Dili, January 12, 2025 (Média Democracia) – The Ministry for Veterans’ Affairs (MAKLN) is currently conducting an identification process for approximately 200 sets of human remains that are being preserved at the Guido Valadares National Hospital (HNGV) in Bidau, Dili.
The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Gil da Costa Monteiro “Oan Soru,” stated that the remains were discovered near the Government Palace area during excavation work carried out by BTK Company for the construction of a water tank. After the excavation was completed, the Ministry of Social Solidarity decided to transport all the remains to HNGV for preservation.
“The ministry’s team has visited HNGV several times to examine these human remains, which people estimate to number around 200 sets. Until now, we still have not been able to identify them. These remains are currently evacuated and stored at HNGV,” said Minister Gil da Costa Monteiro “Oan Soru.”
The minister explained that to date, no Timorese individual has come forward to the ministry or to the Council of National Liberation Combatants (CCLN) to claim that the remains belong to their father, uncle, or grandfather who may have been killed by enemy forces and buried near the Government Palace.
He added that the Constitutional Government, through MAKLN, has considered conducting DNA tests on the remains. However, the challenge lies in determining whose DNA can be used for comparison, as no family members have yet come forward to provide samples.
“If someone is able to provide their blood sample, then testing would be possible. At the moment, that option does not exist. Therefore, our team is working to trace information through resistance organizations and individuals who were involved in the recovery of the remains at the time. Some of them have already reported to the ministry about the circumstances surrounding the discovery. We may suspect that these are unidentified remains, but proving their identity is difficult without families to compare against,” the minister explained.
The minister further informed that among the approximately 200 sets of remains preserved at HNGV, there are an additional 14 sets that have been preliminarily categorized as belonging to resistance members. However, further testing is still required to confirm whether these individuals were indeed part of the resistance movement.
He also noted that the remains currently stored at HNGV were collected at the instruction of the ministry, and the ministry’s team remains stationed at the site. Once remains are officially confirmed as belonging to resistance members, the government will hand them over to the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion (MSSI) for proper burial.
Reporting: Nelfiano
Photo: Nelfiano