Timor President's call for forgiveness hard for survivors
Updated
Tens of thousands of East Timorese have turned out to sing, dance and celebrate the 10th anniversary of the vote to separate from Indonesia.
East Timor's President Jose Ramos Horta danced onstage with an Indonesian pop star, and called for an end to all UN-led investigations into the serious crimes committed along the nation's road to independence. But amongst the families of victims, the call for forgioveness is a controversial stance.
Presenter: Geoff Thompson
Speakers:Jose Ramos Horta, President of East Timor; Christine Carrascalao, whose brother was killed by members of an anti-independence militia
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GEOFF THOMPSON: (Music) The Indonesian pop star Krisdayanti flirts with tens of thousands of East Timor's people and dances onstage with the two giants of this country's struggle for independence - Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao and President Jose Ramos Horta.
(Music)
All this takes place on Dili's foreshore in front of the Portuguese built Governor's offices which were overtaken by Indonesia's administrators and now house East Timor's own leaders.
And where Krisdayanti wiggled last night was exactly the place 10 years ago where journalists watched militia leader Eurico Guterres call for his men to find and kill independence supporters.
And that's exactly what they did - including an attack on the house of Manuel Carrascalao - which took the life of his young teenage son.
(Sound of a crowd)
But such crimes should no longer be investigated by the United Nations Serious Crimes Unit, said President Jose Ramos Horta yesterday. He said the money would be better spent on East Timor's young judiciary.
JOSE RAMOS HORTA: My stated preference both as a human being, victim and head of state is that we once and for all close the 1975-99 chapters of our tragic experience, forgive those who did harm to us.
The greater good, the greater justice is that we are today free and with this gift from God we must forgive our brothers and sisters and those in the Indonesian army who committed heinous crimes against us.
(Choir singing)
GEOFF THOMPSON: I first met Christine Carrascalao in 1999 when, strong but utterly distraught, she attended a Sunday Mass just two days after Eurico's men killed her little brother known as Manuelita. Ten years later she does not agree with her President's ideas of justice and forgiveness.
CHRISTINE CARRASCALAO: Justice is not about forgiving. It is about setting what is right and what is wrong, what you've done wrong in killing, murder, torture. You should teach them a lesson that it cannot happen again because there will be punishment.
You cannot just say, sure it's fine, we'll let everything go simply because we want to. That should not be on.
GEOFF THOMPSON: Were you ashamed by your President?
CHRISTINE CARRASCALAO: For not asking for justice, yes. For being afraid to ask for justice, yes. Yes, I am.
