DILI, 5 June 2012 (IRIN) - When Indonesian forces invaded Timor-Leste in 1975, Maria De Fatima Kalcona hid in the jungle with resistance fighters, but after years on the move, and hobbled by a gunshot wound, she was eventually captured in 1979.
The punishment that she and other women in her position received is hard to justify, or even discuss, she says. “We were abused by Indonesian soldiers in every way.”
“Recognition of women’s [contributions] and what happened to women during the conflict is a key part of transforming Timor-Leste’s society today,” says Galuh Wandita, a Jakarta-based associate of the International Centre for Transitional Justice, which focuses on justice issues in Timor-Leste and Indonesia.