Aitarak

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The Aitarak was one of the most feared pro-Indonesian militias during the 1999 riots in Indonesian- occupied East Timor . It received a lot of public attention because it was the main militia in the district of the capital Dili . Without caring, she committed her crimes in front of the international press. She is held responsible for several massacres, murders and rapes. The Indonesian word Aitarak means thorn in German . The militia had 1,521 registered members.

Originally the organization was called Gardapaksi . In return for paramilitary service, it gave members cheap loans to start small businesses. The Indonesian military actively supported the militia. She received military training and equipment from the army.

The East Timorese Eurico Guterres became the leader of the militia, now renamed Aitarak, in 1999. In cooperation with the Indonesian army and police, he planned the entire campaign to destabilize the referendum process.

The Aitarak was involved in the Liquiçá church massacre on April 6, 1999 and the attack on the house of independence leader Manuel Carrascalão on April 17, as was the attack on Bishop Belo's residence on September 6, where 5,000 civilians had fled , and the Suai church massacre . The Aitarak was also active in the expulsions of East Timorese.

The militias in East Timor have been extremely ruthless in their fight against those who favored independence. They often knew their victims all their lives and were neighbors. The exact number of Aitarak victims is unknown, but estimates are clearly in the hundreds. In several cases, they influenced other militias in other parts of East Timor over which Guterres had control.

Eurico Guterres was sentenced to ten years in prison on November 27, 2002 by the Jakarta Human Rights Court. In May 2006, Eurico Guterres finally began his ten-year prison sentence. He was adopted by over 1000 supporters in Kupang with a Catholic mass. Guterres accused Indonesia of making him the scapegoat for the violence in East Timor. The government treats him unfairly as they let him go to jail, leading military and police officers, who have greater responsibility, but get away without punishment. As a warrior, however, he is ready to go to prison for “red and white” (the colors of the Indonesian flag ). Guterres was taken to Jakarta's maximum security prison, Cipinang . Ironically, Xanana Gusmão , a freedom fighter and later President of East Timor , was previously held here . In April 2008, Eurico Guterres was acquitted and released by the Supreme Court on the basis of new testimony.

Mateus Carvalho , head of the Aitarak in Dili, claimed when questioned by the Truth and Friendship Commission in 2007 that the violence after the referendum was not perpetrated by the Indonesian army but as a result of emotions. The Indonesian government and army also deny having had any control over the militia, but regular armed forces were present in almost all of the main incidents and allegedly partially involved.

supporting documents

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ "Part 3: The History of the Conflict" , p. 138 (PDF; 1.4 MB) from the "Chega!" Report of the CAVR (English)