Many prominent pro-independence figures in the city have received death threats from the militias.

11 April

Bishop Belo celebrated mass with the terrified congregation of Liquiça, as a machete-wielding mob of militia circled the church. Police tried in vain to force the militia members to leave the area.

In Suai Alipio Maya Moniz who was abducted on April 5 by Laksaur Merah Putih and TNI personnel, was released severely wounded.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer urged the Indonesian government to take more action to curb the violence in East Timor following the Liquiça massacre.

12 April 

In Cailaco, 50 kilometres south-west of Dili, the district army commander of Bobonaro district ordered the public execution of five civilians in revenge for the killings by Falintil guerillas of three pro-Indonesia militiamen and two Indonesian soldiers. The civilian bodies were left where they fell for an afternoon, to serve as a warning to others to toe the pro-integration line. The commander also ordered the capture and killing of community leaders thought to be pro-independence, which led to a hunting down and killing of an unknown number of civilians over the next few days.

Two UNTIM students in Suai are kidnapped and later killed by Mahidi. They are Joao Soares Ximenes and Bernardino Simao. 

General Wiranto insisted that only five people died in Liquiça. Meanwhile soldiers wiped away all evidence of a massacre there. The bloodied house of the local priest where people were killed has been cleaned and the bullet holes repaired. Then there are the vanishing bodies. Local residents said they saw between three and five trucks take many bodies away. An investigation by the National Commission of Human Rights later this week will be difficult and forensic work next to impossible.

Ermera is very tense after the attack and fatal shooting by pro-Indonesia militia and TNI of CNRT members, local councillor Antonio Lima and Julio. Lima was shot by the army in the market in the village of Gleno. The military claims he tried to throw a grenade at soldiers on patrol. Eyewitnesses say he was shot in cold blood. Most of the young men have fled the area to hide in the forest. Womenfolk left behind have been terrorized, intimidated and forced to fly the Indonesian flag in every house. All military personnel in Ermera are carrying automatic weapons and a grenade on their belts. There is information that between 6 and 14 more people have been shot in Talimoro.

Laksaur Merah Putih and TNI from all the units in the Suai Covalima district have searched houses and tortured villagers, including women, in the area. 

Manuel Magalhaes, a member of CNRT, and former Bobonaro Public Works District Head, was arrested along with seven other men on during a joint action by the TNI and Halilintar paramilitaries in the Maliana Sub-district of Bobonaro. During the operation several houses were destroyed by the security forces, including those of the eight men taken into custody. All have since been released except for Manuel. Grave fears are held for his safety.

One of men, Jose de Andrade, was beaten unconscious in custody, and needed hospital treatment upon his release.

Rafael, from Malilait village in Bobonaro was arrested at the Tunu Bibi-Maliana bus terminal. It is believed that TNI soldiers from the Bobonaro Military Command were involved in the arrest. His whereabouts are unknown. 

Aitarak militia spokesman Mateus de Carvalho said the hundreds of militia members living at the previously abandoned Tropicana hotel in Dili are waiting for money for their wages from the local Government.

14 April 

Alvaro Barreto is arrested at Kamanasa, Suai, by TNI and Laksaur Merah Putih while riding a bus, and then killed by Mahidi. Jose Fatima is arrested by Laksaur Merah Putih and feared dead.

Paramilitary members said to a student in Suai "You had your demonstrations, now we will have ours. We will kill you." The student said that Mahidi was forcing young people to join their group. He said that as a result all the young people of Suai had fled to the forest. 

Aurelio Freitas Ribeiro, leader of students council of Lautem, is now in detention in the headquarter of the local military. Fears are held for his safety.

Indonesian Armed Forces butchered 7 men in Maliana. The name of the victims are Domingos da Cruz (21), Armando dos Santos (29), Eurico da Costa (30), Americo Fernandes (32), Tomas Sanches (42), Alarico Carvalho (19), and Moises Guterres (17). They were killed because they were accused of donating some food to Falintil. The situation of Maliana is now highly tense. The telephone lines have been cut off by the military and people are not allowed to visit their families or neighbours.

A confidential Australian embassy report on the killing of East Timorese civilians in the town of Liquiça accuses the Indonesian military of colluding with militia forces in the lead-up to the incident. It also confirms the military failed to take steps to stop the killings in the grounds of the Catholic church in Liquiça on April 6 despite being present in some numbers.

15 April

Members of Halilintar militia start on a three-day rampage severely injuring five civilians and destroying houses in the Bobonaro region. 

Indonesian troops shot dead five youths and wounded several others near Ermera. Two of the dead have been identified as Mateus Tilman, 24, and Eler Martins, 20.

Novas newspaper was shut down this week by its owners, the Governor Abilio Soares, and his private assistant, Expedito Ximenes. Novas's 14 journalists say they were often warned not to run news that supported the independence camp.

16 April

The younger brother of the Indonesian appointed ambassador-at-large for East Timor, Francisco da Lopez, was killed in a Falintil ambush.

Xanana Gusmao promised to order his men to stop launching attacks on Indonesian targets inside East Timor in order to try to restore peace to the territory. Mr Gusmao made the pledge when he met the United States Assistant Secretary of State Stanley Roth in Jakarta.

Some 150 paramilitaries who were trained by TNI in East Timor to attack pro-independence supporters arrived in Jakarta by ship. They plan to take action against certain East Timorese, including student activists and political leaders. Among their targets are a number of centres used by East Timorese students and youth. Mario Carrascalao, former governor of East Timor and now a member of Habibie’s Supreme Advisory Council but increasingly critical of the Indonesian military's rule of East Timor, has been told he is at the top of their death list and is in hiding. Security at a Jakarta residence where Xanana Gusmao is under house arrest has also been supposedly tightened after Indonesian authorities confirmed information about the squad. The paramilitaries who include members of Besi Merah-Putih and Mahidi are divided into two groups one of which is being accommodated in Ragunan. This group has linked up with the well-known hoodlum leader Hercules (who is from Timor) and Captain Eusebio Belo, an army officer who now works with the army intelligence unit BIA. Captain Belo has been supplied with a large sum of money to recruit a militia force from among hoodlums from Eastern Indonesia for use in East Timor. The second group is being accommodated in Kelapa Dua, Bogor which is the location of the headquarters of Brimob, the police special forces. The armed forces is believed to have supplied a billion rupiahs to arm and equip these gangs and supply them with pocket money.

In recent days, the militias have distributed threatening leaflets in Dili aimed at intimidating independence activists. The text called on all houses in the city to fly the Indonesian flag, demanded all local officials not in favour of continued integration of East Timor with Indonesia be sacked and stripped of all benefits, and called on the population to denounce anyone showing any sympathy for the independence movement. Other more threatening leaflets have also appeared. One trumpets a military-style plan dubbed "Operation Total Clean-up," which outlines a series of steps to be taken before mid-May to crush pro-independence sentiment. 275 people including Bishop Belo are believed to be on a death list put together by the Mahidi militia. Nearly all the people working in Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) are on it. Basilio Araujo of FPDK was asked how his people could identify separatists, his reply was simple. "During the reformasi period (following Soeharto's fall last May), they made it clear what they were thinking. Now we have lists." 

"Paramilitaries - armed and supported by TNI - have been let loose to murder, rape and  torture innocent civilians whose support for East Timorese  independence they do not share," Amnesty International said in a statement. "The timing is no coincidence - all the indications  suggest that this is a deliberate attempt by the Indonesian  military and pro-integration paramilitary groups to destabilise  the situation and thus undermine the diplomatic process to find  a political solution to the conflict in East Timor." 

17 April

A pro-autonomy rally began in Dili at 10am outside the front of the Governor's office attended by a number of militia groups including Halilintar, Dadurus, AHI, Ablai, Mahidi, Laksaur Merah Putih, Besi Merah Putih, Makikit, Saka and Jati Merah Putih. Also in attendance were the military and military commander, police representatives, the Governor and pro-autonomy civilians. In the morning members of TNI forced local civilians, including old people and transmigrants to attend the ceremonial part of the rally. Eurico Guterres urged his army trained followers to "conduct a cleansing of all those who have betrayed integration. Capture and kill them, if you need to". He also talked about splitting East Timor in two, with the area west of Dili under some sort of pro-Indonesian government.

Meanwhile Manuel Carrascalao, brother of the former governor, had just arrived from Jakarta was unable to reach his house in Becora, a suburb of Dili, where his family and 143 refugees from the districts of Alas, Liquiça, Maubara, Turiscai and Suai were staying. Fearing attacks by anti-independence militia, Carrascalao went looking for protection from Colonel Tono Suratman who he asked for help to guard his home. Colonel Suratman flatly refused. "The military must remain neutral," he said.

The 1,500 militiamen then rampaged through the city, unchecked by the military, shooting at houses and attacking pro-independence leaders. Manuel Pinto, 45 years, from the village of Bahu was shot and killed by bullets when he stepped off the bus from Baucau at the Becora bus station. Sebastiao Martins, 21 years, was also shot and sustained severe injuries to both legs. Around 1pm in Metiaut village, one group of militia led by the local village head attacked several houses and injured a number of people. Four victims of whom were taken to the Motael church clinic. 

Around 2pm one hundred militia stormed Manuel Carrascalao’s home. Some family members and the refugees were trapped, unarmed. They lay hugging the floor, screaming and weeping in terror as the shots and rocks blasted through the windows at the front of the house. An AFP journalist and a French radio journalist were inside the house at the time of the attack. They walked out of the house shouting above the noise of the firing that they were foreign journalists. They were roughed up at gunpoint and marched off. Up to 12 people were killed including Manuel’s 18-year-old son, Manuelito, his great aunty Carmelinda Guterres aged 89, and his cousin, Marcelina Carrascalao. More than 50 of the refugees fled to police headquarters as they were unable to escape because the militia had blocked off all of the streets. Manuel Carrascalao barged into a meeting between Bishop Carlos Belo and Irish Foreign Minister David Andrews crying "my son is dead!" Tension between the militia and the military became apparent when during the violence Eurico Guterres was heard shouting at Colonel Suratman asking him to leave the territory! Later at the Catholic-run health clinic in Dili, two young men who survived the attack say uniformed and plain-clothes military personnel were involved in the assault. After the rampage and killings at Manuel Carrascalao's house, the militia celebrated into the night with a party.

Around 3pm an attack on the office of East Timor's sole surviving newspaper Suara Timor Timur (STT - Voice of East Timor)left its equipment smashed beyond repair in an estimated $US47,000 worth of damage. Smashed typewriters, broken computers and business cards lay scattered about the office. Not a fax machine or telephone was left intact. All windows and parts of the old printing press had been broken. During the attack one of the militias was heard to say that the next targets would be the NGO offices which have been outspoken about human rights violations in East Timor and have been helping the refugees. The NGOs meant must be Yayasan HAK, KONTRAS, and Caritas.

Pro-independence sources say it was a planned assault to make sure the weekend violence was not given extensive local coverage. Staff say the militia was angry with STT because of its strong reporting of the militia massacre in Liquiça and an interview with the CNRT leader David Ximenes two weeks ago. Three weeks ago, accusations of bias led local bosses of the ruling Golkar party to oust the editor of STT, one-time member of the pro-Indonesia Apodeti party, Salvador Ximenes Soares, from a seat in the national parliament. But the newspaper's credentials are not exactly anti-establishment. It is owned by the Tatoli Naroman Foundation, whose members include the Jakarta-appointed provincial governor, Abilio Soares, and local assembly member Mariano Lopez. 

Around 4pm a large group of militias raided people's houses in West Dili. During the attack they burned down the house of David Ximenes. The militia also tortured some young men they encountered. At nightfall, the few foreign journalists in Dili had their film confiscated by militiamen carrying wooden staves, and the hotel was ordered not to serve them food.

A witness said that most of the paramilitary members are forced to participate and they committed no violence. There is a small hard core who have been paid who did the shooting and killing. He said that some of them are from West Timor, possibly members of the military.

In Viqueque a young man was hit by a motorcycle ridden by a member of Makikit. He died immediately. When the family of the victim reported the incident to the police, they were threatened with death if they made a case about it.

The UN Secretary-General issued a statement deploring these acts which caused casualties and damage to property and regretting the apparent inability of the Indonesian authorities to control the violence by the militias and to protect the civilian population. Annan said the immediate establishment of a "Peace and Stability Commission" was essential. 

18 April

There were clashes in Hera village, East Dili. The chief of police Timbul Silaen said one person had died but other sources said that the death toll was seven. Members of BTT (territorial battalion) and Kodim arbitrarily arrested and tortured three students from Hera Polytechnic and two youths from Hera village. During the torture, the security officials accused them of being anti-integration. 

The security forces blame the lack of police and troops in Dili for the rampage of the militia when up to 20 people died. Bishop Belo expressed his amazement at the inability of the security forces to control the disturbances in Timor.

At 9am 50 Indonesian soldiers took up position on the hill overlooking Becora's market. Hundreds of pro-independence youth had held members of Mahidi and Aitarak at bay around Becora and Kuluhun areas since yesterday morning. The youth were armed with knives, Molotov cocktails, arrows, piles of rocks, and sling shots. An hour later, armed men wearing civilian clothes arrived in 10 vehicles. "Aitarak militia men," said one witness. The two sides fought and shots were fired. A journalist said she saw one man killed. She said another person might have been killed but she had not seen the body. The army, watching from the hill, did nothing to stop the bloodshed. "We can only tell people to stay in their houses" said one soldier, "we can't protect them from the militia". Then a combined force of soldiers in trucks from battalions 744 and 521 chased the pro-independence men and opened fire. Nine of the young men were wounded plus a passer-by was shot in the neck. Two severely wounded were taken to a military hospital. 

In the same area East Timorese in the special mobile police (Brimob) opened fire on several truckloads of paramilitary, sending them in retreat to the Battalion 744 army base. Several policemen told residents that they had had family killed by the same paramilitary group in last week's Liquiça massacre. Other witnesses said a Mahidi member shot one of the military by mistake and as a result Brimob shot at militia members.

The Indonesian military not only turned a blind eye to Saturday's militia attacks in Dili but had prior knowledge of the planned targets at the most senior level, diplomatic sources claimed. The sources said the militia attack was discussed at a senior security co-ordination meeting held at the Cilangkap armed forces headquarters in Jakarta, and was attended by General Wiranto, Udayana military commander Major General Adam Damiri and East Timor military commander Colonel Tono Suratman. 

A military spokesman, Brigadier-General Sudrajat, blamed the violence in Dili on a call by Xanana Gusmao, two weeks ago, for his supporters to take up arms to protect themselves.

Alexander Downer announced "I am deeply concerned about the pro-integration militia attacks in Dili on 17 April. The Government of Indonesia and its Armed Forces must act decisively to stop the violence. It is imperative that the Armed Forces begin the process of disarming the militias and that those responsible for the violence and killings be brought to account".

19 April

10 people were kidnapped in Suai by Laksaur Merah Putih: 2 from their homes, six as they were catching a plane to Dili and two others as they were driving around. One of them, Abilio Pires, is known to have been killed.

Several thousand militiamen muster in the town of Aileu, south of Dili, where 20 of them drink blood mixed with wine. "In East Timorese tradition, this shows that we are in a serious situation and we are ready to face it," said Basilio Araujo, their spokesman. Militiamen admit that leaders of CNRT are on their hit list. Manuel Carrascalao and another CNRT leader, Leandro Isaac, are now sheltering with the police. Unlike the army, the police have made some effort to save lives.

The government, including the military, maintain that the unchecked killing and burning of houses of independence supporters by militia was sparked by shots fired by independence activists. "I really regret that it has happened, armed clashes between the two groups," Foreign Minister Ali Alatas told journalists. In Jakarta General Wiranto said he had ordered the military and the police "to act firmly" to restore order in East Timor.

Portugal, the former colonial ruler of the territory, was joined by the Foreign Minister of Ireland in demanding UN action over East Timor, while the United States and Australia expressed alarm about the developments and indicated support for early UN involvement.

Indonesia's Justice Minister, Mr Muladi, backed away from a threat to put Xanana Gusmao back in jail because of a call he had made to his supporters to take up arms to protect themselves. Muladi conceded that Gusmao's call was not a reference to war but a "defensive" statement. Despite the attacks against his supporters, Gusmao told Muladi he was still willing to talk with pro-Indonesian leaders.

Hundreds of militiamen and civil servants from the Department of Internal Affairs gathered in front of the Governor's office in a continuation of Saturday's inauguration of the paramilitary. Dili Bupati Domingos Soares publicly announced that Eurico Guterres, the head of the Aitarak militia and vice-commander of all the militias will be in charge of security and stability in East Timor. Residents of Dili were told by the Governor, Abilio Soares, that they will be prosecuted if they speak to the media about their fears. Many shops remained closed and militia armed with knives and rifles, patrolled the streets in the city centre. 

An eyewitness spoke of shooting in the afternoon in Dili's eastern suburb of Becora. She said five people were shot. The police office in Becora could not confirm the incident.

Australian Prime Minister  John Howard said he would meet Indonesian President  B.J. Habibie within the next week to discuss rising violence in  East Timor.

"These evil actions in East Timor clearly have the connivance of senior TNI figures in Jakarta. Indeed, they bear a shocking resemblance to Indonesia's operations in 1974 and 1975" wrote long time Indonesia supporter Greg Sheridan, Foreign Editor of The Australian newspaper.

General Wiranto has privately told diplomats in Jakarta that he could easily disarm the militia, but his forces continue to support the attacks, to provide transport, food and water and refuse protection to those on militia hit lists. "In the military's view, East Timor is an inseparable part of Indonesia. That's why they have to defend it whatever it takes to do it," he said.

20 April

General Wiranto arrived in Dili accompanied by the Chief of Army Staff, General Subagyo, Army Assistant for Security, Major General Zaki Anwar, the Head of the Armed Forces Strategic Intelligence Agency Major General Kiki Syahnakri and the Police Chief General Roesmanhadi. Zaki Anwar is a former longtime intelligence officer in Timor and more recently chief of the army's intelligence agency, BIA. Following Xanana Gusmao’s transfer from Cipinang Prison to his present place of detention, Anwar was a frequent visitor to his house. He is rumoured to be charge of the Operasi Sapu Jagad now causing death and havoc in Dili. Kiki Syahnakri was a military commander in Timor until he was withdrawn in 1995 after an incident in Liquiça when six alleged Falintil members were killed. This incident became an international issue, forcing the army to withdraw Syahnakri.

Mario Carrascalao says in Jakarta that he would stay in hiding because he believed the people targeting resistance leaders would not stop until he had been killed. "It's true ... I know these people," he said.

East Timorese radio journalists at the state-run Indonesian Republic Radio say they are too afraid to go to work after being threatened by the militias. Also residents now complain about the biased news they are seeing on the state-run TVRI network which, after the weekend chaos, showed only news about the militia parade and file footage of fishermen on the beach and smiling children.

21 April

General Wiranto, Bishop Belo and Bishop Basilio do Nascimento of Baucau witness the signing of a reconciliation and "cease fire" agreement at the home of Bishop Belo by representatives of pro and anti-independence. Belo refused to sign it saying he had only been invited to witness it.

The groups pledged to "stop hatred, intimidation, and terror and try to help create peace." They also pledged to help the government of Indonesia, the national Commission on Human Rights and the Roman Catholic church in promoting the respect of human rights and law in East Timor. Signing the document from the pro-Indonesian camp were Domingos Soares who heads the FPDK, and Joao Tavares, the commander of the militia force. The pro-Independence camp was represented by Leandro Isaac and Manuel Carrascalao, both CNRT leaders. It had already been signed in Jakarta by Xanana Gusmao. Also signing the document were Governor Abilio Soares, Colonel Tono Suratman, East Timor police chief Colonel Timbul Silaen and a member of the National Commission on Human Rights, Joko Sugianto. 

Ending the day of peacemaking announcements and hugging between bitter enemies, General Wiranto said police had already begun to confiscate weapons. He invited journalists to view them at Dili's police headquarters where journalists report a staged event was held with guns paraded before the cameras while a few red-and-white head-dressed militiamen stood by. A senior militia commander announced that violence by his gangs would no longer be tolerated.

Meanwhile: 

The militias attacked Hera Polytechnic, 5 km outside Dili, where they capture six students. Two students were reportedly killed and thrown into the sea. Four other students were detained in Kapolda, the local police centre.

Five youths were killed when members of Besi Merah Putih attack the town of Bazar Tete, 30 kms southwest of Dili.

In Maliana student Antonio Basilio, 26, and farmer Armando Belako, 50, were stabbed

to death in their homes and six pro-independence people kidnapped.

Bartholomew Borreau, a village chief of Maluskiik in the Ermera region and local CNRT leader, survived a torture session last Sunday only to be arrested again by members of TNI and BMP today and systematically beaten to death. "His skull was completely smashed" said Father Sancho Amaral, "it's all about intimidation. People are being taken away every day to be interrogated and beaten," Father Sancho said. 'They have to move around at night and no one can discuss anything in the open."

In Samalete Village in Ermera one person is killed by militias.

22 April 

Gun-wielding militias ignored East Timor's day-old cease-fire, threatened civilians and effectively sealed Dili at night. There was an operation of Besi Merah Putih and other groups around Comoro especially around the Convent of Salesian Fathers. All the pro-independence activists and outspoken leaders in Dili have gone into hiding. 

A pistol-waving militiaman threatened a group of journalists and ordered them back to Dili as they accompanied a government human rights commission team investigating last week's massacre in the town of Liquiça. 

Two local farmers, Antonio Borromeu and Carlito were killed by the Territorial Battalion in Hatolia in the Sare region. 

In Manufahi-Same the pro-integration militia attacked civilians in the villages of Holarua, Letefoho, Babulo and Daesua, destroying houses and robbing the community of important materials. 100 persons sought refuge in the church.

23 April

Confirmation that at least 30 people have been kidnapped and killed in Suai, 200 kms southwest of Dili. Allegations that bodies of the victims had been dumped into a lake and the nearby Salele River. Members of Battalion 744 of the Indonesian military, plus Mahidi and Laksaur Merah Putih militias have been accused of carrying out the killings. They were all operating from the Koramil military central command in Suai. Among those killed are Alvaro de Araujo, Amaro de Araujo, 32, Jose Aurelio, Emilio, Mateus Araujo, Daniel Amaro, Jorge dos Reis Celestino, Felix Marcal, 45, Sabino, 27, Blasido, 25, Coli, 22, and Abilio Maulear, 47. During the night at least 30 more young men were kidnapped. A military official in Dili and a hospital  official in Suai say there have been no deaths in Suai. Domingos Gomes, 25, a former AusAid worker is one of the kidnapped.

President Clinton wrote to President Habibie this week outlining his concerns over East Timor and calling on him to do more to bring the militia to heel.

The Foundation for Legal and Human Rights in Dili (Yayasan HAK) said the issue of 'civil war' is nothing more than an artificial design to be used to support actions of violence, terror and intimidation, referring to TNI's justification of arming the militia groups on the grounds of self-defence.

Australian military  intelligence told its government almost two months ago that TNI "in East Timor are clearly protecting, and in some  instances operating with, pro-Jakarta  militia in attacks in East Timor", Australian radio reported today.  The leaked report, prepared by the Defence Intelligence Organization, titled ‘Current Intelligence Briefing’, and dated March 4 had  also warned more violence was certain and would focus on the  territory's capital Dili.  "TNI could apprehend or easily control pro-Indonesia  militants, but has chosen not to" said the report. Throughout March, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer consistently played down reports of TNI involvement in violence in East Timor. 

24 April

A Dili-based human rights worker said "the situation in Suai is very, very tense. About 1,300 refugees have been asked to leave the church because they fear an attack like in Liquiça or Dili. Bodies have washed up along the beach. Some are already smelly, but there are also fresh bodies there."  The kidnappings have spread intense fear among the population. 

Yayasan HAK has received reports that for the past few days there have been arrests and kidnappings in Baucau, Viqueque, Bobonaro and Los Palos. From Atambua (West Timor) to Dili there are 12 checkpoints: 10 of them are guarded by the militias and two by the military. HAK believes that the signing of the recent peace pact was a mere performance to deceive the international community.