Rights body will cooperate with UN's Timor inquiry<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas
\nHAM) said on Tuesday it was ready to cooperate with the United
\nNations in its inquiry into alleged human rights abuses in East
\nTimor.<\/p>\n
Rights body chairman Marzuki Darusman, who is also deputy
\nchairman of the Golkar party, said Indonesia had a moral
\nobligation to cooperate with and assist the inquiry.<\/p>\n
\"Although the decision is a setback for the government, Komnas
\nis prepared to cooperate with the international commission,\"
\nMarzuki told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
\"That's the position of the international community ... and it
\nis best that we recognize it and respect that.\"<\/p>\n
Marzuki said the rights body would continue with plans to
\nlaunch its own investigation into alleged human rights violations
\nin the former Portuguese colony.<\/p>\n
\"Komnas itself is going to initiate preparatory steps to set
\nup the institutional framework to enable an inquiry and eventual
\nlegal proceedings, as it is the primary responsibility of the
\ngovernment to bring those who are found to be involved in human
\nrights violations to court.\"<\/p>\n
The United Nations Commissioner on Human Rights (UNHCR)
\nadopted on Monday a resolution calling for an international
\ncommission of inquiry to investigate human rights in the
\nterritory following the wave of violence after the Aug. 30
\nballot.<\/p>\n
Indonesia and many Asian countries voted against the
\nresolution, which Indonesian diplomats in Geneva considered non-
\nbinding.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said the establishment of the international commission
\nto investigate the allegations could \"take some time\".<\/p>\n
He said the international commission would focus on events
\nthat occurred between the announcement of the ballot's result on
\nSept. 4 and the security handover on Monday from the Indonesian
\nMilitary (TNI) to the International Force for East Timor
\n(Interfet).<\/p>\n
An Australian-led multinational force landed in East Timor on
\nSept. 20 to restore peace.<\/p>\n
\"The commission is mandated to assess reports and make an
\noverall judgment of what actually happened and also what did not
\nhappen... and will eventually end up with identifying persons
\nand institutions that are responsible for any alleged human
\nrights violations,\" Marzuki said.<\/p>\n
He added that the primary source for the investigation would
\nbe individuals who had allegedly been forced to leave the
\nterritory.<\/p>\n
\"I think they have gone through a traumatic experience; we
\nwill also have to start by contacting refugees in West Timor.\"<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI)
\nsaid in a statement on Tuesday that the establishment of an
\ninternational inquiry on East Timor \"would break the cycle of
\nimpunity that has so far been enjoyed by the Indonesian Military
\nand authorities\".<\/p>\n
Previous UN commissions of inquiry have led to the
\nestablishment of international war crimes tribunals in the former
\nYugoslavia and Rwanda.<\/p>\n
A top Indonesian government official expressed hope on Tuesday
\nthat the UN would conduct the inquiry in a neutral manner, and
\nstressed the need for the international inquiry to consult the
\nIndonesian rights body.<\/p>\n
Minister\/State Secretary Muladi however stopped short of
\nexplicitly saying Indonesia would cooperate in the probe.<\/p>\n
\"We have to permit this inquiry because we are a member of the
\nUN ... and we hope that the people who come here have good
\nintentions and are neutral,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Asked how Indonesia would react if the UN inquiry found
\nevidence of human rights abuses, Muladi said it was too early to
\ncomment on the scenario. (byg\/prb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rights-body-will-cooperate-with-uns-timor-inquiry-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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