August 12, 2004 Thursday 6:41 AM Eastern Time

Indonesian ministers tell Washington to keep quiet on Timor verdicts

JAKARTA, Aug 12

Washington should mind its own business and refrain from commenting on court rulings that acquitted four Indonesian security officials of atrocities in East Timor, leading ministers here said Thursday.

Acting senior security minister Hari Sabarno lashed out at the United States following criticism of human rights court acquittals clearing four senior military figures over violence surrounding East Timor's 1999 independence vote.

"This is a court verdict ... America should better take care of its own self," Sabarno, also Indonesia's home minister, told journalists.

Jakarta announced last week that the four, including Major General Adam Damiri, the most senior military officer to face trial for the bloodshed during the UN-backed vote, were cleared by an appeal court on July 29.

A 10-year jail term imposed on a pro-Jakarta militiaman who oversaw the murder and torture of independence supporters was also cut in half by the ad hoc human rights court set up as an alternative to an international tribunal.

The US State Department greeted the verdicts with dismay, saying it was "profoundly disappointed with the performance and record of the Indonesian
ad hoc tribunal."

Sabarno said the criticism was inappropriate as the Indonesian government
itself would not consider intervening in its own judicial process.

"Is there any American tried for gross human rights in Indonesia? They are all Indonesians whose verdicts were decided by courts without any intervention from the government," he said.

Justice Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra accused Washington of hypocrisy.

"If we are talking about dissatisfaction, I am also not satisfied with what America is doing and its invasion of Iraq, but we are powerless against America," Mahendra said.

He said Indonesia was disappointed with the results of trials abroad, notably hearings on violations in Bosnia, but Jakarta chose to keep its comments to itself.

Foreign Minister Hasan Wirayuda said the government would "note" the US
protest, but was under no obligation to act upon it.

More than 1,000 people were killed when Indonesian army-backed local militia proxies waged a campaign of terror and intimidation ahead of the vote that led to full independence for the former Portuguese colony.