LtCol (Inf) Djoko Soekarsono
District military commander Viqueque (Komandan Kodim 1630)
Soldiers acting under Soekarsono's command worked closely with several militias in 1999 and were responsible for terrorising the population. Unamet chief executive Ian Martin believed that the military district's chief of intelligence (pasi intel), Lt Yusuf Tandi, played a central role in organising militia activity. Soekarsono’s chief of staff (kasdim) was Capt Gedion S.
The most feared militia in Viqueque in 1999 was Makikit, commanded by Lafaek Saburai and Martinho Fernandes. Another, which also had a poor human rights record and also worked closely with Kodim personnel, was '59/75', also variously known as 'Naga Merah', 'Bebui', or 'Senior 59/ Junior 75'. It was also led by Martinho Fernandes, together with Raimundo Soares and Francelino Soares.
One report describes Viqueque Kodim soldiers taking part with unnamed militias ('Ratih') in intimidating the Viqueque population by shooting and arbitrary arrests on 10 and 11 March 1999. This may have been part of a bigger terror operation against the population in the interior (see Lafaek Saburai).
On 11 August 1999, two youths were killed in an attack by militias on pro-independence supporters in Viqueque town. Following subsequent Unamet complaints, Djoko Soekarsono was replaced by LtCol Gustaf Hero. The latter made a good impression when he handed over the keys to the rice storage facility to townsfolk after the ballot.
A combat battalion in his district, Battalion 406 (under LtCol Sonny Widjaja), engaged in looting during its withdrawal after the ballot.
The Indonesian inquiry into atrocities in East Timor (KPP HAM) listed two soldiers under his command in Appendix 5 of its final report, among many other perpetrators of crimes against humanity:
