Ex-army admits: Conspiracy Xanana Gusmao and Mahidin Simbolon

Dark side of President of East Timor

Jakarta, 6 September 2004 14:45

There was a commotion in the editor’s office this morning with the presence of a man with the initials JM . The man who admits to being ex-army of the Satu Kompi Brawijaya Division and appeared keen to admit that, due to feelings of frustration and stress, ongoing for years, he could no longer keep quiet about the connection with the involvement of the military operation ABRI/POLRI (TNI/POLRI-red) in East Timor from the year 1994 to the end of 1996.

The journalists of this magazine were confused by this gentleman. However, after several minutes the ex member of ABRI started to explain to the GATRA correspondent about several involvements in the killing operation of several important figures of the pro freedom movement of East Timor which ran from 1994 to 1996.

Here the magazine correspondent was not very surprised with the information, as it was already an open secret that in the mid 90s the war in East Timor was being stoked by ABRI/POLRI (TNI/POLRI-red) on several of the East Timor guerrilla defence basis or as they are better known by their ABRI term, GPK-Fretilin.

However, the story became very different and surprising when ex-sergeant JM (who has to keep his name secret for the safety of his family) explained all the ABRI operational documents to do with the Front Clandestin and East Timor Armed Force.

The main target of the operation was the leader of the Front Clandestin organisation who at that time was led by his commander Keri Laran Sabalae. One thing which was very interesting and also sensational was the dilemma of the military operation which was directly under the command of Colonel Mahidin Simbolon (Simbolon’s rank at the time) with the cooperation with Xanana Gusmao, the “resistance leader” of East Timor, who was incarcerated in LP Cipinang Jakarta.

Ex-sergeant JM said that he himself was present at the meeting between Colonel M. Simbolon which was conducted in a room of the Lembaga Permasyarakatan Cipinang in Jakarta.

The basis of the meeting was the desire and the readiness of Xanana Gusmao to “centralise” radical groups into an East Timorese resistance organisation body which, according to Xanana, could threaten the efforts of the “quiet resistance” and reconciliation with diverse East Timor political groups who were being hurried along to unify the people of East Timor.

Because of this, Xanana Gusmao was ready to work together with Col. M Simbolon to annihilate the radical groups of “GPK Fretilin” which among others consisted of several commandants of the Fretilin movement and its followers with names Rodak Timur, Keri Laran Sabalae, David Alex, Konis Santana and Eli Fohorai Boot.

These names were inserted very clearly in a military operation document appendix 1994-1996 which was unfolded by ex-sergeant JM. The core of the “cooperation” between Xanana’s camp and M. Simbolon was the principle of mutualism: Simbolon could achieve success in his military career and Xanana would even become more flexible in controlling the resistance movement which he commanded from LP Cipinang.

It seems clear indeed that the president of the new East Timor was very cunning in maintaining the importance of his group by exterminating his own commanders, who were deemed disloyal to him or even if loyal, according to Xanana they over- prioritised the “violent path” to reach national goals.

Seen from the documents and the various photographs in the possession of JM, it is very difficult to doubt the origin of this story. This is the hidden version and the dark side of the “charisma” of Xanana who was so exalted by his own people. Working with the “enemy” to annihilate his own people.

Ex-sergeant JM himself says the burden he has carried for this time has become lighter with his admittance. He regrets deeply why the East Timorese president was so sly in order to victimise part of the members of his people for the importance of his political strategy. Concerning Major General Simbolon, Serka (sergeant major), JM makes the appeal that the TNI/POLRI headquarters immediately investigate this case.

Because the nature of the military operation at that time secrecy from the unit which was led by Col. M. Simbolon. ABRI headquarters only obtained the military operation appendix copy after the defeat of several “GPK Fretilin”. “Because of this, Major General Purnawirawan Mahidin Simbolon must be immediately investigated remembering that ‘the stars on his shoulders’ of the general is the result of conspiracy with the enemy of the Republic of Indonesia at that time,” adds ex sergeant JM. [IY, GAT]

Imung Yuniardi (Semarang)

Law and Politics, Gatra Number 42, published Friday, 7 September 2004

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Original:

Eks Tentara mengaku: Konspirasi Xanana Gusmao dan Mahidin Simbolon

Sisi Gelap Sang Presiden Timor Leste

Jakarta, 6 September 2004 14:45

Gatra dihebohkan dengan kehadiran seorang pria berinisial JM di kantor redaksi majalah pagi ini. Lelaki yang mengaku sebagai seorang eks tentara di Divisi Satu Kompi Brawijaya dan berpenampilan cepak tersebut mengaku sudah tidak dapat lagi meredam segala rasa frustrasi dan stress yang dideritanya beberapa tahun belakangan, berhubungan dengan keterlibatannya di operasi militer ABRI/POLRI (TNI/POLRI-red) di Timor-Timur pada tahun 1994 hingga akhir tahun 1996.

Para wartawan di majalah inipun binggung dibuat oleh lelaki tersebut. Akan tetapi menjelang beberapa menit kemudian sang eks anggota ABRI mulai memaparkan kepada koresponden GATRA mengenai berbagai kertelibatanya dalam operasi pembunuhan terhadap beberapa tokoh penting gerakan pro kemerdekaan Tim-Tim yang dilancarkan pada tahun 1994 hingga 1996.

Disini koresponden majalah ini tidak begitu kaget dengan informasi bersangkutan, karena memang sudah menjadi rahasia umum bahwasanya di pertengahan tahun 90an perang di Timor-Timur sedang hangat-hangatnya dilancarkan oleh pihak ABRI/POLRI ( TNI/POLRI-red) terhadap berbagai basis pertahanan kaum gerilya Timor-Timur atau yang lebih dikenal dengan istilah ABRInya sebagai kaum GPK-Fretilin.

Akan tetapi ceritapun menjadi lebih lain dan mengagetkan ketika eks Serka. JM (yang mengaku agar namanya tetap dirahasiakan-demi keselamatan keluarganya) membeberkan segala dokumen operasi ABRI ketika itu terhadap kaum Front Clandestin dan Armed Force Timor-Timur.

Sasaran utama dari operasi tersebut adalah pemimpin dari organisasi Front Clandestin yang waktu itu dipimpin oleh comandannya Keri Laran Sabalae. Suatu hal yang sangat menarik dan juga menhebohkan adalah sifat dilematis dari operasi militer itu sendiri yang dikomandai langsung oleh Kolonel Mahidin Simbolon (pangkat Simbolon pada waktu itu) dengan bekerja sama dengan “pemimpin perlawanan” Timor-Timur Xanana Gusmao yang sedang mendekam di LP Cipinang Jakarta.

Eks Serka. JM mengakui bahwa dirinya turut hadir dalam pertemuan antara Kolonel.M Simbolon yang dilaksanakan di suatu ruang di Lembaga Permasyarakatan Cipinang di Jakarta. Inti dari pertemuan tersebut adalah keinginan dan kesanggupan Xanana Gusmao untuk “menetralkan” kelompok-kelompok radikal dalam tubuh organisasi perlawanan Timor-Timur yang menurut Xanana dapat mengancam usaha “perlawanan damai” dan rekonsiliasi dengan berbagai kelompok politik Tim-Tim yang sedang dilancarkannya untuk mempersatukan rakyat Timor-Timur.

Oleh karena itu, Xanana Gusmao menyatakan bersedia bekerjasama dengan Kol.M Simbolon untuk membasmi kaum-kaum radikal di tubuh “GPK Fretilin" yang antara lain terdiri dari beberapa komandan gerakan Fretilin dan anak buahnya dengan nama Rodak Timur, Keri Laran Sabalae, David Alex, Konis Santana dan Eli Fohorai Boot.

Nama-nama tersebut tercantum dengan sangat jelas sekali di lampiran dokumen operasi militer tahun 1994-1996 yang dibeberkan oleh eks-Serka JM. Inti dari “kerjasama” antara kubu Xanana dan M Simbolon dalah prinsip mutualisme; Simbolon dapat sukses di karir militernya dan Xanana pun menjadi lebih fleksibel dalam mengontrol gerakan perlawanan yang dikomandai olehnya dari LP Cipinang. Terlihat jelas bahwsanya sang Presiden dari negara baru Timor Leste ini telah sangat lihai sekali untuk mempertahankan kepentingan kelompoknya dengan membasmi para komandanya sendiri yang dianggap tidak loyal kepadanya ataupun kalau loyal, menurut Xanana mereka lebih mengutamakan “jalan kekerasan” untuk mencapai tujuan nasional.

Melihat kepada dokumen-dokumen dan berbagai foto yang dimiliki oleh JM kiranya sulit sekali untuk meragukan keaslian dari versi cerita ini. Ini adalah versi tersembunyi dan sisi gelap “karisma” seorang Xanana yang begitu diagung-agungkan oleh rakyatnya sendiri. Bekerjasama dengan “musuh” untuk membasmi kaumnya sendiri.

Eks Serka. JM sendiri mengaku beban yang disandangnya selama ini menjadi lebih ringan dengan pengakuannya ini. Dia sangat menyayangkan mengapa Presiden Timor Leste ini begitu liciknya untuk mengorbankan sebagian dari anggota masyarakatnya hanya untuk kepentingan dari strategi politiknya. Mengenai Mayjen. Simbolon, Serka. JM memhimbau agar Mabes TNI/POLRI harus segera menyelidiki kasus ini. Karena sifat dari operasi militer pada waktu itu adalah rahasia dari unit yang dipimpin oleh Kol.M Simbolon.. Mabes ABRI hanya mendapatkan copy lampiran hasil operasi militer setelah tewasnya beberapa komandan “GPK Fretilin”. "Oleh karena itu, Mayjen Purnawirawan.Mahidin Simbolon harus segera diselidiki mengingat “bintang- bintang di bahu” sang jenderal adalah hasil konspirasi dengan musuh Republik Indonesia pada saat itu" demikian Eks Serka JM. [IY, GAT]

Imung Yuniardi (Semarang)
[Hukum dan Politik, Gatra Nomor 42, beredar Jumat, 7 September 2004

Australia grants financial aid to East Timor

Macauhub - 2008-08-26


Canberra, Australia, 26 Aug - Australia is to grant East Timor 8 million Australian dollars in financial aid for agriculture and a military training centre, officials said in Canberra Monday.

At the end of a meeting with his Timorese counterpart Xanana Gusmão, Australian prime minister, Kevin Rudd said that Australia would invest 2.4 million Australian dollars in improving Timorese agriculture, for which coffee is the main product.

He added that 5.6 million Australian dollars would be spent on building a military training centre for the East Timorese army.

The Australian prime minister also announced that the number of grants for Timorese students would be increased and that an English studies centre would be created in Dili.

The inclusion of the Timorese in the 2,500 South Pacific workers to which Australia plans to grant temporary work Visas was the main issue under discussion at the second meeting of the two heads of government, with the Australian prime minister saying only that he would continue to discuss the issue.

Job creation is one of the priorities of prime minister Gusmão, as he plans to reduce unemployment that currently stands at around 80 percent.

Before the meeting, Gusmão had said he hoped an understanding would be reached that would allow the Timorese to join workers from Kiribati, Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, who will be granted visas to work in Australia.

Rudd agreed to look at the proposal as part of a needs assessment for employment and training in East Timor, which is due to be concluded by the end of this year.
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