CIIR E-News is provided by the Catholic Institute for International
Relations (CIIR), a development agency working for the eradication of
poverty and an end to injustice. CIIR is known in some countries as
International Cooperation for Development (ICD).

East Timor: Truth Commission appointed to settle events of 1999

Human rights activists are concerned that the East Timorese and Indonesian governments have formalised a Commission on Truth and Friendship (CTF) to settle the conclusive truth as to what happened in East Timor in 1999.

It is feared the Commission, established on 9 March, will undermine a UN initiative known as the Committee of Experts, comprising three international judges and set up to assess the progress of bringing to justice those found guilty of crimes in 1999.

The terms of reference of the CTF confine its investigations to 1999, with processes specifically designed not to 'lead to prosecution'. They also provide amnesty for offenders 'who cooperate fully in revealing the truth'.
The CTF, though not prejudicing the work of the special panels - the judicial body set up to deal with crimes against humanity in East Timor after the 1999 violence - will specifically not recommend the establishment
of any further judicial body. This will put an end to further investigations of those guilty of war crimes and provide a shield for those primarily responsible for directing the violence - the Senior Indonesian military officials who were not convicted during trials by Jakarta's Human Rights Courts. In short, the initiative is designed to be the final word on these issues.

The initiative has been denounced by the Dili-based Judicial Systems Monitoring Programme as well as the National Alliance for Justice, a coalition of East Timorese NGOs fighting for justice for victims of human
rights violations. Both are demanding that the UN Committee of Experts find that international standards have not been upheld in the judicial processes conducted in Indonesia so far, and that the international community must take responsibility to see that those indicted are tried before a tribunal complying with these standards.

While it is natural that East Timor and Indonesia build deeper links and a more profound mutual understanding, CIIR believes this must not be accomplished at the expense of justice. The initiative has also been criticised by Bishop Ricardo da Silva. The Bishop of East Timor stated on 7 February that the position of the Church had not changed: that justice should be done, that a war crimes tribunal was demanded by his people, and that this was the constant demand of his congregation.