House to review MoU signed with UNTAET<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives and the government
\nagreed on Thursday to review the memorandum of understanding
\n(MOU) which has been disputed as a legal ground for a joint
\ninvestigation by the Attorney General's Office and the United
\nNations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) over
\nlast year's East Timor mayhem.<\/p>\n
House speaker Akbar Tandjung told a joint media conference
\nthat legislators would study the MOU in a series of hearings
\nlater next month, following the holiday recess, and focus on
\nseveral dictums which are considered qualified as a binding
\nbilateral agreement.<\/p>\n
\"Should there be dictums in the memorandum which are not in
\naccordance with Indonesian law, there will be a dialog for some
\nmodifications or adjustments,\" Akbar said after a two-hour dialog
\nwith Attorney General Marzuki Darusman.<\/p>\n
The dialog was also attended by the chairmen of the House
\nCommission I on defense, foreign and political affairs Yasril
\nAnanta Baharuddin, Commission II on home and legal affairs Amin
\nAryoso and the Inter-parliamentary Union Cooperation Body
\nchairman Sabam Sirait.<\/p>\n
The meeting took place after several representatives,
\nincluding the legislators, top generals and lawyers representing
\nmilitary and police officers implicated in East Timor violence
\ndelivered their opinion that the agreement would lead to foreign
\nintervention in the country's domestic affairs.<\/p>\n
However, Marzuki dismissed speculation, saying that
\nprosecution of alleged human rights perpetrators would only be
\nunder Indonesian law and that they would not be extradited.<\/p>\n
He said that during the dialog, the House leaders raised
\nquestions on several points carried by the MOU, including mutual
\nassistance to facilitate the transfer of persons and extradition.<\/p>\n
Marzuki assured that there would be no rejection from UNTAET,
\nshould there be changes to the MOU, which he and UNTAET chairman
\nSergio Vieira de Mello signed last April.<\/p>\n
\"I believe UNTAET will respect our decision to make some
\nchanges to the memorandum which have been suggested by the
\nlegislature, and represents the interests of the Indonesian
\npeople,\" he told the media briefing.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said that the MOU is still effective, but will only be
\nvalid after the hearings, which will discuss issues in the
\nmemorandum, are completed.<\/p>\n
\"We need some time to calm things down and to settle these
\nmatters through the hearings. The investigation will proceed in
\nits own time,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Attorney General's Office spokesman Muljohardjo
\ntold journalists on Thursday that the dossiers on East Timor's
\npro-independence militia leader Eurico Guterres were filed with
\nthe North Jakarta District Court.<\/p>\n
Eurico's lawyer Suhardi Somomoeljono told The Jakarta Post
\nthat the district court would announce the panel of judges and
\nset the date for the initial hearing on Monday.<\/p>\n
Eurico, who is currently being detained at a safe house within
\nthe Jakarta Police headquarters compound, will be charged with
\nArticle 160 of the Criminal Code for persuading others to go
\nagainst the government and Article 214 of the same Code for a
\nforceful and belligerent act.<\/p>\n
Guterres allegedly ordered his supporters last September to
\nretrieve weapons they had earlier handed over to the police.
\n(bby)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-to-review-mou-signed-with-untaet-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}