03 Jan 02 14:41
East Timor: Judges Named to Jakarta Court on Crimes against Humanity
The chief justice of Indonesia´s Supreme Court, Bagir Mana, has
approved the names of 17 judges to participate in an ad hoc tribunal
set up to try military and civilian officials indicted on human
rights crimes committed in East Timor, Indonesian media reported
Thursday.
The chief justice has said he expected the tribunal, created by
a presidential decree last year, to begin hearings by January 15.
One senior defendant, General Adam Damiri, was quoted earlier
this week as saying he would cooperate with the court and expected to
be absolved of atrocity charges.
Gen. Damiri said the armed forces chief of staff, Admiral Widodo
Adisucipto, had ordered all indicted military officers to cooperate
with the ad hoc tribunal, which is expected to try at least 19
military and civilian officials.
Indonesia´s decision to set up the special court followed
international pressure and the threat that the United Nations would
set up its own international tribunal if Jakarta failed to act.
The Jakarta court will hear cases related to the wave of
violence unleashed in East Timor by Indonesian forces and proxy
militias around the time of the territory´s 1999 independence
plebiscite.