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AM - Witness to riot violence angry with East Timor Government
[This is the print version of story http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2006/s1656015.htm]
AM - Tuesday, 6 June , 2006 08:01:00
Reporter: Sarah Hawke
TONY EASTLEY: An East Timorese man, who saw rioters attack and burn a house in which a mother and her four children died, has spoken about the tragedy, saying he's more angry with the East Timorese Government than the men who carried out the attack.
The killing of the woman and her children 11 days ago shocked the East Timorese community.
Epifanio Faculdo, a cousin of the woman who died, says he was near the house at the time of the attack but there was nothing he could do.
Fearing for his own life, he fled Dili with his wife, two children and extended family.
They're now staying in Darwin with friends.
Sarah Hawke reports.
(sound of children speaking)
SARAH HAWKE: These nine children and nine adults fled from Dili late last month. The youngest is 12 months; the oldest is 66.
The family have been staying at Khalid and Rita Nadeem's house in Darwin's northern suburbs, waiting for the fighting to calm down in Dili.
RITA NADEEM: Let us give some milk for the children …
SARAH HAWKE: Rita Nadeem says since the tensions first erupted in late April, the 18 evacuees have been on the run from the gang violence.
RITA NADEEM: Before they came here, they were out of their house about more than a month, one and a half months. They were just running every day, every night they sleep in houses, anybody's house, just stop and sleep there, just to, just to … because they're scared, hear the guns and noise of the guns, and they just said they cannot stay in that house. We have to move again because … So pick up the kids and pick up whatever they've got in their hands and keep running.
SARAH HAWKE: Everyone in this house?
RITA NADEEM: Everyone in this house, because all together, so … The old lady that's sitting here, her house has all been destroyed. And John also, his house has been destroyed.
SARAH HAWKE: Epifanio Faculdo, his wife and two young children did not lose their home, but they were constantly trying to escape the violence engulfing Dili.
One the 25th of May they were in the suburb of Delta-Comoro, one kilometre from the airport.
He says he was near his cousin's house as a mob of young men approached it, covered it with petrol and set it alight.
Mr Faculdo says his cousin, her four daughters and an older man could not escape the inferno.
It was not the first time the family had been threatened.
Mr Faculdo says there was nothing he could do, and he feared his family would be attacked, so they fled.
He says the woman was targeted because she was related to the former Interior Minister, Rogerio Lobato.
EPIFANIO FACULDO: Because they're looking for the Lobato family to kill. So because I'm not Lobato family but I'm married with the Lobato family, so also I'm very scared.
SARAH HAWKE: Mr Faculdo attributes the killings to what he says is a failure of the Government to control the crisis.
EPIFANIO FACULDO: I am not angry with the people, but I am angry with the Government, because they not have competence to resolve all the problems in Timor-Leste.
SARAH HAWKE: Mr Faculdo argues he could not take revenge on those who are responsible for the deaths, as it would just add to the cycle of violence in East Timor.
EPIFANIO FACULDO: So I kill these people, after that they must kill again my family or my parents. So I think this is not good for East Timor, because Timor is a small country. Every one know, like, they staying here, they from here, so no.
TONY EASTLEY: East Timorese evacuee Epifanio Faculdo, speaking in Darwin to Sarah Hawke.
© 2006 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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