Public execution in Muapitine in 1983
 
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Location of Muapitine in East Timor |
During the public execution in Muapitine in 1983 , residents of the East Timorese town were forced by members of the Indonesian army to execute five men.
Happening
East Timor had been occupied by Indonesia since 1975. The Forças Armadas de Libertação Nacional de Timor-Leste (FALINTIL) has since offered resistance in a guerrilla war.
On November 25, 1983, three Indonesian soldiers of the Kodim (military district command) 1629 came from the district capital Lospalos to Muapitine and arrested three men. Ângelo da Costa, the local resistance representative, his deputy Lino Xavier and Alvaro Pereira Freitas, a member of the civil, Indonesian security forces Ratih , who supplied the FALINTIL with ammunition. Shortly afterwards, Gilberto, Leonel Oliveira, Alarico and José Vicente from Muapitine were also arrested. Gilberto, Alarico and José Vicente were released on December 6th.
| The executed | ||
| Surname | Age | Hometown |
|---|---|---|
| Angelo da Costa | 29 | Malahara |
| Lino Xavier | 30th | Pehefito |
| Alvaro Pereira Freitas | 30th | Muapitine |
| Leonel Oliveira | 36 | Muapitine |
| Alberto dos Santos | 31 | Vailoro |
On December 8th, all residents of the village of Muapitine had to meet at his office from 6 a.m. to greet the Indonesian colonel of the Kodim on the instructions of the village chief. He arrived at around 7 a.m., together with Cláudio do Carmo Vieira , the district president (Bupati) of the Lautém district , and the four prisoners, including the arrested Alberto dos Santos. The guests had been served three bottles of palm wine and asked the prisoners to drink with them. When the bottles were emptied, the colonel stood up and said that those arrested had committed crimes and would have to die as a result. Julio, the village chief, was ordered to execute Angelo da Costa. Julio told Ângelo to look up, wanting to cut his throat. When Ângelo did so, Julio sliced through the neck with a bayonet . Ângelo was still breathing when he fell to the floor. Next, the villager Armando was ordered to kill Lino Xavier. Since Armando was still alive after Armando's cut with the machete, those present were instructed to cut up Lino. The villagers obeyed out of fear. Leonel Oliveira was killed by the villager Aleixio with several stabs with the bayonet in the chest and the villager Verisimo obeyed the order and stabbed Alberto dos Santos. Last it was Alvaro who, still crying, asked about the crimes that justified his execution. The question was ignored and Julio killed Alvaro.
Cláudio do Carmo Vieira now ordered that the villagers should bring the executed people to their home villages for burial. Since Ângelo wasn't dead yet, Victor, a member of the Hansip (civil defense) , stabbed Ângelo with a bayonet. But he was still alive. Ângelo was taken to the hamlet of Puakelu with other villagers . When he was still breathing at 5:00 p.m., a member of Battalion 641 ordered Angelo to be buried alive. He pleaded for mercy and asked his wife to inform the commandant of Post 641. He contacted the Bupati in Lospalos and Vieira ordered the live burial. The post commander said he had to obey the order. Two soldiers from Battalion 641 put the still-living Angelo into a hole half a meter deep. He was covered in ashes and Ângelo tried unsuccessfully to break free. At 6 p.m. it was buried.