Abilio Jose Osorio Soares
Encyclopedia
Abílio José Osório Soares (June 2, 1947 Vila de Ourique
, Manatuto
district, Portuguese Timor
– June 17, 2007 Kupang
, West Timor
, Indonesia
) was the last governor of the Indonesian province
of East Timor
before the country's independence.
Soares served as governor of East Timor between 1994 and 1999. He is a highly controversial figure in the history of East Timor
. Soares was a supporter of the Indonesian government as well as its annexation and the "East Timorese integretion" of the country into Indonesia. Likewise, he was an opponent of the separatist movement which eventually succeeded, leading to the independence of East Timor
. Many East Timorese
accuse Soares of human rights violations and other atrocities while in power.
Soares died in Kupang
of cancer on June 17, 2007 after being in a coma for four days. Despite Timorese
objections he was given a state heroes funeral by the Indonesian government. Frans Leburaya, the deputy governor
of East Nusa Tenggara
province laid a wreath sent by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
, who did not personally attend the funeral. Other important dignitaries who attended the funeral included several highly controversial figures from the Indonesian occupation of East Timor, including retired Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto, retired Indonesian Major General
Zacky Anwar Makarim, former deputy army chief of staff Kiki Shanakri, as well as West Papua Governor Abraham Octavianus Ataruri.
Soares, who was 60 when he died, is survived by his wife, Maria Ângela Correia de Lemos Osório Soares, and their four children, as well as his 86 year old mother, Beatriz Osório Soares. All of the family members attended the funeral.
Soares was buried in Dharma Loka Heroes' Cemetery in Kupang.
Laclubar
Laclubar is a town and subdistrict in the Manatuto District of East Timor. Its population at the 2004 census was 8,034.-Reference:*...
, Manatuto
Manatuto
Manatuto is a city and one of the subdistricts of Manatuto District/East Timor.-The city:Manatuto Vila has 1,924 inhabitants and is capital of the subdistrict and district Manatuto. It is on the north coast of Timor, located 64 km to the east of Dili, the national capital, on the way to Baucau...
district, Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor was the name of East Timor when it was under Portuguese control. During this period, Portugal shared the island of Timor with the Netherlands East Indies, and later with Indonesia....
– June 17, 2007 Kupang
Kupang
Not to be confused with Tanjung Kupang in JohoreKupang is the provincial capital of East Nusa Tenggara province in southeast Indonesia....
, West Timor
West Timor
West Timor is the western and Indonesian portion of the island of Timor and part of the province of East Nusa Tenggara, .During the colonial period it was known as "Dutch Timor" and was a centre of Dutch loyalists during the Indonesian National Revolution...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
) was the last governor of the Indonesian province
Provinces of Indonesia
The province is the highest tier of local government subnational entity in Indonesia. Each province has its own local government, headed by a governor, and has its own legislative body...
of East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
before the country's independence.
Soares served as governor of East Timor between 1994 and 1999. He is a highly controversial figure in the history of East Timor
History of East Timor
East Timor is a small country in Southeast Asia, officially known as Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. The country comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor and the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco. The first inhabitants are thought to be descendant of Australoid and Melanesian peoples...
. Soares was a supporter of the Indonesian government as well as its annexation and the "East Timorese integretion" of the country into Indonesia. Likewise, he was an opponent of the separatist movement which eventually succeeded, leading to the independence of East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
. Many East Timorese
Timorese
Timorese may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to Timor, an island in Southeast Asia** Something of, from, or related to East Timor, a country located on the island of Timor...
accuse Soares of human rights violations and other atrocities while in power.
Soares died in Kupang
Kupang
Not to be confused with Tanjung Kupang in JohoreKupang is the provincial capital of East Nusa Tenggara province in southeast Indonesia....
of cancer on June 17, 2007 after being in a coma for four days. Despite Timorese
Timorese
Timorese may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to Timor, an island in Southeast Asia** Something of, from, or related to East Timor, a country located on the island of Timor...
objections he was given a state heroes funeral by the Indonesian government. Frans Leburaya, the deputy governor
Deputy Governor
A Deputy governor is a gubernatorial official who is subordinated to a governor, rather like a Lieutenant governor.-British colonial cases:In the British empire, there were such colonial offices in :...
of East Nusa Tenggara
East Nusa Tenggara
East Nusa Tenggara is a province of Indonesia, located in the eastern portion of the Lesser Sunda Islands, including West Timor. The provincial capital is Kupang, located on West Timor...
province laid a wreath sent by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono AC , is an Indonesian politician and retired Army general officer who has been President of Indonesia since 2004....
, who did not personally attend the funeral. Other important dignitaries who attended the funeral included several highly controversial figures from the Indonesian occupation of East Timor, including retired Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto, retired Indonesian Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Zacky Anwar Makarim, former deputy army chief of staff Kiki Shanakri, as well as West Papua Governor Abraham Octavianus Ataruri.
Soares, who was 60 when he died, is survived by his wife, Maria Ângela Correia de Lemos Osório Soares, and their four children, as well as his 86 year old mother, Beatriz Osório Soares. All of the family members attended the funeral.
Soares was buried in Dharma Loka Heroes' Cemetery in Kupang.
External links and references
- Ex-East Timor governor given hero's burial (Accessed on July 12, 2007)
- People's Daily Online:Ex-East Timor governor given hero's burial (Accessed on July 12, 2007)
- Trial Watch: Jose Abilio Osorio Soares