East Timor: Washington 'dismayed' at reversing of war crimes convictions

Washington, August 10 (Lusa) - The United States government has added its voice to widespread criticism of the overturning of war crimes convictions against four Indonesian security officers saying it is "profoundly disappointed" at the acquittals.

Jakarta announced last week that it had cleared the four Indonesians, including a former regional military commander, of human rights violations around the time of Timor`s independence vote in 1999.

US State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said Monday: "We are dismayed by this decision, and we are profoundly disappointed with the performance of the Indonesian (Timor war crimes) court".

"In our view, as a result of the appeals decision only two of the 18 defendants have been convicted and both individuals are ethnic Timorese and received sentences below the 10-year minimum".

The Washington officials said the US government was "consulting with governments and international organizations involved to find ways of ensuring a credible level of justice for these abuses".

Jakarta has responded to the general criticism from other governments, including New Zealand, and human rights groups by pointing out that the judicial process is not yet concluded.

An Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman said prosecutors could still seek a Supreme Court verdict on the case.

More that 1,000 Timorese were slaughtered around the time the territory voted to break away from Jakarta's 25-year rule in 1999.

Anti-independence militias were responsible for most of the carnage and destruction and acted with the complicity of the Indonesian military.

In response to international criticism of its handling of the human rights fallout from Timor, Jakarta created a special human rights court.

Human rights organizations condemned the Jakarta court from its inception, saying it was a sham aimed at defusing pressure for an international tribunal.

Reacting to the latest acquittals of Indonesians responsible for carnage and
destruction in his country, Dili's foreign minister, José Ramos Horta, said Monday
that he opposed calls for a United Nations court to punish Jakarta officials.

Good relations with Jakarta are crucial to Timor`s development, said Ramos Horta, and pressure on the Indonesian government to make its powerful military fully responsible for its human rights abuses in 1999 would generate political instability in Dili`s larger neighbor.