The Battle of Mount Lakirin in Suai Covalima, 1976

The Indonesian military's ground soldiers began landing at Suai Loro port several weeks after we surrendered. The ground troops were divided into distinct battalions, each with its specific number and symbols. I still remember some numbers, such as 516, 501, 505, 510, etc. Before the battle began, Battalion 516 set up camp in Kamanasa. The troops were all young and fresh, ready to fight. It was the first time they had ever experienced such a terrible war in a foreign land that they had never known before. There would be those who would perish during the battle and never return to their loved ones, while there would be those who would survive and return to their origins. I am sure the survivors conveyed the details of their experience on the battlefield to their families. They were unaware that Suharto had instructed them to do this.

This heavy battle was unrecorded, and the world was unaware of what happened in Timor-Leste in 1975. The Indonesian government concealed the war by preventing both Indonesian and foreign journalists from reporting and photographing it. There were two Australian journalists in East Timor at the time, but Indonesian soldiers killed them, and their bodies are still unaccounted for today. Although the Australian government was aware of the war on its doorstep, it acted as if nothing had happened and maintained a good relationship with Indonesia. They even encouraged Indonesia to take over East Timor.

The Mount Lakirin battle was the second-biggest battle after the parachute troops (RPKD) captured Tilomar. The commandos did not go to the jungle to chase the Maubere's forces. They only fought in the town and returned to their military barrack in Java. The ground troops were the ones who went into the mountains to combat Frerilin's troops.

The Indonesian ground soldiers required assistance from the Timorese to transport their belongings and possibly guide them to their destination. So, they ordered all village chiefs to organise human resources for the battle. Indonesian soldiers required every man between 20 and 50 to participate in the war. Armindo, a villager from Luran Balu, Fatuisin, was murdered by the Indonesians in Kamanasa because he refused to take part in the battle. He was initially buried in a shallow grave, but eventually, he was found by the locals, who reburied him in the community cemetery. Indonesian soldiers, what a brutish and thuggish bunch!

Not only did the people of Suai Covalima assist the Indonesian military in this battle, but UDT leaders and their supporters also guided the battle. One of its leaders, Rui Lopes, returned from a refugee camp in Atambua and started recruiting some friends to join him in this battle. This group, which is known as partisan, consists of militias. Although it was only a small group of 20 or 40 men, they were far superior to the Indonesians. They clearly understood where they should move around in the mountains.

After weeks of preparation, the Indonesian military and the Timorese militias were ready to launch the attack. Thousands of soldiers equipped with modern military weapons were involved in this battle. They were armed with hundreds of tons of explosives, and of course, the Timorese civilians were the ones who carried these heavy weapons. Their military equipment and numbers showed they had more men and equipment than Maubere forces, yet they could still not conquer Mount Lakirin in 24 hours.

It was the first time for the commanders to test their military skills on a real battlefield and for the soldiers to practice what they had learned from their military training. As they were all inexperienced soldiers and never encountered real wars, they probably felt nervous and fearful when they fired their guns for the first time. However, the Indonesian government ordered them to do so.

Now, the battle began. Different battalions with the Timorese civilians behind them and partisans led by Rui Lopes marched in various positions towards Mount Lakirin, which is not too far from Debos. We do not know who fired the gun first. You could hear the gunfight between the two enemies from any village around Suai Covalima. There was a gunfight, and they bombarded Maubere forces with Rockets and Mortars from Debos. The sound of the explosives was similar to a thunderstorm, and it seemed like the world was about to end. It was a terrifying experience!

The Maubere forces did not build any fortifications to protect themselves against thousands of explosives from Indonesian soldiers. Nevertheless, as they knew the terrain well, they could easily move around quickly from one side to another, making it hard for the enemy to attack them. With only a few troops and old-fashioned guns left by the Portuguese, the Maubere soldier's defensive system was well-organised and stronger. The Indonesian commanders were astonished by the abilities and tactics of the Maubere forces on the battlefield.

Even though Indonesia armed its military personnel with modern weapons and outnumbered Maubere forces, they did not capture Mount Lakirin in just 24 hours, as expected by the Indonesian commanders. With courage and determination, Maubere forces withstood the attack fiercely until the last man dropped to the ground. It was a dog-to-eat-dog fighting! The casualties were severe for both the civilians and the troops.

After a long period of intense fighting, we came to the news that Maubere forces had killed Tome Mendonca, a member of the Rui Lopes militia in Suai Loro. They cut off his head and took it to Maukatar to celebrate their victory. If Maubere soldiers had managed to kill their brave Timorese fighters, there may have been hundreds or even thousands of Indonesian troops who perished in this bloody battle. As no one recorded it, we do not know the number of casualties.

Indonesian troops failed to capture Mount Lakirin at the first attempt. It took them months to push Maubere forces and the civilians into different areas. With unparalleled forces and weaponry, the Indonesian troops eventually managed to force Maubere soldiers and civilians out of Mount Lakirin. Many civilians came out from hiding and succumbed to the Indonesian forces.

The fighting did not end at Mount Lakirin. Maubere troops were still in charge of several crucial areas surrounding Suai Covalima. So, Indonesia had to deploy more ground troops to combat these areas.

That is the story of the battle at Mount Lakirin, Suai Covalima, in 1976.