The Email below is very sad and you may have preferred that it was not

circulated. However, we need to be reminded of the sacrifices that field

colleagues are sometimes called on to make.

Tony

Sent: Friday, 08 September, 2000 1:26 AM

To: Ogino, Yuichiro (FAORAP) Food and Agriculture Organization

As you may know, sad news hit us yesterday; three UNHCR staff were

savagely burned to death in Atambua, West Timor, Indonesia. I attach

below the last email sent by one of them, hours before the rampage,

because I believe it should be read by as many people as possible. The

email was read out by UNHCR Sadako Ogata herself in the Security Council

yesterday.

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"From: Carlos Caseras

Date: 6 sept. 2000, 6:05 a.m.

Subject: Are you still there? - Reply

My next post needs to be in a tropical island without jungle fever and

mad

warriors. At this very moment, we are barricaded in the office. A militia

leader was murdered last night - he was decapitated and had his heart

and

penis cut out. Segments of Timorese society must be some of the most

violent and gory people anywhere on Earth: Atambua suddenly shut down

when news spread that trucks and buses full of militias were coming from

Betun (my former home) to Atambua. The town suddenly deserted, and all

the shops were boarded up in a matter of minutes. Traffic disappeared,

and the streets are strangely and ominously quiet. I'm glad that a couple

of weeks ago we bought rolls and rolls of barbed wire.

I was in the office when the news came out that a wave of violence would

soon pound Atambua. We sent most of the staff home, rushing to safety. I

have just heard someone on the radio saying that they are praying for us

in the office. The militias are on the way, and I am sure they will do

their best

to demolish this office. The man killed was the head of one of the most

notorious and criminal militia groups of East Timor. These guys act

without thinking and can kill a human as easily (and painlessly) as I

kill mosquitos in my room.

You should see this office. Plywood on the windows, staff peering out

through openings in the curtains hastily installed a few minutes ago. We

are waiting for this enemy--we sit here like bait, unarmed, waiting for

wave to hit. I am glad to be leaving this island for three weeks. I just

hope I will be able to leave tomorrow.

As I wait for the militias to do their business, I will draft the agenda

for tomorrow's meeting on Kupang. The purpose of the meeting: to discuss

how we are to proceed with this operation.

Carlos"

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Share it with others if you can.

Shin