AI Index:
ASA 57/007/2003 (Public)
News Service No: 196
Embargo Date: 29 August 2003 16:00 GMT
Timor-Leste: International Community Must Press for Justice for Crimes Against Humanity
Published
On the fourth
anniversary of the vote for independence by the people of
Timor-Leste (formerly East Timor), Amnesty International is launching
a new
campaign to ensure that the victims of the 1999 violence do not have to
wait another four years for justice.
On 30 August
1999, the people of Timor-Leste voted overwhelmingly for
independence from Indonesia. An estimated 1,300 people were murdered by
the
Indonesian security forces and pro-Indonesia militia opposed to
independence. The crimes committed were so widespread and systematic that
they are considered to be crimes against humanity. Four years on, the
majority of victims and their families are still waiting for justice.
"The
plight of the survivors and families of those who were attacked,
killed, tortured or raped must not be forgotten," Amnesty International
said.
"The
persistent refusal of the Indonesian authorities to cooperate with the
justice process in Timor-Leste, and the failure of the recently completed
trials in Jakarta, Indonesia, to uncover the truth and bring the
perpetrators to justice, means that the international community must now
take action," Amnesty International added.
The organization
is calling on the United Nations (UN) to undertake an
independent review of the Jakarta trials with a view to recommending
further measures to ensure that justice is achieved and the truth revealed.
Among those
killed in Timor-Leste in 1999 were Ana Xavier da Conceição
Lemos, a prominent political activist, primary school teacher and mother
of
three children. Ana had been outspoken in her criticism of the Indonesian
military and in her support for independence . On the day of the
independence ballot she was beaten and interrogated by militiamen led
by an
Indonesian military officer. She is subsequently reported to have been
raped in detention before "disappearing". Her body was discovered
in
November 1999.
Students
Augustino de Carvalho and Estevao Xavier Pereira were witnessed
being beaten and kicked by Indonesian soldiers in May 1999. The eyewitness
later heard two shots ring out and a vehicle driving away very fast. The
students' bodies were discovered buried together with their hands tied.
Anacleto
da Silva, a young father of two, was working as an interpreter for
a British journalist and an American photographer. In September 1999 the
men were travelling in a taxi when they crossed paths with Indonesian
military Battalion 745, which was withdrawing its troops back to Indonesia.
After attacking the taxi driver and blinding him in the eye with their
rifle butts, soldiers forced Anacleto into a truck with other prisoners.
He
has not been seen since.
These tragic
cases represent just a tiny number of the victims of the
violence in 1999. In addition to those killed, unknown numbers of men,
women and children were tortured or raped. Often targeted because of their
support for the independence movement, the victims included political
activists, community leaders, students, priests and nuns, and local people
employed by the UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET).
The Indonesian
security forces were responsible for protecting the people
of Timor-Leste, but stood by as the violence escalated and often
participated directly in many attacks. Today, many Indonesian military
or
police officers who colluded in the violence remain in active service,
some
in senior posts.
Background
On 30 August
1999, in a UN-organized ballot, 78.5% of voters chose to
reject Indonesian rule. Extensive evidence shows that the militia groups
responsible for the violence before and after the ballot received the
active support of the Indonesian armed forces, police and civilian
authorities. Trials of suspected perpetrators, which recently concluded
in
Indonesia, have been seriously flawed. The majority of defendants were
acquitted, while six men who received short prison terms have been released
pending appeal. They include several members of the Indonesian military
or
police who remain in active service.
A parallel
justice process in Timor-Leste has made considerable progress in
investigating the crimes. Indictments have been issued against more than
300 individuals, the majority for crimes against humanity. 221 suspects
named in the indictments remain in Indonesia, but the authorities have
consistently refused to transfer them to Timor-Leste to stand trial.
For further
information and to take action, please see AI's web action:
See also: Indonesia & Timor-Leste: International responsibility for
justice