Contact: John M. Miller +718-596-7668, +1/917-690-4391
UN Human Rights Commission Abandons Justice for East Timor
ETAN Calls Statement a Rotten Present for Millennium's First New Country
April 22 - The East Timor Action Network (ETAN) described Friday's UN
Commission on Human Rights statement on East Timor as "a rotten birthday
present for the soon-to-be independent nation."
The Chairperson's Statement on the Situation in Human Rights in East
Timor
was issued in Geneva today.
"The statement essentially abandons any pretense that those most
responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed
in East Timor should be brought to justice," said John M. Miller,
spokesperson for ETAN.
"The statement ignores flaws identified by the UN High Commissioner
for
Human Rights in Indonesia's ad hoc human rights courts on East Timor,"
said
Miller. "Any reference to the ridiculously limited mandate of the
court two months out of a 24-year military occupation and only three of
East Timor's 13 districts has been removed. Those sitting on the Human
Rights Commission cannot expect anyone to take this statement seriously
if
it does not even mention this most basic jurisdictional flaw."
The ad hoc court is now hearing cases against some mid-level Indonesian
officers and pro-Indonesian East Timorese.
In her report to the Commission, High Commissioner Mary Robinson, said
the
"limited jurisdiction conferred upon the Court does not address the
actual
situation as reported to various United Nations officials, independent
experts and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who investigated the
1999
violence." The report called "upon the international community
to
reconsider the recommendations of the [United Nations] International
Commission of Inquiry on East Timor, including that concerning the
establishment by the United Nations of an international human rights tribunal."
Since 1999, ETAN has joined with East Timorese civil society to urge
the
U.S. and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to work to establish an
international tribunal.
"An international tribunal is essential to ensure that those at
the highest
levels of the Indonesian military and government responsible for the
violence against the people of East Timor are brought to justice,"
said Miller.
"We are also concerned about the statement's singling out of the
murder of
journalist Sander Thoenes. He and his family certainly deserve to have
the
perpetrators of this vicious crime brought to justice, but by focusing
on
this case, the commission has indicated a lack of concern for the thousands
of other victims killed in 1999, as well as their loved ones and the
hundreds of thousands murdered, tortured, raped and imprisoned in the
23
previous years of Indonesia's military occupation," said Miller.
Miller also said that while the commission statement "'welcomes
the
agreement of UNTAET/East Timorese authorities and the Government of
Indonesia to strengthen ongoing co-operation on judicial matters,' the
statement fails to recognize Indonesia's disregard for the existing
Memorandum of Understanding between the parties, including Indonesia's
refusal to extradite any suspects for prosecution or questioning to East
Timor.
"The Chairperson's Statement glosses over the ongoing refugee crisis
and
ignores the failure to disarm and arrest hard-line militia which threaten
East Timor's long-term security," said Miller. "Nor is there
any mention of
the estimated 1600 children still separated from their parents through
force or coercion since 1999, some 160 of whom remain in orphanages
throughout Indonesia," added Miller.
"Tragically, no Human Rights Commission Statement has even touched
on the
terrible human rights record of the Indonesian security forces and the
ongoing atrocities committed against civilians. They are killing women,
children, and men in Aceh and terrorizing the people of West Papua,"
added
Miller.
Following the August 30, 1999 UN-organized referendum, the Indonesian
military and its militia proxies systematically destroyed East Timor,
murdering at least 2000 East Timorese, destroying over 70 percent of the
infrastructure and raping hundreds of women. Hundreds of thousands were
forced from their homes. Resistance leader Xanana Gusmao was just declared
the winner of the first presidential election in East Timor.The country
will gain full independence on May 20. Gusmao has urged the international
community to take prime responsibility for bringing perpetrators of
atrocities to justice while he focuses on reconciliation.
The East Timor Action Network/U.S. (ETAN) supports human dignity for
the
people of East Timor by advocating for democracy, sustainable development,
social, legal, and economic justice and human rights, including women's
rights. ETAN has 26 local chapters throughout the U.S. For additional
information see ETAN's web site (http://www.etan.org).