LtCol (Inf) Suwondo

Military district commander of Manufahi, based in Same (Dandim 1634)

The main militia in Manufahi in 1999 was Ablai, led by Nazario Corte Real. This militia had a close relationship with the military after its establishment on 11 March 1999.

On 13 November 1998, a farmer named Aleixo Dias, 36, was arrested and tortured by members of Battalion 744 in Fahinean village, Manufahi. Two days later Dias was handed over to Battalion 315 where he was tortured further. Dias was then handed over to the military district command, where he was tortured again by soldiers who were under Suwondo's command.[1]

The incident followed fighting between Falintil and many different units of TNI, both territorial and non-organic, at Alas, in Manufahi district.[2] Afterwards, Suwondo gave in to considerable public pressure and allowed a human rights investigation team into the area to investigate the incident at Alas. Suwondo expressed regret for the serious intimidation the team experienced, and said it had not been done by soldiers under his command.[3]

At some point in 1999,  possibly quite early, Suwondo was replaced by Maj Sinaga.

Extra Information Current Status: 1 - Priority 1 for further investigation. Not included in any other formal list, but mentioned in other independent reports, and supported by considerable data. See map of location This individual is also mentioned in these profiles: Nazario Corte Real Maj H M Sinaga