DILI, 31 January 2025 (TATOLI) – The Red Cross of Timor-Leste (CVTL-tetun), in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), HAK Association, Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR) and the Government of Timor-Leste reunited Lekiloi, a child stolen during the Indonesian occupation, with his family.
On November 22, 2024, Lekiloi returned to Timor-Leste from Indonesia to reunite with his family in his hometown Venilale, Baucau Municipality after 45 years.
Lekiloi has a brother called Acasio de Souza and a sister called Roza do Santos da Silva, children of Manuel Soares and mother Maria Namlaku of the Na-Wati clan.
“It’s very sad to live together as siblings when the family is incomplete,” said Lekiloi’s brother, Acasio.
“It was so good to meet my brother Lekiloi again. It has been 45 years since we last saw each other. Thanks to the efforts of CVTL, ICRC, civil societies, and the Timor-Leste Government. Today, we are reunited,” added Acasio.
Acasio explained that Lekiloi disappeared in 1979 during the Indonesian occupation, and the Indonesian military took him to Sulawesi Province. During this time, “I thought my brother was dead. After Timor-Leste gained independence, our family, Na-Wati-Bercoli, searched everywhere and asked for information but could not find him. We thought he was dead. So, our family decided to build a grave for him. But on November 22, 2024, we were reunited. I am so happy to see him again.”
“We held a cultural ceremony to welcome our brother home. We prayed and organized the ceremony of washing his hands, feet, hair and his whole body, as part of our tradition to welcome back our lost brother. We presented such – a traditional hand-woven cloth (this is part of the Na-wati custom, as it calls back Lekiloi’s soul).”
“The families shook hands, hugged each other and shed tears of nostalgia for 45 years. Many thanks to CVTL, the civil societies and the government,” he said.
On behalf of the Na-wati clan, Acasio thanked all the parties who had made this possible. “We can’t thank you enough. Our prayer will be with you that you will be successful in finding other stolen children.
Lekiloi was born in 1967 in Bercoli. He was the first child in his family.
“I remember that, as a child, I always followed my grandmother to help plant corn and beans in the garden. In 1975, I was in first grade at a Portuguese elementary school. That same year, Indonesia invaded Timor-Leste and I had to flee with my parents and grandmother. In 1977, the Indonesian army (TNI) sent everyone back to their villages. I returned with my family to live in the Church of Bercoli, which is controlled by an Indonesian army battalion 721,” said Lekiloi.
Lekiloi described that while he was in the church, someone from the army battalion invited him to follow them to the mountain called Matebian. “I refused, but he got angry and threatened to kill me. I was afraid and I followed them to Matebian Mountain and he ordered me to carry ammunition, rice and water. In 1978, I was transferred back to the battalion 721 and I met Yusup, who was taking care of me. In 1979, when the troops of the battalion 721 withdrew, I was about to return to my family in Bercoli, but Yusup wouldn’t let me and said I had to go with him to Sulawesi, Indonesia.”
Lekilou was taken to Indonesia, where he stayed in a military compound in South Sulawesi. “I lived in the compound for almost a year. Every day, my job was to look after the garden near the military dormitory. In 1980-1981, Yusup took me to his village called Palopo to help look after his gardens and in 1983 he passed away.”
“After he died, his family treated me badly. So I left his family and went to live on a farm, and Aida (a widow) found me and took me in to live with her. My job was to look after the gardens and the cows. She looked after me and treated me like one of her own. I was lucky to have someone as good as Aida,” said Lekiloi.
In 1989, he married a local woman and was blessed with four children, but she passed away in 2001 due to illness
Lekiloi remarried in 2003 and had two children with his second wife: “I became a cab driver and also worked in gardening. From 2014 to 2016, I went with my children to Ambon to look for work as oil drillers. In 2023, my second wife died. I’m still sad about her loss, but she lives in a better place now.”
Domingos de Souza (Lekiloi’s relative) said that the family didn’t expect to see Lekiloi again, as 45 years is a long time.
Sousa said that, over the years, his family has done many things, trying to find and bring Lekiloi home for reunification.
“In July 2024, CVTL informed us that they had found Lekiloi in Indonesia. Our family was very surprised and couldn’t believe it. This was because, during the Indonesian occupation, many people were arrested and killed. So we thought he was already dead. Now CVTL, in collaboration with local NGOs and the government, has brought our brother back. We are very grateful for this reunification and it’s good to have a family member who disappeared for almost half a century, now he is back with us. We are blessed to have him back,” he said
TATOLI
Source: CVTL
