Subject: 'austraLasia' #222

SOME FURTHER 'HUMAN INTEREST' ASPECTS OF THE TIMOR TRAGEDY

Julian Fox (pkf Dennis Handley)

Dear friends. A little news. Peter Hosking sj arrived back safe in Darwin

late Friday night last. Of the two Jesuits killed, one was Fr Carl

Albricht, aged 70, director of Jesuit Refugee Service in east timor.

Several refugees had taken shelter in his house and garden and the militia

came to take the vehicles. Fr Albricht went out with his torch to confront

them and they told him to turn it off. He did not but turned to go back into

the house to get his hearing aid and they shot him; he died in the military

hospital. Tarcisius had been ordained only last July. He was at Suai,

part of the large massacre there. he was the first to go out of the church

to confront the militia and was shot wiithout warning and then the rest of

the killing started. Two other priests, diocesan I think, were among the

victims. Four other Jesuits, three priests and a brother, have accompanied

the refugees into the hills. Hopefully air drops of food are helping. The

Provincial's office here sent around the photographs of the two Js killed,

along with a quotaton from Ignacio Ellacuria sj, rector of the university in

San Salvador and one of the 6 jesuits killed there on 16 Nov 1989: "The

Spirit breathes in many ways, and supreme among them is the disposition to

give one's life for others, whether by tireless daily commitment or by the

sacrifice of violent death" prophetic? Oremus pro invicem. Greg OK.

 

Also a note sent by emial from a staff member:

 

 

Dennis,

Thanks for the passing on all the Timor information over the past days. It

has been painful but also enlightening to read of the church's bravery. I

feel proud to work under the banner of a Salesian school.

Ursula

This email was received from the Jesuits in Thailand. A tragic,but personal

account.

10 Sept 99

 

Today I have had two extraordinary conversations with a young man

who remarkably has access to a functioning telephone in Dili.

 

At noon Dili time he told me that the militias are busy setting fires

again today following a lull in the destruction yesterday. The

military do nothing but drive around shooting into the air. Dili is

almost empty. There are still groups of refugees in a number of

places. Truckloads of loot are going out of the city. Loot is stored

in military compounds awaiting shipment out. There are many non

E.Timorese gangs looting the city with the Timorese and the soldiers.

Some of the looters are from Java, many are from West Timor. The

looting operation is enormous, well organised and systematic. . The

non East Timorese gangs are tougher and ruthless.

 

He wanted to know if it was true that Fr Dewanto is dead. I told him

that we were as sure as we could be. He promised to pass this sad

news to Fr Ageng, Fr Albrecht , Fr Eduard Calistus Ratu Dopo and

Fr Tan Soe Ie who are also still in Dili.

 

There are two hundred refugees in the St Joseph's High school next

to the minor seminary. They have flu, dysentary, and malaria. They

have some medicine and some food.

 

At 12 midnight Dili time I was able to connect again to this young

man. He told me that he and Fr Albrecht were able to drive to the

looted and burned out Franciscan clinic to collect some medicines and

take them to the public hospital.

 

There is no more shooting but a huge smoke haze hangs over the

city. Many of the men refugees have come tonight from the hills to

take the women and girls out of their refuges in the city because they

fear a wave of rapes. The priests and sisters are left caring for the

young children.

 

The young man tells me that at the hospital where he and Karim

delivered the medicines there are only East Timorese nurses. No

more doctors. The nurses tell us that our presence here still is "very

important to us - thankyou for staying with us" The militias have

threatened this hospital. They want to loot it also for any equipment

that may be saleable. But the Indonesian Police still guard the

hospital "it seems that somebody still has conscience". There are

many gunshot victims in the hospital.

 

Although I can dial into Dili my young friend cannot dial out. He has

tried many times to call out but cannot. " I sit by the phone" "I

heard from two diocesan priests that Fr Barretto was seen in Dare

yesterday. Therefore it is hard to believe that Barretto is really

dead?"

 

"One week ago I got a letter from Fr Dewanto. It described a bitter

life in Suai, a very hard and difficult ministry in the midst of so

much hatred. "

 

There is news of soldiers moving east to put down the falintil. There

is a noticable movement of soldiers out of Dili. It seems that a war

has begun further east. Falintil is finally fighting back.

 

"I am very tired now but I feel that as a young Jesuit I am

experiencing the real Society of Jesus. I feel that it is very good to be

a Jesuit in this situation. It is actually why I became a Jesuit - now

the challenge here is between life and death. When I talk to these

survivors - many of whom also survived the invasion in 1975 - I feel

their faith is extraordinary - this faith of the Timorese people. A

diocesan priest went to the UNAMET compound today - they

proclaimed him their new bishop and thanked him for staying. I

cannot sleep until 4am. I sleep unitl about 7am. A Queen of the

Rosary Sister from Liquisa was here today. She took medicine from

her convent and went to Atambua to help the refugees. All the

sisters and the parish priest at Liquica have been ordered by the

military to leave Liquisa. Where is Abel, he hasn't been seen since

the 7th. The militias are hunting people down - even following them

to Kupang to get them. We are very worried about Abel.

 

 

Fr Dibyawiyata called us this morning from Kupang. We are very

relieved to know that Fr Sarmento reached Kupang safely with the

seminarians. Fr Rutten is also there. We here Fr Maryono is in

Atambua. We believe that Fr Martins and Fr Felgueiras are in Dare.

 

You sound very tired. Will you sleep now? Shall I pray for you ?

 

Please Father:

 

"May the blessing of almighty God come down upon you and give

you courage and strength and may you hear God say to you what

was said to Jesus "you are my beloved son in whom I am well

pleased - and May our loving and merciful God Bless you, the Father,

the Son and the Holy Spirit"

 

"Amen Father and thankyou"

 

"Sleep now and I will call again tomorrow. God Bless.

 

Goodnight "

 

 

Dear Friends, please pray for Bagus and all the people of East Timor.

 

Steve

 

 

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----- Fr Stephen Curtin S.J., (Regional Director), Jesuit Refugee

Service Asia Pacific, 24/1 Soi Aree 4 (South), Phone: (+66-2)

279-1817 Phaholyothin Road 7, Fax: (+66-2) 271-3632

BANGKOK, 10400, Email <<jrsdir@ksc.th.com> Thailand.

JRS

 

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