A Luta Continua (The Struggle Goes On) …! The Life of Ernesto Fernandes Dudu: From FALINTIL Freedom Fighter to the Parliament of Timor-Leste

Th e authors of this book believe that it is important to document the life
stories of Dudu, his perspectives and involvement in the struggle for Independence
of Timor-Leste, and his roles and contributions for the nation’s development
and the society during the post-Independence period. One very significant
contribution of the Commander Ernesto Fernandes Dudu is that he fought the war
militarily from 1975 and they resisted with only 16 fi ghters in Bemanas Hatolia
until October 1982 and he himself returned to join FALINTIL in the jungle on
18 November and re-established Região-4 FALINTIL in Beassu Hatolia. Th e
Indonesian military TNI launched a military operation to destroy his forces on 9
December 1992 which killed his adopted son Venancio Fernandes. Dudu retaliated
and killed one Indonesia TNI soldier at the same time. From this attack the gunshots from FALINTIL started to be heard again in Ermera and the western part
of the country causing the Indonesia’s military to change its operation strategy by
redistributing their military forces to Ermera to contain Dudu’s guerrilla warfare.
Th e military capacity of Região-4 was strengthened with the coming of FALINTIL
Commander-in-Chief Nino Konis Santana from Lospalos to base in Ermera.
Th erefore, the attack of Beassu from military viewpoint has a paramount military
strategic importance both for FALINTL and the enemy TNI. We hope this biography of Ernesto Fernandes Dudu will be a reminder to
future generations of the unique contributions of Dudu as one of the generation
of 1975 in politics, military, social, religion and culture.