Domingos Savio “Lorrassa”

Domingos Sávio, known with the esteemed name “Sávio” resistance code name “Carrega”, local name of his grandfather called “Maior Manu-Ma’a”. He is of uma-lisan origin “Lorrassa” was born to Knua Ossohira, on December 8, 1968, Ossohira Hamlet, Iliomar-I Village, Administrative Post of Iliomar, Municipality of Lautém. Coming from a simple family, his father is called “Bou-Lesa” (melancholy) and his mother is called “Kiki-Doli” (deceased). His father’s profession in Portuguese time was a Carpenter, he worked in Lospalos in the year 1947–1970, his mother’s profession was domestic or housewife.

Literary Qualification:

He finished Iliomar Primary School in the year 1986, continued his Pre-Secondary study in SMP-4 Dili and finished it in 1989, continued his study in Vocational Technical School (SMEA-Sekolah Menengah Ekonomi Atas) in Dili and finished it in 1991 He continued his studies at the University of UNTIM in 1994, but was unable to finish due to the conflict that took place between IMPETU students and the Indonesian military. In 1997 he resumed his studies at UNTL and managed to finish his degree in 2007. It took ten (10) years due to the political and economic situation that had happened during this long period. Later, he continued his master’s studies at Kristen Satya Wacana University “UKSW” Salatiga Indonesia in 2008 and graduated in Public Administration in 2011.

Scientific Work

During his study in Indonesia he did some research and managed to write a book entitled “The FALINTIL guerrilla strategy, tactics and technique during 24 years in the bush” and this book is considered one of the assets of the history of Timor-Leste in the future .
In addition, he also carried out research with the National Center for Scientific Research (CNIC-UNTL) group, and they managed to write books with the following titles:

1) Performance and Motivation of Civil Servants.

2) Timor-Leste Human Resources Data Survey and Labor Market Adjustment Survey Report

3) Women’s Participation in Political Life, Women in Power Timor-Leste’s Patriarchal Culture in the National Development Process.

4) FALINTIL Tactical and Technical Guerrillas against the Indonesian Military occupiers for 24 years.

Domingos Sávio joined the Veterans and founded the “Institute for Research on the History of the National Liberation Struggle” in 2014, he did research and wrote about the struggle periodically with the following title:

1) Memory Recovery History of East Timor’s War in the Base Support Phase Period in 1976–1978.

2) Book with the title “Recovery of the Memory of the Struggle for the National Independence of Timor-Leste” Guerrilla Phase Period.

3) FALINTIL Guerrillas’ Barn book during the bush.

Work experience

In the year 1998–2000 Domingos Sávio as FALINTIL was in the cantonment in Atelari. In the year 1999-2001 He returned to Lospalos together with university students from the organization IMPETU, Solidarity Council (Dewan Solidaritas), Fathers such as: Fr. Aderito de Jesus and Fr. the Pre-Secondary School in Lospalos where he was a teacher for two years.

In addition to being a teacher, he was also involved in the CNRT Structure (Conselho Nacional da Resistência Timorense) in the district of Lospalos together with his partner Jacinto da Costa, current Secretary of the Municipality of Lautém, to meet the needs of the population. In 2011-2021 he was a lecturer and researcher at the National University of Timor-Lorosa’e (UNTL). He currently assumes the position as Administrator of the Municipality of Lautém for the period 2021-2025.

Involvement in the National Liberation Struggle of Timor-Leste

During the struggle in the support base in the year 1976-1978 Domingos Sávio became involved in the Popular Youth Organization of Timor (OPJT), with the other young people in Aldeia Katuas, Mauser Zone, Ponta-Leste Region/Sector, they carried out Youth activities in the support base, such as creating a cooperative, producing food to support FALINTIL and giving support to populations that do not have the capacity to work in the garden. Taking supplies to the FALINTIL Company who were at the barriers in the red zone, he also performed his function as Official Day (Picket) between villages as a courier.

When Matebian’s support base dispersed, Domingos Sávio decided to surrender with his widowed mother to the village, due to the death of his father and brother as FALINTIL section commander by the enemy.

All his brothers belonging to lisan Lorrassa were directly involved in the fight for the national liberation of Timor-Leste. Most of them were killed in this fight both in the village and in the bush by the enemies, and also some families made up of men and women, children, old people were exiled on the island of Atauro, Cailaco and in the Administrative Post of Iliomar itself.

The family of a lisan Lorrassa in Indonesia, lived in a situation of pressure and intimidation because many families were involved in the gerilla, and the Indonesians called them GPK (Gerombolan Pengacau Keamanan) or Distracted Security Groups or FRETILIN. He had no friends to have fun with because people spoke badly of them and called him “Kepala Dua”.

However Domingos Sávio in his daily life continued to contact with the guerrillas in the bush, until in 1999, during this long time the family of a lisan Lorrassa who involved many in the guerrillas lost their lives, only two survivors remained until independence, as: Tito da Costa Cristovão (Lere Anan Timur) was Commander Region I Ponta-Leste with his cousin named Orlando Jerónimo (Serasa) was Commander of the Unit in Ponta-Leste.

When Domingos Sávio was studying Pre-Secondary and Secondary in Dili, he collaborated with his classmates and participated in the demonstration against the Indonesian occupation of Timor-Leste. The first demonstration that Domingos Savio was involved in was the visit of the Holy Father John Paul II to Tasitolu Dili in 1989, together with his companions; Jose Manuel Nakfilak, Agustinho Seguiria, Delfin, Mario Cabral, Frederico Cabral and other colleagues.
With his involvement in these activities, the enemy was always looking for him to capture, but they were unable to because he took refuge and hid in the Administrative Post of Tilomar, Municipality of Suai Covalima for two months (October-December in the year of 1989 ).

Domingos Savio as Iliomar youth coordinator organized his colleagues from Iliomar and others to be involved in the November 12, 1991 demonstration, from the Church of Motael to the Santa Cruz cemetery. His younger brother named João Baptista Sávio disappeared in this demonstration. Domingos Sávio himself was also captured in Santa Cruz, but later the family spoke with Father Marcos Wanandi, Director of the School, S. José Balide, to ask the Indonesian military to release Domingos Sávio. After being released he joined other UNTIM colleagues they created (DSMPPTT-Dewan Solidaritas Mahasiswa Pemuda Pelajar Timor-Timur) or Solidarity Youth and Students Council of East Timor, to demand the Soeharto regime to hold the referendum. At that time he was elected as Deputy Coordinator of Mini Lautém Council and head of Iliomar Students’ Youth Forum in 1998, with the intention to collect information from Iliomar when the military or TNI (Tentara Nasional Indonesia) or Indonesian national army capture or kill someone from the population of Iliomar. In 1999 he was Coordinator of the CNRT Referendum Campaign in the resistance in Iliomar. Before Campanhe, he followed formation at the CNRT Headquarters in Cristal Dili, with formators, Fr.Filomeno Jacob, Jose Reis, Armindo Maia, Aderito de Jesus and David Dias Ximenes Mandati and other formators.

Involvement in Martial Arts Organization and its Services

Domingos Sávio became involved in the martial art called “Jogo Livre” with the aim of living healthy in the physical and mental aspect through training from the base of support, with FALINTIL in the first company CBC–Comando Brigada Choque, in the Lavateri-Baguia area , in the year 1977-1978, by the late coach Commander Júlio “Besitaurubi” and commander Carolino Gama “Loirubi”, younger brother of the commander of L7. When the support base had dispersed and He was already in the village, He started to train Kunfu, with his TNI soldier trainer named Joko since the year 1980–1982.

When the trainer returned to his homeland, Domingos Sávio continued to train, when he finished his primary education in Lospalos, he trained in another martial art such as Karate-Lemkari with his trainer called Amir, also a TNI 745 soldier in Lospalos, and then continued to train Silat Raja Wali Putih in Laruara Lospalos village with his trainer named Ahmad. Domingos Sávio transferred to school in Dili and trained again in KKI karate in 1988, with his Timorese coach named João. Finally Domingos Sávio chose Shorinji Kempo Federation from 1990 to the present date, because he liked his coach and his discipline as a military man.

Domingos Sávio decided to join KEMPO and started training seriously to look for his performance as a better element in KEMPO. Seeing the technique and discipline that was in KEMPO at that time made him have good results in the national pra-PON competition in Jakarta in 1995, where he came out as the 3rd winner. And in 1997, Domingos Savio as representative of UNTIM participated in the competition among students in Yogyakarta and took 2nd place.

After Independence in the year 2007 when he participated in KEMPO exhibition competition in Thailand came out as 1st winner. This performance gave him the opportunity to participate twice in the Sea-Games which resulted in 1st and 2nd place in which he received a gold and a silver medal. In the same year he was a coach and where he trained his athletes to participate in a world KEMPO competition in Bali-Indonesia.

In 2011 he and his athletes participated in the Sea-games in Jakarta and won a gold, two silver and two bronze medals. In 2013 he and his athletes participated in the SEA-GAMES event in Myanmar and acquired two gold medals, four silver medals, and four bronze medals. He didn’t stop there but continued to organize the KEMPO federation and held national competitions between juniors and seniors. Lastly, he didn’t forget to teach his athletes to follow the KEMPO doctrine: “Respect others as yourself and contribute to the peace and stability of the RDTL country”

Domingos Sávio, M.Si.