Over 200 Indonesian military involved in Timor atrocities Fri, 4 Feb 2000 08:38:35 -0500 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit source - Joyo@aol.com Indonesian Observer January 27, 2000 Over 200 involved in Timor atrocities JAKARTA (IO) The Investigative Commission on Human Rights Violation [KPP HAM] yesterday said about 200 people, including scores of high-ranking military officials, were involved in the East Timor atrocities. The Commission will soon issue its recommendation based on the results of the inquiry. "The recommendation does not name just twenty violators, but about 200 from all sides[pro-Indonesia] militias, police, pro-independence [forces]," KPP HAM Secretary, Asmara Nababan, told reporters. Prior to and after the August 30, UN-led ballot held to decide the future of East Timor, the now independent territory witnessed massive killing and burning spree allegedly conducted by military-backed militias. When asked whether the recommendation also names Indonesian military officers, Nababan said: "Yes, those who have often been mentioned by newspapers." "I think those who have been summoned by KPP HAM are included in the recommendation. However, lets wait until the plenary meeting," he added. KPP HAM is scheduled to hold the meeting on January 27-29 to deliberate the recommendations. "The meeting will be held in an unknown place so that the KPP HAM will not be disturbed by anybody," Nababan said. The once all-powerful military has launched an intensive psy-war against the commission, which has implicated scores of generals over the atrocities. They are Gen. Wiranto, former military commander who is now coordinating minister for political and security affairs, Maj.-Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Maj.-Gen. Adam Damiri, Maj.-Gen. Zacky Anwar Makarim, Brig.-Gen. Tono Suratman and Brig.-Gen. (police) Timbul Silaen. On Monday Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab expressed his confidence that Indonesia will secure a veto on a proposed international war crimes tribunal for the Timor atrocities. The United States last week also gave Jakarta more time for its own human rights inquiry. President Abdurrahman Wahid told the Far Eastern Economic Review he will take even stronger measures should the KPP HAM investigation implicate the military officials. If the investigation finds evidence of military complicity in the East Timor abuses, the individual officers named will have to be assigned an interim nonactive status, the president said in an interview to be published in the magazines latest issue to be released today. "And when he or she is proven by the court to be guilty, then they should resign and become a civilian," he added. ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytpac-02.04.00-08:38:33-2281