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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DILI 000070 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PBTS PHUM ASEC TT ID
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON JANUARY BORDER INCIDENTS 
 
REF: DILI 18 
 
DILI 00000070  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: Two border incidents that occurred in January 
have caused a spike in tension between East Timor and Indonesia. 
 First, on January 6, three alleged members of 1999-era militias 
were shot dead by East Timor's Border Patrol Unit (BPU).  See 
Reftel.  Then, on January 24, it was reported that an East 
Timorese woman had been repeatedly raped by members of the TNI 
after they had arrested her for illegally crossing the border 
into Indonesian West Timor in mid January.  A joint 
investigation is currently being carried out into the January 6 
incident and the two sides have reached agreement on several key 
issues.  No such joint effort has been launched in response to 
the rape allegations and to date the only follow up on this 
issue appears to be a promise by Indonesian authorities to 
investigate the matter.  End summary. 
 
Update on January 6 shooting deaths of ex-militia by BPU 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶2. (U) Immediately after the January 6 shooting deaths of three 
alleged militia members described in Reftel, markedly different 
versions of the events were put forward by East Timorese and 
Indonesian officials.  According to East Timor's BPU, the three 
deceased men had crossed the border illegally, attacked BPU 
officers attempting to arrest them, and then been killed in the 
resulting struggle by a BPU officer acting in self-defense 
and/or to save the lives of his fellow officers.  Accounts by 
BPU and other Government of East Timor (GOET) officials also 
emphasized the leading role allegedly played by one of the 
deceased in violent cross-border attacks in 2003 and 2005.  A 
written account provided by the Indonesian Embassy in Dili, on 
the other hand, questioned whether the deceased were in East 
Timor when they encountered the BPU officers, characterized them 
as Indonesian citizens on a fishing trip, and lambasted the BPU 
as having committed egregious human rights violations.  See 
Reftel for further details of both sides' positions and for 
Embassy Dili's early assessment of the probable facts. 
 
¶3. (U) In the days following the incident, East Timorese and 
Indonesian officials declared their intent to carry out a joint 
investigation of the incident.  A joint investigation team was 
subsequently formed, led by Prosecutor General Longuinhos 
Monteiro on the East Timorese side and Gorris Mere, a Major 
General in the Indonesian Police (POLRI) on the Indonesian side, 
and began its work in late January.  Initially, Monteiro's 
public statements demonstrated the continuation of sharp 
disagreement between the two sides.  Following the first meeting 
he remarked that the Indonesian account was 90 percent wrong and 
based on hearsay from two witnesses who they claimed had fled 
the scene. 
 
¶4. (U) However, last week the team held a three-day meeting 
after which it issued a joint report.  Although not final, the 
report outlined several key areas in which the two sides have 
reached agreement.  These include: that the three deceased had 
entered East Timor illegally; that they were in East Timorese 
territory when they were killed; that they were shot and killed 
by officers of the BPU; and that the case will be processed 
under the laws of East Timor.  The team indicated that they 
expect to complete their final report in the coming days and 
that President Xanana Gusmao will present it to President Susilo 
Bambang Yudhoyono at their upcoming meeting, currently scheduled 
for this Friday, February 17 in Bali. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Separately, UNPOL officers assigned to work with the 
BPU held a meeting in mid-January during which they carried out 
an analysis of why the BPU's encounter with the three deceased 
resulted in their shooting deaths.  The report from this meeting 
was relayed to the Embassy and includes the following 
observations of particular note: 
 
-- None of the four officers involved in the incident had 
received advanced training that includes appropriate use of 
force techniques.  The UNPOLs remarked on the need for both this 
training and constant follow on practice to maintain skills. 
 
-- All UNPOLs involved in the meeting agreed that the current 
BPU structure lacks clear leadership and command control.  For 
example, many commanders are the same rank as those under their 
command, and thus are perceived as lacking necessary authority. 
In other cases, commanders are perceived to have gained their 
position through political connections rather than performance. 
 
-- A lack of appropriate equipment was cited as a possible 
important contributing factor.  Although BPU officers have been 
trained in use of batons, pepper spray and handcuffs, most are 
currently not issued these items.  The four involved in the 
 
DILI 00000070  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
incident had only their rifles, leaving limited options for 
response.  Moreover, the UNPOLs noted the difficulty of 
maintaining the security of a firearm the size of a rifle, 
especially when engaging a suspect. 
 
Update on rape allegations against TNI members 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶6. (SBU) On January 26, the Embassy received reports from UNOTIL 
sources that an East Timorese woman had been raped by Indonesian 
military (TNI) soldiers at a TNI post near Oecussi.  According 
to the UNPOL report, TNI officers detained the woman along with 
a male companion on charges of illegal border crossing and 
smuggling on January 12.  They were then brought to TNI post JP4 
where the man was tied up and beaten and the woman was raped 
during the evening by three TNI soldiers and again in the 
morning by two different TNI soldiers.  On January 14, it is 
reported that Indonesian police officers (Polri) appeared at the 
TNI post (the report notes that they came of their own accord, 
as they had not been called by the TNI) and took custody of the 
two East Timorese detainees.  They brought them to the Polri 
headquarters in Aplal and then sent them to the headquarters in 
Kefamenanu so that they could be treated at the Kefamenanu 
hospital.  On January 23, following several days in the 
hospital, the two East Timorese were then brought to another TNI 
post (Napan) in order to be deported back to Oecusse.  The 
alleged rape victim was later transported to Dili via UN 
helicopter, and, according to Embassy sources, remains in the 
capital. 
 
¶7. (U) In the days after the story appeared in the media, there 
were several statements by political and religious leaders as 
well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) focused on human 
rights and women's issues, calling for the Government of East 
Timor (GOET) to lodge a strong protest with Government of 
Indonesia (GOI).  Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Adalgiza 
Magno was quoted as calling on the GOI to "immediately resolve 
the case and punish the alleged perpetrators."  However, to date 
the Embassy is not aware of any official complaint having been 
relayed by the GOET.  Late last week, Minister of Foreign 
Affairs Jose Ramos-Horta was reported to have shared with 
journalists a statement on the issue received from the 
Indonesian Ambassador to East Timor, Ahmed Bey Sofwan. 
Ambassador Sofwan's statement reportedly said that the GOI 
regarded this as a very serious incident and that the Indonesian 
military police were conducting an investigation. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Meanwhile, Embassy sources report that NGOs that work 
on victims' rights issues are unhappy with the lack of progress 
in the case so far and do not regard the GOI's stated intent to 
investigate as credible.  Several groups, including Fokupers, 
Pradet and the Judicial System Monitoring Program, have been 
meeting regularly to plan how to advocate for a thorough 
investigation.  These groups are also exploring ways to link 
their advocacy efforts with human rights groups based in Kupang, 
West Timor. 
 
¶9. (U) Media stories today report that this group of NGOs sent a 
petition to the National Parliament urging that a joint 
investigation into the allegations be carried out by the GOET 
and GOI.  The President of Parliament, in response to the 
petition, then called an emergency meeting of leaders of the 
party benches in Parliament.  He announced that the 
Parliamentary committee that handles constitutional rights and 
freedoms will analyze the recommendations contained in the 
petition and then forward its analysis along with the petition 
to the competent authorities so that an investigation can be 
initiated urgently. 
REES