De Mello lauds moves to try East Timor suspects<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Following the announcement of 19 suspects in the
\nEast Timor case, several expressed hope that these would only be
\nthe first of another batch of officials and officers to be named
\nin the case.<\/p>\n
The head of the United Nations Transitional Authority in East
\nTimor (UNTAET) Sergio Vieiera de Mello went so far as to defend
\npossible criticism against the Attorney General's Office saying
\nthat it is common in the judicial process to start from the
\nbottom up.<\/p>\n
\"I do not think we should hold it against the Attorney General
\nif all the names are not there yet. That is how the judicial
\nprocess is in these very serious crimes,\" de Mello told reporters
\non Friday.<\/p>\n
\"In crimes against humanity we need to go from the bottom up.
\nThe same thing happened in Rwanda, the same happened in former
\nYugoslavia,\" he added.<\/p>\n
\"As far as we're concerned, this is only the beginning\".<\/p>\n
He further said that what is important now is to meet the hope
\nof the East Timorese to see those responsible for the mayhem
\nbrought to court. The Indonesian government should be determined
\nin that endeavor, he added.<\/p>\n
\"The first list has come out. The next phase is the judicial
\nprocess. These person should be indicted and should be presented
\nto court here in Jakarta. I believe the Attorney General has
\ntaken the proper steps,\" de Mello said.<\/p>\n
De Mello asserted that UNTAET will always support the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office in its efforts to solve the case. He remarked
\nthat the seriousness of Jakarta in this endeavor, which can be
\nseen from the announcement, will only weaken the call for an
\ninternational tribunal.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile Adrianus Meliala, secretary of the expert team
\nhelping the investigation into the East Timor cases, said
\nFriday's announcement of \"only\" 19 suspects was possibly made to
\npacify public sentiment about the case.<\/p>\n
He said there is a possibility of others being named as
\nsuspects.<\/p>\n
\"Considering that the investigation must be finished on the
\ndeadline of Oct. 17, the investigation team had to make the
\nannouncement,\" he told the Post, referring to the three-month
\ndeadline.<\/p>\n
The investigation began in April and, according to the law,
\ncan last for three months with only one extension allowed.<\/p>\n
\"It's likely that several other names are still being kept by
\nthe investigation team to buy some time while strengthening
\narguments to apprehend them,\" he remarked.<\/p>\n
Adrianus said by naming the 19 as suspects, prosecutors have
\nthe power to intensively interrogate them under oath, which may
\nalso reveal evidence to incriminate other offenders.<\/p>\n
\"Their testimonies can drag in other names that have yet to be
\nannounced as suspects,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Later in the day, former justice minister Muladi called on the
\nHouse to speed up the deliberation of the human rights tribunal
\nbill to pave the way for the establishment of an ad hoc East
\nTimor trial.<\/p>\n
He told a law seminar that any further delay could create an
\nimpression that the government is unwilling to bring those
\nresponsible in the East Timor violence to justice.<\/p>\n
The bill currently being deliberated in the House of
\nRepresentatives is expected to be passed before the end of
\nSeptember.<\/p>\n
It includes an article on the possible establishment of an
\nadhoc tribunal with punishment varying from three years to life
\nimprisonment.(rms\/bby\/dja)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/de-mello-lauds-moves-to-try-east-timor-suspects-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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