Subject: 'austraLasia' #227

ANOTHER EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT

Note: while this is 'second-hand', it is a transcript unlikely to be seen by

those outside Australia (and it was only 'heard' there!). I am indebted to

Fr. Richard Gant SOLT for this transcript. (Julian)

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

AM News hour transcript

Thursday, September 16, 1999 8:19 a.m.

Attack on Bishop Belo's compound

COMPERE: One of the most potent symbols to emerge from East Timor in the

last

two weeks is the attack on the formerly sacrosanct compound of East Timor's

spiritual leader, Bishop Carlos Belo. The attack happened just days after

the

result of the ballot was announced.

One of the eyewitnesses to the attack was Francisco Calguarde, the man whose

job it is to liaise between East Timor's religious leader, Bishop Belo, and

its political leader, Xanana Gusmao. This morning Francisco Calguarde

arrived

in Australia, and he told Bronwyn Adcock what happened that day.

FRANCISCO CALGUARDE: We were attacked by the militias and the Indonesian

troops.

BRONWYN ADCOCK: It was the militias and troops?

FRANCISCO CALGUARDE: And troops! I saw with my eyes! And I saw two of their

generals just in front of Bishop Belo's house when I came out. And one is

Safray Sumsudi [phonetic], but they didn't see me, but he was the commander,

I think he was the one who conducted the operation.

BRONWYN ADCOCK: What's his position in the Indonesian military?

FRANCISCO CALGUARDE: He's a Major-General, and he was the commander of

Jakarta City or something like that. After they attack, they push all the

people who come out to on the street and they asked everyone to hands up,

and

some of us, you know, kneel down. And they ask for our car key and

everything. They say, 'well, are you surrendering?' We say, 'yes'. 'You love

Indonesia?' Well everyone say, 'yes', because we have no choice.

BRONWYN ADCOCK: So they made everyone say, 'we love Indonesia'?

FRANCISCO CALGUARDE: Yes, because everyone wanted to save their life. But

what I feel is really touching that time was, you know, everyone, all the

children are crying and old ladies, you know, everyone is holding candles,

some of them holding religious cross and then they cry - but silently, no

words, not anything - only tears come out, that's all. And it's really

touching.

And after five minutes the police come and they took Bishop Belo. They say,

'well let us save your life, and so it's better for you to come to the

police

office'. So only Bishop Belo goes and we are not allowed to go with Bishop

Belo that time. So I was with all the refugees on the site, on the street.

So

all of us come out to on the street and after half an hour when Bishop Belo

left they divide us, they separate the women on one side and all the men on

one side.

BRONWYN ADCOCK: And what happened then?

FRANCISCO CALGUARDE: And what happened then, I saved my life. When I saw one

of the Aitarak was crying, one of the militias was crying, hugging his

sister

because his sister was also inside of the compound. And I ask him, I say,

'why do you cry?' He say, 'well this is my sister.' I say, 'so if you know

this is your sister, why do you attack?' He say, 'well I was pushed in by

the

military, otherwise I would be killed by them.'

So I asked that man to help me, I say, 'well in this case you better take me

out so maybe we can help these people'. And I was lucky there was one of the

militias there and I borrow his jacket, it's a Merah Putih, you know, Merah

Putih jacket, and I wear that Merah jacket and I left.

BRONWYN ADCOCK: I understand you were also present at a meeting a couple of

days before the attack, between Bishop Belo and General Wiranto. Can you

tell

me what happened at that meeting?

FRANCISCO CALGUARDE: What he said is we report to him what happened after

the

announcement. So Bishop Belo reports to him that there was fifteen houses

burning and shooting all the night. At that time we didn't know how many

were

killed. So after he listens to Bishop Belo's report and in front of the

[inaudible], the militia commandant and also commandant of Korin [phonetic]

and commandant of police, he says, 'well, I want you to stop all the fire, I

want you to stop all the burning.' But what happened is just a few hours

later they attacked Bishop Belo's office, [inaudible], Dili.

BRONWYN ADCOCK: So General Wiranto said to Bishop Belo that they would stop

all the burning and any killing that had happened?

FRANCISCO CALGUARDE: Yes, he promised.

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