KPP HAM to verify TNI's role in East Timor mayhem<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government-sanctioned Commission of Inquiry
\ninto Human Rights Violations (KPP HAM) in East Timor is likely to
\nverify the alleged involvement of the Indonesian Military (TNI)
\nin the post-ballot violence in the territory, a team member said
\non Saturday.<\/p>\n
Human rights activist Munir said after completing its four-
\nmonth long investigation and questioning of a number of top
\nmilitary top brass, the commission found evidence that military
\npersonnel were either involved in or failed to prevent the
\nviolence.<\/p>\n
\"It seems that military officers at almost all levels of
\ncommand will be held responsible for the violence, although there
\nare degrees of responsibility,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
However, Munir, who is also the coordinator of the Commission
\nfor Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), refused to
\nmention the names and ranks of the alleged officers.<\/p>\n
Munir added that KPP HAM also found evidence to verify that
\nthere was \"physical violence, enforced displacement and a
\ncampaign of destruction\" in the territory after the August
\nballot.<\/p>\n
KPP HAM is scheduled to announce its findings by the end of
\nthis month and will hand over the findings to Attorney General
\nMarzuki Darusman through the National Commission on Human Rights.<\/p>\n
The military top brass questioned, including former TNI chief
\nGen. Wiranto, have all denied the accusations, saying that the
\nviolence was neither premeditated or controllable.<\/p>\n
Munir's statement came as a team of six lawyers representing
\nthe officers were in the East Timor capital of Dili to interview
\nmembers of the proindependence National Resistance Council for
\nEast Timor (CNRT) and top United Nations and church officials.<\/p>\n
The team, whose members include former justice minister Muladi
\nand noted lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution, arrived in the territory
\non Thursday and was scheduled to spend four days in Dili.<\/p>\n
One day before the lawyers' departure, foreign minister Alwi
\nShihab left for New York in an effort to persuade UN Secretary-
\nGeneral Kofi Annan not to proceed with an international tribunal
\nuntil the national probe was taken into account.<\/p>\n
During their meeting here early in December last year, both
\nthe UN and national inquiry teams acknowledged that they were of
\nthe same conclusion that TNI was involved in the debacle.<\/p>\n
Marzuki will also leave for New York on Saturday to meet with
\ntop UN officials to discuss the progress of the international
\ninquiry on East Timor.<\/p>\n
Marzuki is due to meet with U.S. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke,
\nwho is currently president of the UN Security Council, on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
Jakarta has objected to the establishment of a UN rights
\ninquiry on East Timor, saying it was capable of investigating
\nallegations of atrocities and human rights abuses, and would not
\nbe bound by the UN findings.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said earlier that if KPP HAM found evidence of rights
\nabuses, an ad hoc committee would be established to prosecute the
\nperpetrators in a national human rights tribunal.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile a team of defense lawyers representing the military
\ngenerals on Sunday completed their search for evidence in East
\nTimor to support their clients.<\/p>\n
However they were not able to get a single witness who would
\ntestify on behalf of the military officials.<\/p>\n
Adnan Buyung Nasution admitted that witnesses seemed resistant
\nwhen asked to testify for the defense.<\/p>\n
\"We have run into a snag because we have not found any
\nwitnesses we can interview,\" he said in Dili as quoted by Antara.
\n(01\/byg)<\/p>",
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