Other forms of abuse reported by the men included being kicked almost to the point of becoming unconscious and being forced to strip naked. Some of the men claimed they were still traumatised by what they experienced, including Bartolomeus Ulu, whom the Australian soldiers accused of being a member of Indonesian Army’s Special Forces KOPASSUS. Ulu, however, denied and insisted that he was just a civilian.
The alleged torture followed an ambush resulting in gun battle involving Australian soldiers at an intersection in Suai, southwest of the capital Dili, near the border with West Timor, wounding two SAS soldiers. In the aftermath of the incident, SAS soldiers captured two militiamen and, according to military investigators, allegedly shot them at close range in an act of revenge.
The incident shocked a New Zealand SAS officer who then warned his soldiers against emulating the “cowboy” attitude of the Australians.
The abuse was investigated by Australian and New Zealand military prosecutors over two and a half years. Despite finding evidence of the torture, no charges were ever filed. (hl)