'Ignoring UNTAET writ will tarnish RI's image'<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government had a moral obligation to surrender 17
\nmilitary men and former militiamen to the United Nations
\nTransitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), which had
\nindicted them for alleged crimes against humanity in 1999,
\nclaimed a noted lawyer.<\/p>\n
Rights activist and lawyer Johnson Panjaitan said here that
\nthe government's failure to support the extradition of the people
\nwould further damage Indonesia's image in the international
\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
Johnson, who was the lawyer for East Timor independence leader
\nJose Alexandre \"Xanana\" Gusmao, acknowledged that the Indonesian
\ngovernment did not have an extradition treaty with East Timor.<\/p>\n
\"But, at least, the government has a moral responsibility to
\nsurrender the 17 people to UNTAET. To some extent the government
\nis held accountable for the mayhem in East Timor,\" said Johnson,
\nthe secretary general of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human
\nRights Association (PBHI).<\/p>\n
The government has dismissed any possibility of extraditing
\nthe suspects, who include prominent pro-Jakarta militia leader
\nEurico Guterres, to Dili, saying that any Indonesian charged with
\ncrimes in the country's former province must be prosecuted under
\nIndonesian law.<\/p>\n
However, Johnson suggested that the government take into
\naccount the fact that the international community had lost its
\nconfidence in Indonesia's commitment to prosecute those
\nimplicated in the human rights violations in East Timor.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has recently been criticized for its sluggish
\nefforts in processing the human rights trial of military officers
\nand civilians who were allegedly involved in various crimes
\nagainst humanity following a UN-administered popular consultation
\nin 1999 that resulted in East Timor's move toward full
\nindependence.<\/p>\n
Johnson said Indonesia risked facing an international tribunal
\nunless it cooperated with UNTAET.<\/p>\n
\"Should the Indonesian government reject the warrants by
\nUNTAET, the international community will regard the country as a
\nhaven for suspected human rights criminals,\" Johnson said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Indonesian authorities remained adamant on
\nTuesday that the suspects would not be handed over to UNTAET.<\/p>\n
The director for political affairs at the Ministry of Foreign
\nAffairs Marty Natalegawa said that the United Nations, which
\nrepresents the international community, had supported Indonesian
\nsovereignty to prosecute the human rights violation cases in East
\nTimor under Indonesian law.<\/p>\n
Marty was referring to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's
\nstatement during his visit to Indonesia in January 2000, on his
\nsupport for the government's determination to investigate crimes
\nagainst humanity in East Timor and to bring those involved to a
\nhuman rights court.<\/p>\n
Separately, Maj. Gen. Sudrajat, the director general of
\ndefense strategy at the Ministry of Defense, supported the
\ngovernment's stance on the issue.<\/p>\n
He said the military would reject the extradition of the 17
\nsuspects to UNTAET.<\/p>\n
\"The military will respect any legal proceedings conducted by
\nUNTAET as long as they does not offend the dignity of Indonesian
\npeople, as well as the country's sovereignty,\" he countered.<\/p>\n
The complete list of the 17 names could not be immediately
\nobtained.<\/p>\n
Siri Frigaard, the UN deputy prosecutor general in East Timor,
\nsaid that international arrest warrants would be sought from
\nInterpol for the 17 men accused.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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