also from Memo, has been known to make threats against
Aniceto, warning that human rights activists should stay away from Bobonaro. 'If they come
here, I'll deal with them,' he said at a meeting in the Bobonaro administration centre
some months ago.
The antipathy between Aniceto and the Bobonaro district head goes back to 1996 when
Aniceto defended the village head of Memo whom the latter had dismissed. Aniceto later
took the case to the Administrative Court, PTUN.
The recent attack had been well planned. In the run-up to the election on 7 June, the
local military issued threats, warning that if disturbances occurred during the election,
the army and the militia would launch a bigger attack, which is what happened.
The action was supported by the E Timor People's Front (BRTT) whose chairman is
Francisco Lopes da Cruz. When inaugurating the local branch of the BRTT recently, da Cruz
said: 'The National Human Rights Commission can come here but other groups, such as the
Students Solidarity Council and others claiming to be human rights organisations, as well
as the UN, should beware.' He even warned that they could be shot.
Send your protests to:
1. Kolonel Tono Suratman, DANREM Timor Timur Tel. - 62 390 32158, (rumah) - 62 390
321021 (kantor) Faxes/Tel: 62 390 321 624 / 62 390 321 512
2. Letkol. Mudjiono -Wadanrem Timor Timur Tel. - 62 390 321410 - 0811-384968 (Hp)
3. Kolonel Timbul Silaen - KAPOLDA Timor Timur - Rumah di Dili : 62 390 321842 - Kantor
di Dili : 62 390 321544, Fax 62 390 321690 - HP : 081138949
4. Kapten Widodo - Dispen Polri - Tel. - 0811-384709 (Hp)
5. Abilio Osorio Soares - Gubernur Timor Timur - Tel. - 62 390 322799 (Dili) -
0816-295-065 (Hp)
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