A Family Reunited After 45 Years – A Good News Story

A Family Reunited After 45 Years – A Good News Story

The work of Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste (CVTL) – Timor-Leste Red Cross is not just about helping the vulnerable and saving lives; we also help find and facilitate the reunion of children and adults lost during the war. This service is done by Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste (CVTL) in collaboration of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC); Civil Societies – HAK Association, and AJAR (Asia Justice and Rights); and the Government of Timor-Leste, to reunite the lost children during the Indonesian occupation in Timor-Leste.

On the 22 of November, 2024) Lekiloi came back from Indonesia to Timor-Leste to be reunited with his families in his home town of Na-wati, (Venilale Administrative Post, Baucau Municipality after disappearing 45 years ago.)

Lekiloi’s younger brother Acasio said, Lekiloi, Acasio de Souza, and Roza do Santos da Silva were born to father Manuel Soares and mother Maria Namlaku, of the Na-Wati tribe, in Baucau Municipality, Venilale Administrative Post, Umanaulu Village, Nunduku Sub-Village. It feels very sad to live together as siblings when the family is incomplete.

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 we are together again.  Lekiloi disappeared in 1979 during the Indonesian occupation, and the Indonesian military took him to Sulawesi Province. During this time, I thought that 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 the 22nd of November 2024, we were reunited. I am so happy that our brother Lekiloi has joined the family again.

 

We followed a cultural ceremony to welcome back our brother Lekiloi. We prayed and did the ceremony of giving water to wash hands, feet, hair and wash his whole body. As part of this ceremony, we presented tais – a traditional hand-woven cloth (this is part of the custom of Na-wati as it calls back the soul of Lekiloi).

 

 

The families held hands and hugged each other and shed tears of missing each other for 45 years. Thank you very much to of Cruz Vermelha de Timor Leste (CVTL), of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), civil societies and the Timor-Leste Government.

Acacio said the Na-wati family would like to express our gratitude to everyone who made this possible.  We do not have gold to pay your favor, we pray to God to follow your work. In the future, please continue searching for missing the children from the Indonesian Occupation; not just children missing from Baucau Municipality but throughout the country.

 

 

 

Lekiloi was born in 1967 in Bercoli.  I was the first child of my father Manuel Soares and mother Maria Namlaku. I remember as a child, I would always follow my grandmother to help plant maize and beans in the garden. In 1975 I was a first-grade student in a Portuguese Primary School. In the same year, Indonesia invaded Timor, and I had to flee with my parents and grandmother to the island. In 1977 the Indonesian army (TNI) told everyone to return to their villages.  I returned to with my family to live in the Bercoli Church, which is controlled by an Indonesian army battalion 721.

While staying in the church, someone from the army battalion invited me to follow them to the island.  I refused but he was angry and threatened to kill me. I was so afraid, I followed them up to the Matebian Mountain, and he ordered me to carry ammunition, rice and water. In 1978 I was transferred back to the 721st battalion and met Yusup, who was looking after me. In 1979, when the 721st troops withdrew, I was about to return to my family in Bercoli, but Yusup wouldn’t allowed me, and said I had to go with him to Sulawesi in Indonesia.

I went with Yusup to Indonesia where I stayed in the military compound (in South Sulawesi. I lived here for almost a year; every day my job was to take care of the garden near the military dormitory. In 1980-1981, Yusup moved me to his village called Palopo, to help take care of Yusup gardens; in 1983 Yusup died.

After he passed away, his family treat me badly, so I decided went to live on a farm, and Aida (a widow) found me and took me in to live with her. My job was to take care of the gardens and fields and look after the cows. She looked after me and treated me well, I know I was lucky.

In 1989 I married a local woman and was blessed with four children, but my wife passed away in 2001 due to illness.

I remarried in 2003, and we had two children.  I became a taxi driver and continued and farming. In 2014-2016 I went with my children to Ambon to look for work as oil drillers. In 2023 my wife died. I am still sad for her loss, but she has returned to another world.

Domingos de Souza (Lekiloi’s relative) said that the family didn’t ever expect to see their brother again – as 45 years is a long time.

Over the years our family has done many things to try and find their brother Lekiloi – and gave him up for dead. But in July 2024, we heard from CVTL to say they found him living in Indonesia. Our family was so surprised and really couldn’t believe it. During the Indonesian occupation many people were arrested and killed; so, we thought that was his fate. We were very sad, as our family was not complete.  We truly believed he was dead as we heard nothing. But with CVTL, ICRC, civil societies and the Timor-Leste Government efforts in looking for missing children who were lost from the Indonesi     an occupation, they brought back our brother Lekiloi.  We are together again – and we feel some peace at last. We are blessed to have him back. 

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