Solidamor Call for Int'l Court for Crimes in Timor Fri, 4 Feb 2000 09:54:45 -0500 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit source - TAPOL Press Release by Solidamor NO: 010/SLD/I/2000 31 January 2000 AN INTERNATIONAL COURT MUST BE HELD IN INDONESIA OR EAST TIMOR TO TRY CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY IN EAST TIMOR The Commission to Investigate human rights violations in East Timor, KPP HAM, today completed its task by making public its findings. Its final recommendation, handed over to the National Human Rights Commission and Indonesia's Attorney General , lists 33 names, including militia leaders, civilian officers as well as General Wiranto, who are considered to have been directly or indirectly involved in crimes against humanity in East Timor. Following its four-month investigations, it called on the Attorney General to conduct investigations of persons considered to have been involved in gross human rights violations, saying that the persons involved are not limited to the those listed. The Commission also calls on the government to draw up a protocol enabling it to gain access to any new facts and evidence that have been discovered by UNTAET and other international bodies regarding human rights violations in East It also calls on the government to set up a human rights court with powers to try human rights violations and crimes against humanity based upon national and international codes (humanitarian law). The UN's Commission on Investigations in East Timor is also about to publish its findings which will include its finding regarding a unit of the Indonesian army - SGI/Kopassus - that funded and trained pro-integration militias in East Timor. According to the CIET, the gross violations committed in East Timor, especially following the UN ballot were able to proceed because they happened with the knowledge and connivance of the 'top military commander' in Indonesia. The Commision therefore recommends that further investigations need to be undertaken in East Timor and proposes that the UN Security Council should set up an international tribunal which would include judges from Indonesia and East Timor. SOLIDAMOR therefore wishes to state the following: 1. It welcomes the conclusions of the KPP HAM and the CIET. 2. The Indonesian Government should speedily take action along the lines of their recommendations by declaring non-active all military officers and civilian officials listed so as to ensure that further investigations into the gross violations committed in East Timor can proceed smoothly. President Wahid should in particular remove General Wiranto from his post as minister-coordinator for political and security affairs. 3. It calls on the Indonesian government to set up without delay an ad hoc tribunal to try those suspected of committing human rights violations in the post-ballot period, presided over by independent judges and served by independent prosecutors. Bearing in mind the lack of experienced Indonesian legal experts for such a court, foreign personnel, including those with experience in courts held for Rwanda, Bosnia and Cambodia are needed. International observers should also be given unfettered access to such courts. 4. The court which should try crimes against humanity should not be a national human rights court but an International Tribunal that is held in Indonesia or in East Timor and should as far as possible include judges, prosecutors and legal counsel from Indonesia and East Timor. The Indonesian Government should accept the holding of an international tribunal bearing in mind that Indonesia's reputation regarding the case of East Timor has sunk so low. 5.The conduct of such an international tribunal in Indonesia or East Timor would not in any way damage Indonesia's international standing. On the contrary such a court would restore the reputation of the Indonesia state and nation which has been so badly damaged as the result of the actions by a handful of our generals in East Timor. Jakarta, 31 January 2000 SOLIDAMOR BONAR TIGOR NAIPOSPOS Chair, Executive Council ======================================= SOLIDAMOR Jl. Pramuka Jaya Sari No. 9 Jakarta 10570 - Indonesia Telefaks: 62-21-4224079, 4226348 Email: solidmor@centrin.net.id; solidmor@solidamor.org Website: www.solidamor.org +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign 111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 8HW, UK Phone: 0181 771-2904 Fax: 0181 653-0322 email: tapol@gn.apc.org Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol Campaigning to expose human rights violations in Indonesia, East Timor, West Papua and Aceh 26 years - and still going strong ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ================================================================= 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-02.04.00-09:54:43-9370