Generals' lawyers denied entry to E. Timor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Lawyers representing Indonesian Military (TNI)
\ngenerals who are to be questioned over suspected rights abuses in
\nEast Timor, were denied entry to the territory on Friday and have
\nbeen told by UN officials to try again next week.<\/p>\n
\"We understand that it was immediate entry they were seeking,\"
\ndirector of the human rights division of the United Nations
\nTransitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) Sidney Jones
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"We further understand they wanted to come this morning at 11
\no'clock,\" Jones was quoted by AFP as saying from the East Timor
\ncapital of Dili.<\/p>\n
The 12-member delegation, led by prominent lawyer Adnan Buyung
\nNasution and accompanied by 17 journalists, was told to come back
\nnext week, said Refik Hodzic of UNTAET.<\/p>\n
Jones said the lawyers' request to visit East Timor comes just
\ndays before the Indonesian government-sanctioned commission of
\ninquiry (KPP HAM) is expected to subpoena former TNI commander,
\nGen. Wiranto.<\/p>\n
However, Jones said that Jose Ramos-Horta, vice-president of
\nthe National Council of Timorese Resistance (CNRT), and Taur
\nMatan Ruak, deputy commander of the Falintil proindependence
\ngroup, have both already declined to meet the delegation.<\/p>\n
The lawyers have also expressed an interest in meeting CNRT
\npresident Jose Alexandre \"Xanana\" Gusmao, Jones said.<\/p>\n
She said an organization that helped arrange interviews for
\nother visiting inquiry teams \"could not think of a single East
\nTimorese who would want to meet this delegation.\" Jones would not
\nname the organization.<\/p>\n
The lawyers' visit would create \"some interesting security
\nchallenges,\" said Maj. Gen. Peter Cosgrove, commander of the
\nInternational Force in East Timor (Interfet).<\/p>\n
\"They're going to be inquiring into an area where there are
\nplainly great sensitivities. They'll be asking questions which go
\nto allegations of crimes against humanity and they'll be asking
\nin an environment or a community where there is much angst and
\nmuch suffering, and probably a great deal of resentment,\"
\nCosgrove was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n
Jones also said that for logistical reasons UNTAET could only
\nhelp six members of the Indonesian delegation -- the same number
\nit helped from KPP HAM.<\/p>\n
The Commission for the Investigation of Human Rights Abuses in
\nEast Timor in an interim report late last month said it had found
\nindications that TNI members were involved in or had prior
\nknowledge about the campaign of terror and destruction that
\ndevastated East Timor after the Aug. 30 self-determination
\nballot.<\/p>\n
Top military officers -- Wiranto, former TNI Intelligence
\nchief Maj. Gen. Zacky Anwar Makarim, former East Timor Military
\ncommanders Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri, Maj. Gen. Tono Suratman and
\nformer ministry of defense expert staff member Maj. Gen. Sjafrie
\nSjamsoeddin -- have banded together and hired the skills of some
\nof the country's top defense lawyers.<\/p>\n
The legal team representing them includes big-name lawyers
\nsuch as Adnan Buyung Nasution, Ruhut Sitompul, Hotma Sitoempoel,
\nM. Assegaf and Hartono Mardjono.<\/p>\n
Separately, the delegation's spokesman Ruhut Sitompul alleged
\nthat UN officials had refused them permission to enter on grounds
\nthat witnesses and victims of abuse did not want to meet with
\nthem.<\/p>\n
Ruhut said he regretted the decision not to allow them entry.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, legal expert Harkristuti Harkrisnowo denied Ruhut's
\nclaim earlier this week that she was among the lawyers in the
\ndefense team.<\/p>\n
She said that former justice minister Muladi and Nasution had
\nasked her to join but she refused.<\/p>\n
Muladi is reportedly the coordinator of the defense
\nteam.<\/p>\n
Later in the day, a group East Timorese refugees handed over
\n33 firearms to authorities in East Nusa Tenggara.<\/p>\n
In a ceremony held in Atambua, the group handed over the
\nweapons to the commander of the local battalion of the Army's
\nStrategic Reserves Command (Kostrad).<\/p>\n
\"We do not want further bloodshed because of the weapons,\"
\nRemexio Lopes da Carvalho, the group's representative, said.<\/p>\n
Maj. Erit Heryadi, who accepted the firearms, said that the
\nweapons' surrender was \"proof of the trust of the people towards
\nTNI in assuring security.\"<\/p>\n
The handover followed a call by militia commander Joao da
\nSilva Tavares on Monday when he officially disbanded an umbrella
\norganization for pro-Indonesian militias. (byg\/anr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/generals-lawyers-denied-entry-to-e-timor-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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