August 13, 2004 11:45pm
Antara

Jakarta, Aug 13 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government will decide what to do
with a proposal to set up a United Nations commission of experts by a foreign country wishing for a review of an Indonesian court's ruling on the East Timor case which was reportedly causing disappointment to some foreign parties.

"We will take up the matter at a limited meeting with the relevant political and security authorities and decide what to do with the experts commission," acting Coordinating Minister of Political and Security Affairs Hari Sabarno said after attending a Cabinet Meeting at the State Secretariat building here on Thursday.

Hari said he still did not have any idea on what the government would do about the proposed experts commission.

"Yes therefore we will have to discuss it first," he added.

The proposed formation of the UN commission of experts came to the surface
as New Zealand planned to urge the UN to form an international tribunal to solve the human rights violations in East Timor.

New Zealand made this plan after it became disappointed over the Indonesian
court's rulings of acquitting certain Indonesian police and military leaders.

A similar disappointment had also been aired by the United States, but the
relevant Indonesian government authorities thought that there was no need to give a serious response to the countries' disappointment. Indonesia believed that court decisions must be respected.

Eighteen people, including military and police high-ranking officers, stood trial at a special court handling East Timor cases in Indonesia, but only two civilian figures had been convicted, namely former East Timor Governor Abilio Soares and integration leader Eurico Guterres.