Human Rights Trial May Be Held on Indonesia-East Timor Border
14 Sep 2002
TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta :Indonesian Attorney General MA Rachman and
Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra are currently
looking at the possibility of holding an East Timor human rights trial
in
Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara.
This city has been chosen because it is on (sic) the border between
Indonesia and East Timor.
The Attorney General's Office (AGO) spokesperson Barman Zahir made this
statement to journalists at his office in Jakarta on Friday (13/9).
According to Zahir, the holding of the trial in Kupang will make it easier
for prosecutors and defense lawyers to call witnesses from East Timor
in
regards to human rights violations following the East Timor referendum
in 1999.
As reported earlier, several witnesses from East Timor, including Dili
Bishop Belo, have refused to give evidence in the East Timor trial in
Jakarta.
According to them, there is no security guarantee for them and the trial
is
considered to be unfair.
Rachman had previously considered it would be impossible to hold a trial
on
or near the border.
However, according to Zahir, this matter is now being discussed by Rachman
and Mahendra.
If agreement is reached, then the idea will be proposed to President
Megawati Soekarnoputri.(Bagja Hidayat-Tempo News Room)