7 March 2003

The Asia-Pacific Coalition for East Timor (APCET) calls on the United Nations to extend full support to the indictments made by the Serious Crimes Unit, which now totals 58 cases involving 225 Indonesians and Timorese.

The indictments are a big step in prosecuting the perpetrators of crimes against humanity in East Timor in 1999.

The indictments of Gen. Wiranto, General Zacky Anwar Makarin, Major General Kiki Syahnakri, Major General Adam Rachmat Damiri, Colonels Suhartono Suratman, Mohammad Noer Muis and Yayat Sudrajat and former East Timor
police chief Timbul Silaen will highlight the involvement of high-ranking Indonesian officers in funding, arming, training and directing the militia in East Timor.

The indictments against militia leaders Eurico Guterres, Egidio Manek and Cancio Lopes de Carvalho and others will also thrust into the spotlight the role of the militia proxies in the 1999 violence in East Timor.

Since Jakarta has ignored the indictments, as in the past it has also refused to hand over lower ranking officers and officials indicted by Dili, it is opportune for the United Nations to again pressure Jakarta to collaborate with East Timor in trying the high-ranking Indonesian officials.

East Timor needs international support from the Interpol to extradite and bring the suspects to trial. The new nation also needs backing from the United Nations to prosecute high-ranking Indonesian officers who were involved in a "systematic and broad" campaign of "crimes against humanity" in East Timor.

It is also time for UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the Security Council to set up an international tribunal to try the masterminds in the invasion of East Timor in 1975. APCET holds responsible former Indonesian officials like President Suharto and General Murdani as architects of the invasion.

APCET notes with concern that top East Timorese leaders are distancing themselves from the Indonesian indictments, citing the potential damaging of key relations with Jakarta. In contrast, East Timorese civil society is
saying that justice is not something to be bargained off.

Because these are "crimes against humanity", the international community should do more to steer the direction of the indictment process in East Timor.