East
Timor: Justice demanded for ex-Jakarta senior officials behind
massacre
Dili,
Nov 12 (Lusa)- East Timorese students and human rights groups
called Tuesday for an international court to judge those responsible for
human rights abuses during the Indonesian occupation of Timor, on the
anniversary of a massacre in which over 100 people died.
At a rally
commemorating the twelfth anniversary of the massacre in
Dili's Santa Cruz cemetery, students and members of NGOs carried
placards of ex-Indonesian president Suharto and the former commander of
Jakarta's armed forces, General Wiranto.
An international
war crimes tribunal for the two senior officials was
demanded by the protesters.
A crowd
of about 2000 gathered to hear Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri and
the speaker of the Dili parliament, Francisco Guterres, recall the
significance of the Santa Cruz massacre in Timor's independence
struggle.
Alkatiri
told the crowd that the demonstration preceding the massacre
"represented the courage of Timor's youth". The events of November
12,
1992 had shocked the world and were a key moment in Timor's independence
fight, said Alkatiri.
Speaking
for President Xanana Gusma, who is currently overseas,
Francisco Guterres said the events at Santa Cruz would always remain in
Timor`s history. He added that the slayings of unarmed civilians proved
that "the liberation struggle was a long and difficult battle".