Besi Merah Putih
Besi Merah Putih (BMP) is the name of an approximately 200-strong pro- Indonesian militia ( Wanra ) that was founded on December 27, 1998 in Caicassa , East Timor . It operated in Maubara , in the Liquiçá district , and in the vicinity of the Lóis River , west of the capital Dili, under the leadership of Manuel de Sousa and with the assistance of Leoneto Martins , the local district leader. The Indonesian ex-general Prabowohad direct connections with Besi Merah Putih and trained relatives at a Kopassus base near Bogor in West Java . Also Tome Diogo are said to have direct links to the BMP. The Indonesian army member is said to have led the militia directly.
Her name translates as red and white iron bar . This militia was considered one of the most feared in East Timor during the unrest before and after the 1999 independence referendum . She has been held responsible for hundreds of cases of arson, murder, torture and rape.
The church massacre in Liquiçá on April 6 and the attack on an aid convoy in Liquiçá on July 4 became particularly well known . 77 people were killed here. The convoy was on its way back from Sare ( Ermera district ), where it had supplied thousands of refugees with food and medicine, to Dili when it was attacked in the city of Liquiçá. In this convoy there were also representatives of six East Timorese NGOs (including Caritas East Timor), UNHCR and UNAMET .
Former members of the BMP testified in court that before the militia went to battle, they drank a cocktail of alcohol, animal blood and drugs. They also reported that militiamen collected trophies from victims by cutting off their ears and penises.
On December 11, 2012, three members of the BMP were sentenced to prison terms. Faustino Filipe de Carvalho , Ulmera's former Suco boss , was sentenced to six years for illegal imprisonment and deportation of civilians. Miguel Soares , who was active in Besite , received nine years in prison for his involvement in the murder of Fransisco Brás . BMP commander Salvador de Jesus was sentenced to 16 years for involvement in the murder of Felix Barreto and Francisco Brás .