TAPOL/CIIR press release
Rights groups denounce UN for betraying victims of atrocities in East Timor
25 April 2003
The Catholic Institute
for International Relations (CIIR) and TAPOL, the
Indonesia Human Rights Campaign, have condemned the UN Commission on Human
Rights for failing to ensure that the perpetrators of gross violations
of
human rights in East Timor are brought to justice and for agreeing to
drop
the issue from its agenda next year.
In a chairperson's
statement issued in Geneva (see below), the Commission
merely expresses disappointment at the way in which trials of suspects
in
Indonesia's ad hoc human rights court are being carried out.
Spokesperson for
CIIR Catherine Scott said: 'Its underlying message is that
if improvements are made, the process will be acceptable.'
The statement ignores
the fact that the Jakarta trials have failed to
provide a true account of the violations that occurred in 1999, the two
organisations said. There is no mention of the many notorious flaws in
the
process, the limited jurisdiction of the court, or that only a handful
of
the hundreds of serious crimes, including crimes against humanity, have
been investigated.
Spokesperson for
Tapol, Paul Barber added: 'Most observers would agree that
Indonesia is not willing and able to conduct a credible process that meets
international standards of justice and fairness. It has forfeited its
chance to provide justice for East Timor.'
The Commission, at
a special session in September 1999, condemned 'the
widespread, systematic and gross violations of human rights and
international humanitarian law' in East Timor and called for those
responsible to be brought to justice. It is now dropping the issue from
its
agenda at a time when there is no immediate prospect of meaningful
accountability.
Next year, the Commission
will only consider the question of technical
cooperation with East Timor in the field of human rights. It is likely
that
this will preclude any further consideration by the Commission of
Indonesia's responsibility for the 1999 atrocities.
CIIR and TAPOL are
concerned that the Commission may have softened its
statement because the East Timorese government is keen to promote good
relations with Indonesia. CIIR and TAPOL support this desire for good
relations, but do not believe it has to be pursued at the expense of justice.
Scott said: 'This
should not be just about the views of the East Timorese
government or any other government. It should also be about those of the
East Timorese people, the victims and their families, which are not
necessarily reflected by their government. It should be about the need
to
uphold human rights and the supremacy of international law.'
CIIR and TAPOL pointed
out that the crimes were also committed against the
UN and its staff who were administering the 1999 popular consultation
in
East Timor.
CIIR and TAPOL called
on the international community and in particular the
UN Security Council, which will consider the issue shortly, to look at
other options for justice.
The organisations
repeated the request made last year by the then leader of
the Catholic Church in East Timor, Bishop Carlos Belo, to set up an
international tribunal for East Timor, as recommended in January 2000
by an
International Commission of Inquiry set up by the UN Secretary General
on
the advice of the Commission on Human Rights.
CIIR and TAPOL called for international pressure on Indonesia to hand
over
immediately military officers indicted in East Timor to the East Timorese
authorities. To date, Indonesia has refused to transfer suspects to East
Timor.
CIIR and TAPOL requested
that the international community and the East
Timorese government continue to support and fully resource the serious
crimes process in East Timor now and after the end of the UN Mission to
East Timor in May 2004.