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> AM - Witness to riot violence angry with East Timor Government
> [This is the print version of story http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2006/s1656015.htm]

> #### AM - Tuesday, 6 June , 2006 08:01:00

> #### Reporter: Sarah Hawke

> TONY EASTLEY: An East Timorese man, who saw rioters attack and burn a house in which a mother and her four children died, has spoken about the tragedy, saying he's more angry with the East Timorese Government than the men who carried out the attack.
> The killing of the woman and her children 11 days ago shocked the East Timorese community.
> Epifanio Faculdo, a cousin of the woman who died, says he was near the house at the time of the attack but there was nothing he could do.
> Fearing for his own life, he fled Dili with his wife, two children and extended family.
> They're now staying in Darwin with friends.
> Sarah Hawke reports.
> (sound of children speaking)
> SARAH HAWKE: These nine children and nine adults fled from Dili late last month. The youngest is 12 months; the oldest is 66.
> The family have been staying at Khalid and Rita Nadeem's house in Darwin's northern suburbs, waiting for the fighting to calm down in Dili.
> RITA NADEEM: Let us give some milk for the children …
> SARAH HAWKE: Rita Nadeem says since the tensions first erupted in late April, the 18 evacuees have been on the run from the gang violence.
> RITA NADEEM: Before they came here, they were out of their house about more than a month, one and a half months. They were just running every day, every night they sleep in houses, anybody's house, just stop and sleep there, just to, just to … because they're scared, hear the guns and noise of the guns, and they just said they cannot stay in that house. We have to move again because … So pick up the kids and pick up whatever they've got in their hands and keep running.
> SARAH HAWKE: Everyone in this house?
> RITA NADEEM: Everyone in this house, because all together, so … The old lady that's sitting here, her house has all been destroyed. And John also, his house has been destroyed.
> SARAH HAWKE: Epifanio Faculdo, his wife and two young children did not lose their home, but they were constantly trying to escape the violence engulfing Dili.
> One the 25th of May they were in the suburb of Delta-Comoro, one kilometre from the airport.
> He says he was near his cousin's house as a mob of young men approached it, covered it with petrol and set it alight.
> Mr Faculdo says his cousin, her four daughters and an older man could not escape the inferno.
> It was not the first time the family had been threatened.
> Mr Faculdo says there was nothing he could do, and he feared his family would be attacked, so they fled.
> He says the woman was targeted because she was related to the former Interior Minister, Rogerio Lobato.
> EPIFANIO FACULDO: Because they're looking for the Lobato family to kill. So because I'm not Lobato family but I'm married with the Lobato family, so also I'm very scared.
> SARAH HAWKE: Mr Faculdo attributes the killings to what he says is a failure of the Government to control the crisis.
> EPIFANIO FACULDO: I am not angry with the people, but I am angry with the Government, because they not have competence to resolve all the problems in Timor-Leste.
> SARAH HAWKE: Mr Faculdo argues he could not take revenge on those who are responsible for the deaths, as it would just add to the cycle of violence in East Timor.
> EPIFANIO FACULDO: So I kill these people, after that they must kill again my family or my parents. So I think this is not good for East Timor, because Timor is a small country. Every one know, like, they staying here, they from here, so no.
> TONY EASTLEY: East Timorese evacuee Epifanio Faculdo, speaking in Darwin to Sarah Hawke.
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