U.S. proposal on truth commission
for E. Timor unclear: RI Envoy
NEW YORK (Antara): The United States' proposal to form an International
Truth Commission for human rights abuses in East Timor, made during
a recent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) assembly, is unclear,
an Indonesian official said here on Friday.
"We have to study further the commission proposal made by
the U.S. delegation to the UNSC meeting because its objective and
form are unclear," Indonesia's permanent representative to
the UNRezlan Ishar Jenie said.
Rezlan said the proposal was apparently advanced due to the U.S.
disappointment over the Indonesian appeal court's decision to overturn
lower court convictions for human rights abuses in East Timor.
During the UNSC meeting, which discussed the report of the UN Mission
of Support in East Timor (UNMISET), U.S delegation representative
Stuart Holliday expressed his concern over the Indonesian ad-hoc
human rights tribunal.
The ad-hoc court was set up to punish those responsible for human
rights abuses after the UN-sponsored ballot in East Timor in 1999
that led to the territory's separation from Indonesia.
Judging that the Indonesian court had failed to punish the perpetrators,
the U.S. delegation proposed the formation of an independent International
Truth Commission.
Several other countries including the Netherlands, Portugal and
New Zealand
also expressed dissatisfaction over the Indonesian ad-hoc court's
rulings.
The Indonesian government had told these countries that the legal
processes
in the country during the present reform and democratic era was
independent, Rezlan said. (**)
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