KILLING OF MAUK MORUK A STATE SANCTIONED KILLING

Ted McDonnell

THE KILLING of ‘Mauk Moruk’ is a tragedy and nothing less than state sanctioned murder.

It is a tragedy for his family, a tragedy for human rights in Timor Leste and a tragedy for the Timorese people.

Earlier this year, I eluded to information I had in my possession that former Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao had personally called for the killing of Mauk Moruk.

At the time, I could not reveal that I interviewed Moruk in depth whilst he was in hiding in the hills of Dili.

With the assistance of the government led by Gusmao’s personal puppet Rui Araujo, the PNTL and the Defence Forces, Gusmao has spent the past seven months hunting down Mauk Moruk and his supporters.

Many others who supported Moruk, including his brother L7 and politician Angela Freitas are in danger of being killed on Gusmao’s orders. The government of security forces will do nothing to protect them.

A number of veterans also know the truth about Gusmao as do many leading politicians in Timor Leste and foreign governments including Australia and Portugal, but they are all to scared of this master puppeteer, who is possibly the most corrupt person living in Timor Leste today having set his nephew up with huge oil contracts; as well as his family and friends the so-called ‘political elite’ of Timor Leste.

There is little doubt Moruk was set up by Gusmao, who in his final interview with this journalist several months ago named Gusmao as the person behind the killing of Alfredo Reinado as well as having ordered the murder of fellow commanders in the hills of Timor Leste during the resistance against the Indonesians. 

It must be remembered Moruk’s demise started by his followers raising a ‘political flag’. So much for democracy in Timor Leste.

Moruk had little doubt he would be killed because he knew too much about Gusmao games over the past three decades.

“Of course, I will be killed because Xanana wants me killed. I know too much about his crimes,” he told me earlier this year.

Before he died, Moruk also revealed to me that Gusmao had set up Alfredo Reinado in the 2008 assassination attempt on Jose Ramos Horta. 

According to Moruk and others I have interviewed, the assassination attempt on Ramos Horta dated back to events of 2006 when Reinado was taking instructions from Gusmao and causing mayhem for the then Alkatiri Government. It is believed Ramos Horta, who was fond of Reinado, had tried to intervene and stop the Gusmao created chaos. This displeased Gusmao greatly.

Moruk told me that Gusmao never forgave Ramos Horta for the 2006 interferences in “his games against the Alkatiri government” and wanted to pay him back by killing him.

Moruk revealed that Gusmao had killed his fellow commanders and had no fear of having Ramos Horta killed.  An autopsy report later revealed that Reinado had been shot at close range by a high calibre gun. It is believed Reinado was killed at the behest of Gusmao.

Moruk and his followers had campaigned for many years against the corruption of the Gusmao government. Gusmao had given his nephew a multi-hundred million dollar oil contract, that exists today; his children multi million dollar rice contracts and made other family members and friends - the so-called “political elite” of Timor Leste rich. It is also believed Gusmao and his former wife have assets well into the millions in Australia and hidden offshore bank accounts.

It must be remembered that Gusmao has also stood by his fellow alleged corrupt politicians including Emilia Pires, who was charged with corruption late last year. She is yet to face trial thanks to Gusmao sacking the foreign judiciary. It must also be remembered that Pires was Gusmao’s personal choice for Finance Minister of Timor Leste and he continues to protect her in fear that she will also reveal his corrupt dealings.

Apart from Moruk’s hate for Gusmao’s corruption and manipulation of the political system in Timor Leste, he has never been able to forgive Gusmao for the blatant murder of fellow commanders during the 1980s in a bloody power struggle led by Gusmao.

Moruk is now dead shot to pieces at the order of Gusmao and sanctioned by the Timor Leste government, former comrade and President Taur Matan Ruak, who is well aware of the crimes committed by Gusmao, Major General Lere Anan Timur; and of course, Gusmao’s hand picked Prime Minister Araujo.

It is now feared others including legendary warrior and Moruk’s brother L7, Angela Freitas and other followers of Moruk. Many believe, including TMR and Lere have acted disgracefully and should resign for acting on behalf of Gusmao.

Timor Leste today is a lawless state as it was in 1999 when Australian-led forces kicked out the remnants of a dirty murderous Indonesian regime; and sadly the lawmakers in Timor Leste have been left powerless by a regime controlled by a very corrupt man Xanana Gusmao.

Vale Mauk Moruk. Yes,  he made mistakes in his efforts to bring Gusmao to justice. 

Unfortunately, for Timor Leste Xanana Gusmao will continue to manipulate the poor people of this country that has suffered so much and will suffer even more in the future with such corrupt powers in control.

It said, the next election and a win by Fretilin will free Timor Leste of the horrid corruption, mismanagement and now murder, but only time will tell...

*Footnote: I have given the recording made with Mauk Moruk to media in Timor Leste as well as other countries. I am also willing to give a copy to the government of Timor Leste and its lawmakers.