Sunday, May 24, 2009

Fatu Ahi: Three Years Ago Today

Tiru malu iha Fatu Ahi iha loron 23 Maiu 2006

64. Iha loron 22 Maiu, PNTL no F-FDTL hetan informasaun intelijensia katak ofisial sira URP PNTL nian maka fo aten barani no suporte ba violensia lorosae hasoru loromonu iha area Fatu Ahi. Halo planu atu monta postu konjunta ida entre PNTL no F-FDTL. Iha loron 23 Maiu maizemenus 11, karreta rua tula soldadu F-FDTL nain sia husi Primeiru Batallaun iha komandu Tenente Koronel Falur nia okos, to’o iha Fatu Ahi atu hanoru ho PNTL sira. Sira atu halo estudu ida kona ba fatin ne’ebé sira planu halo postu konjunta. Sira para karreta besik Fatu Ahi nia tutun. Maski soldadu sira tun husi karreta, sira hare’e mane balu hatais farda polisia nian iha eskola no ai sira nia kotuk. Mane sira ne’e la’os ofisial PNTL nian ne’ebé sira hein atu ba hasoru; sira maka membru husi grupu Alfredo nian 33
65. Major Reinado ho ninia ema nain 11 to’o dadeersan iha area ne’e, mai husi Aileu iha dadeersan. Sira hamutuk ho ema sivil sira no ofisial URP nain 10 ne’ebé ka’er kilat automatiku. Maizemenus tuku 9.00 dadeersan, jornalista nain rua to’o no hahu halo entrevista gravasaun video ho Major Reinado. Hahu konfrontasaun tiru malu ne’e grava hotu iha filme ne’e. Tiru malu ne’e Major Alfredo maka hahu Maski nia ramata konta to’o 10 depois de fo avizu atu sai. Tenente Koronel Falur fo orden ba soldadu sira atu tiru hasoru.
66. Konfrontasaun iha Fatu Ahi ne’e tiru malu to’o rai nakaras. Grupu Alfredo nian serku soldadu F-FDTL sira, ne’ebé la’os hotu-hotu maka iha kilat, ne’ebé halo sira labele dada an sai. Tenente Koronel Falur husu reforsu. Karreta PNTL nian ida ne’ebé tula ofisial PNTL nain 10, mai husi Baucau ba Dili tama sala iha tiru malu ne’e. Ofisial PNTL ida mate no rua hetan kanek. Iha maizemenus meudia, reforsu F-FDTL nian to’o, ne’ebé nain tolu hetan kanek. Iha primeiru tempu ne’ebé atu hanesan, bis ida tula soldadu sira F-FDTL nian ba Dili atu simu sira nian salariu mos to’o, depois de sira rona kilat tarutu. Sira hetan ataka iha metro besik 300 ba loromonu husi fatin emboskada ida uluk. Soldadu ida mate no nain tolu hetan kanek. Tuir fali, Major Rai Ria mai ho ninia eskoltu no sira nain rua hetan kanek. Iha maizemenus tuku 2 lorokraik, Major Amico to’o husi Metinaro ho nia ema maizemenus nain 10. Nia hakbesik ba Fatu Ahi husi foho sorin, no hetan pozisaun ás liu husi Major Alfredo ho ninia ema sira nian. Nune’e, Major Alfredo ses an iha karreta PNTL nian ida ne’ebé ikus nia fo fila fali. Major Reinado nia ema nain rua no sivil ida maka mate. Hamutuk ema nain lima maka mate no 10 maka hetan kanek

Armed confrontation in Fatu Ahi on 23 May 2006

64. By 22 May both the PNTL and F-FDTL possessed intelligence that PNTL URP officers were encouraging and supporting east versus west violence in the Fatu Ahi area. Plans for a joint F-FDTL and PNTL post were made. At about 11 a.m. on 23 May two vehicles carrying nine FDTL 1st Battalion soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Falur arrived in Fatu Ahi to rendezvous with PNTL officers. They were to conduct a field site assessment of the planned joint position. The vehicles stopped near the summit of Fatu Ahi. As the soldiers alighted from the vehicles they saw men in police uniforms behind the school and trees. These men were not the PNTL officers expected; they were members of Alfredo’s group.
65. Major Reinado and 11 of his men had arrived in the area from Aileu that morning. They were with civilians and 10 URP officers armed with automatic rifles. At about 9 a.m. two journalists arrived and commenced a videotaped interview with Major Reinado. The start of the armed confrontation is captured on that footage. The shooting was initiated by Major Reinado on the count of 10 after issuing a warning to leave. Lieutenant Colonel Falur ordered the soldiers to return fire.
66. The confrontation at Fatu Ahi lasted until nightfall. Alfredo’s group surrounded the FFDTL soldiers, not all of whom were armed, making it impossible for them to withdraw. Lieutenant Kolonel Falur sought reinforcements. A PNTL vehicle with 10 PNTL officers travelling between Baucau and Dili was caught in the fire. One PNTL officer was killed and two were injured. At about midday the first F-FDTL reinforcements arrived, three of whom were injured. At about the same time a F-FDTL bus carrying soldiers to Dili to collect their wages arrived after its passengers heard gunfire. It was attacked about 300 metres to the west of the original ambush site. One of these soldiers died and three were injured. Later, Major Rai Ria arrived with an escort and both were injured. At about 2 p.m. Major Amico arrived from Metinaro with about 10 men. He approached Fatu Ahi from around the hill and obtained a higher position above Major Alfredo and his men. Major Alfredo then withdrew, using a PNTL vehicle which was later returned. Two of Major Reinado’s men and one civilian were killed. In total, five people were killed and 10 injured.