Generals grilled over East Timor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's Office kicked off on
\nMonday their official investigation into last year's violence in
\nEast Timor by questioning several Indonesian Military (TNI)
\nofficers.<\/p>\n
Former East Timor military commander Brig. Gen. Tono Suratman
\nwas grilled for more than six hours while his immediate superior,
\nformer Udayana Military commander Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri,
\nTono's successor Col. Noer Muis and former East Timor Police
\nchief Brig. Gen. Timbul Silaen were all quizzed for more than
\neight hours.<\/p>\n
Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes M. Rahman, who
\nleads a 64-member investigation team, said former East Timor
\ngovernor Jose Abilio Osorio Soares was also scheduled to be
\nquestioned but he failed to appear.<\/p>\n
Rahman said Tono will again be questioned on Tuesday while
\nAdam, Muis and Timbul will face another round of questioning on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
"At this stage, they are still being questioned as witnesses.
\nWe should wait for further developments because the investigators
\nstill need to go to Kupang, Atambua and East Timor to meet other
\nwitnesses and gather more evidence," Rahman said.<\/p>\n
Rahman said the five were among the 21 military officers and
\ncivilian officials on the list of people to face questioning over
\nthe East Timor debacle.<\/p>\n
They would be summoned in groups of five people.<\/p>\n
He added that the status of each person would be decided after
\nthe team of investigators return from East Timor.<\/p>\n
Rahman refused, however, to disclose the date of the visit.<\/p>\n
"We already have the schedule. But if I disclose it to you
\nright now, I am afraid that the witnesses on the ground will
\nflee," Rahman said.<\/p>\n
Rahman would not confirm if former TNI chief Gen. (ret)
\nWiranto was among those who would be questioned.<\/p>\n
"We will announce that later," Rahman said.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, the government-sanctioned Commission of
\nInquiry into Human Rights Violations (KPP HAM) in East Timor
\nimplicated Wiranto and 32 other military and civilian officers in
\nthe violence that erupted after the Aug. 30 ballot in the former
\nIndonesian province. The ballot itself resulted in an
\noverwhelming victory for the independence movement.<\/p>\n
Wiranto, who has been suspended as coordinating minister for
\npolitical affairs and security by President Abdurrahman Wahid
\npending the investigation, has denied any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n
The team will have three months to report its findings, with
\nthe possibility of further three-month extensions.<\/p>\n
The findings will become the basis of the Attorney General's
\nOffice decision to pursue or drop the charges against the alleged
\nrights abusers.<\/p>\n
The investigation team comprises 38 officials from the
\nAttorney General's Office, 10 from the Military Police, six
\nofficers from the National Police and 10 officials from the home
\naffairs ministry.<\/p>\n
Another 15-member team of experts has been appointed to
\nconsult and review the work of the investigation.<\/p>\n
Initially, the investigation will focus on five cases which
\nwill be considered for prosecution.<\/p>\n
They are: an April 17 attack on proindependence leader Manuel
\nCarrascalao's house in Dili which left at least 12 people dead;
\nthe Sept. 6 attack on the home of Dili Bishop Carlos Felipe
\nXimenes Belo; a refugee massacre in a church in Liquica in April;
\na massacre in a church in Suai in September where at least 26
\npeople died; and the shooting of Financial Times correspondent
\nSander Thoenes in the East Dili area of Becora on Sept.
\n21.(01\/byg)<\/p>",
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