Agence France Presse
February 13, 2003
Former Indonesian military chief testifies over Timor atrocities
JAKARTA
- Former Indonesian military chief General Wiranto on Thursday
defended his record over East Timor's bloody 1999 breakaway from Jakarta,
saying he had helped prevent a civil war there.
Wiranto,
who according to rights groups should himself be in the dock, was
testifying for the defence at Indonesia's human right court in the trial
of
Brigadier General Tono Suratman.
Suratman
is accused of crimes against humanity by failing to prevent two
massacres in April 1999.
Wiranto,
questioned by judges about what he himself did to forestall
violence, said he organised a reconciliation meeting between supporters
and
opponents of independence on April 21.
He described
the violence that month as "a risk of the policy taken by
former President Habibie," who authorised a United Nations-organised
independence referendum held in August 1999.
Wiranto
said he had taken all necessary steps to prevent violence. "If we
had not taken preventive measures I'm sure there would have been a civil
war," he said.
Then-president
Abdurrahman Wahid sacked Wiranto as top security minister in
February 2000 when a national human rights commission inquiry found him
responsible for failing to ensure security surrounding the referendum.
Army-backed
local pro-Jakarta militiamen waged a campaign of intimidation
before East Timor's vote to separate from Indonesia and a scorched-earth
revenge campaign afterwards.
At least
1,000 people are estimated to have died that year and whole towns
were burnt to the ground.
Suratman,
a former military commander of East Timor, is accused of failing
to prevent an attack on the home of pro-independence leader Manuel Viegas
Carrascalao in which at least 12 people including Carrascalao's son were
killed on April 17.
He is also
accused of failing to prevent an attack at Liquica church on
April 6 in which at least 20 died.
Carrascalao
testified last August that Suratman had laughed off his plea
for protection after the attack on his house.
Wiranto's
testimony was consistent with the official Indonesian version of
the bloodshed -- that police and troops struggled to keep the peace between
rival armed factions.
Rights groups
say senior Indonesian security officials armed and organised
the militias in their attacks on independence supporters.
The rights
court was set up to deflect pressure for an international war
crimes tribunal.
It has convicted
two officers, East Timor's former civilian governor and a
militia leader, but has acquitted 10 other security force members and
a
civilian. Three senior army officers including Suratman are awaiting judgment.
International
rights groups have strongly criticised the previous
acquittals and described the court as a sham.