Jakarta, Dili to Discuss Massacres
By Matthew Moore
Indonesia Correspondent
Jakarta
The leaders of Indonesia and East Timor have quietly agreed to
discuss setting up a "truth and friendship commission"
that would reconsider the massacre of East Timorese about the time
of their 1999 vote for
independence.
At their first meeting held in Bali late on Tuesday, Indonesia's
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and East Timor's President Xanana
Gusmao agreed to the idea of the commission to defuse tensions between
the two countries.
More importantly, the creation of such a body would allow Indonesia
and East Timor to argue that there was no need for the United Nations
to take any further action over the massacres of East Timorese for
which virtually no one in Indonesia has been punished.
A spokesman for East Timor's Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri, said
the idea of the new body was to "strengthen friendship between
the two countries" and increase co-operation. But he said the
commission would also discuss "the truth about the events of
1999", although he said there was no plan to make it a reconciliation
commission.
About 1500 East Timorese were murdered and many of the country's
buildings destroyed after their vote for independence.
Under heavy international pressure, the Indonesian Government set
up an ad hoc human rights tribunal and promised to prosecute those
responsible for the bloodshed, but every Indonesian-born defendant
was found not guilty or had convictions overturned on appeal.
The United States and human rights groups condemned the trials
as a farce and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has been under pressure
to establish a commission of experts to examine the massacres and
Indonesia's failure to punish those responsible.
However, East Timorese leaders have said they want good relations
with their much bigger neighbour want and to put the past behind
them, something such a joint commission with Indonesia might help
them do.
Earlier this year the East Timorese Government opposed an attempt
by UN-funded prosecutors to issue an arrest warrant for General
Wiranto, the commander of Indonesia armed forces at the time of
the bloodshed.
Mr Alkatiri's spokesman said the commission's membership and terms
of reference would be discussed between foreign ministers.
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