The Australian http://www.news.com.au/ Jakarta's 'final solution' exposed By LYNNE O'DONNELL 17sep99 A MILITIA leader has admitted Indonesia's military intelligence drew up a grand plan in February to massacre pro-independence East Timorese and cause a massive humanitarian catastrophe. Pro-Jakarta militia leader Tomas Goncalves also said an order to kill priests and nuns was issued on March 26 by the Governor of East Timor, Abilio Soares, who was angry that survivors of the militia attacks were seeking refuge in churches and in the homes of priests. Mr Goncalves, who is now in the Portuguese colony of Macau, 90km from Hong Kong, is known to be trying to distance himself from the militia after reportedly being sickened by their violent excesses. His claims came as Indonesia continued to build up domestic opposition to the arrival of the UN peace-enforcement force in East Timor, even as it continued to tell the world it accepts the composition of the force. After Wednesday's demonstrations at the British and Australian embassies in Jakarta, the UN headquarters in the capital were targeted yesterday. While anti-government protests at the UN were brutally reined in on Wednesday, police stood by at yesterday's pro-government demonstration. In Hong Kong's South China Morning Post yesterday, Mr Goncalves said he was present when the post-August 30 ballot plan was unveiled on February 16 in the East Timor capital Dili by Lieutenant-Colonel Yahjat Sudrajad, the intelligence chief of the army's Kopassus special forces. Mr Goncalves, who headed the 400-strong Peace Force and Defender of Integration militia, said Colonel Sudrajad demanded independence leaders and their families be wiped out. He said all the militia leaders from East Timor's 12 regions attended the meeting, including Eurico Guterres of the feared Aitarak (Thorn) militia based in Dili. "The agenda for the meeting included funding and arming of the militia, food and other supplies," Mr Goncalves told the South China Morning Post from Macau. He said Lieutenant-Colonel Sudrajad was answerable to East Timor military chief Colonel Tono Suratman, who in turn reported to a chain of command that went as high as General Zacky Anwar, the former head of national intelligence. Mr Goncalves said he attended a second meeting on March 26 when East Timor's Jakarta-appointed governor, Abilio Soares, allegedly called for all priests and nuns in the mainly Roman Catholic territory to be killed. "I could not stand it. I told them I have no problem fighting the (pro-independence) guerillas, but as a Catholic I could not kill priests and nuns and attack the church," he said. Mr Goncalves said he came under suspicion for his stance and fled Indonesia on April 18. ************************************************************************* This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
