RI troops faced 'Mission Impossible' in E. Timor: Wiranto<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Former Armed Forces chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto testified in his
\ncapacity as a witness on Thursday at the Central Jakarta Human
\nRights Court, trying former East Timor Police chief Brig. Gen.
\nTimbul Silaen.<\/p>\n
Wiranto appeared as a witness in the three-hour questioning at
\nthe court where Timbul is on trial for committing gross human
\nrights violations in East Timor in 1999.<\/p>\n
It was the fourth hearing for Silaen. Unlike the previous
\nhearing, Silaen was wearing his police uniform during Thursday's
\nhearing.<\/p>\n
Silaen is charged under Article 9 of Law No. 26\/2000 on rights
\ntribunals with the killing of civilians that occurred at separate
\nlocations in East Timor, including the Liquisa incident on April
\n6, 1999, and attacks by pro-Jakarta militias on the residences of
\npro-independence leaders, Manuel Viegas Carrascalao and Leandro
\nIsaac, on April 17, 1999.<\/p>\n
Wiranto said that Indonesian Military, which had just taken
\nover the security operation from the police at that time, had
\nbeen put in an exceptionally difficult situation which he dubbed
\n\"Mission Impossible\".<\/p>\n
He said that the transfer was made under his orders in his
\ncapacity as the Armed Forces chief at the time when a massive
\nrampage occurred in the former Indonesian province before, during
\nand after the 1999 ballot.<\/p>\n
Wiranto said that it was the military's duty to handle the
\nchaotic situation there, in view of the fact that the security
\nsituation had grown totally out of control, following an
\nannouncement by the United Nations Mission in East Timor (Unamet)
\nof the vote result on Sept. 4, declaring victory to the pro-
\nindependence group.<\/p>\n
\"Unamet's failure to remain neutral during that historic
\nmoment sparked anger among East Timorese who felt that were being
\ntreated unfairly ... Who should be blamed should they ... these
\nEast Timorese of the pro-Jakarta group ... who expressed their
\nanger through vandalism and arson in the territory hours after
\nthe Unamet announcement?\" Wiranto asked the court in an emotional
\ntone.<\/p>\n
Aware that the police would be unable to control the
\nsituation, the Indonesian Military Headquarters decided to
\ntotally take over the security operation from the police on Sept.
\n5, Wiranto added.<\/p>\n
When presiding Judge Andi Samsan Nganro asked whether the
\ndefendant was an officer in charge of the security operation when
\nviolence from April to September took place, Wiranto said:
\n\"No ... it was the military officer ... that was the military
\ncommander ... but I didn't say that their responsibility would be
\nany different.\"<\/p>\n
As the hearing went on, members of the panel of judges
\nrepeatedly made mistakes, by saying that the vote result was
\nannounced by Unamet on Aug. 4. They were also sometimes confused
\nthe four incidents involving the defendant so that Wiranto was
\nforced to correct their remarks.<\/p>\n
The hearing was supposed to hear testimonies of former Udayana
\nMilitary commander Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri and former Wiradarma
\nMilitary Resort commander Brig. Gen. A. Noer Muis, but Judge Andi
\nadjourned the trial until April, 11, as time had already run out.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, the court decided to continue the trial of
\nAbilio Jose Osorio Soares, former East Timor governor. Should the
\ndomestic legal system fail to conduct a fair trial, the
\ninternational community has the authority to take over the
\nprocess.<\/p>\n
Like Silaen, Abilio has also been charged with committing
\ngross human rights violation in East Timor before, during, and
\nafter the 1999 ballot.<\/p>\n
\"Everyone has equality before the law so that any impunity
\nmust be wiped out,\" Presiding Judge Emi Marni Mustafa told the
\ncourt.<\/p>\n
The trial was adjourned until April 11 to hear the testimonies
\nfrom witnesses, including Wilhelmus Dos Santo, former regent of
\nBobonaro, and Suprapto Tarman, former regent of Ailieu.<\/p>",
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