International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) is conducting a program in East Timor for the victims and survivors of torture. It will provide care to victims of torture and increase the capacity of local communities to deliver services and assistance to torture survivors. The program aims to develop a network of service providers. Initially the program will be implemented in seven districts: Dili, Baucau, Viqueque, Lautem, Bobonaro, Covalima, and Ainaro.

Torture has had a long and complex role in Timorese history, particularly during the country’s occupation by the Indonesian military from 1975 to 1999. As Filomeno Gomes, a former political prisoner and participant in the ICMC training, explains it, the goal of torture is “to kill the spirit of nationalism.” An ICMC preprogram assessment in 2002 demonstrated the need to address the past and to approach the impact of torture on individuals and communities in a more systematic way. ICMC’s new program intends to provide a way for the Timorese people to revisit their country’s past in order to move forward with physical and emotional rehabilitation.

ICMC conducted one of its workshops in Lautem district from March 11 to 13, 2003, and most of the participants were victims of torture during the Indonesian occupation. There were 12 participants who suffered from various kinds of torture, including six women. One of the participants, Doroteia Maria said, “For more than 25 years no one in the family is willing to share the death of my father, but today is a great day for me. I feel relief after talking to you all about the death of my father. Thanks to ICMC for giving the chance, and I am hoping you can come back and help us to heal our past wounds.”

USAID-ET supports ICMC’s work in reconciliation and human rights as it helps victims and survivors of torture in East Timor. ICMC activities include community training, professional counseling, clinical and referral services, and network building among organizations that serve victims and survivors of torture.