UN human rights team to arrive in East Timor this week<\/p>\n
GENEVA (Reuters): A United Nations team of human rights
\nexperts will go to East Timor this week to investigate alleged
\natrocities there after a key UN body on Monday approved their
\ndeployment.<\/p>\n
The five independent experts, led by chair Sonia Picado of
\nCosta Rica, will hold preliminary talks this week in Geneva,
\nincluding with UN human rights chief Mary Robinson,\" UN spokesman
\nJose Diaz said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"The experts are scheduled to leave for East Timor at the end
\nof this week,\" Diaz said.<\/p>\n
Picado is a law professor and member of Costa Rica's
\nLegislative Assembly who served as an ambassador to the United
\nStates. She has also been a judge and vice chair of the Inter-
\nAmerican Court of Human Rights.<\/p>\n
The other experts, named by Robinson a month ago, are Judith
\nSefi Attah of Nigeria, A.M. Ahmadi of India, Mari Kapi of Papua
\nNew Guinea and Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger of Germany.<\/p>\n
In Timor, they will interview witnesses of alleged human
\nrights violations and visit what are said to be sites of mass
\nkillings. They will report to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan by
\nDec. 31.<\/p>\n
Previous panels have led to setting up war crimes tribunals to
\nprosecute violators of international humanitarian law in former
\nYugoslavia and Rwanda.<\/p>\n
Known as the \"international commission of inquiry\", the team
\nwill be backed up by forensic experts.<\/p>\n
On Monday, the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the
\nparent body of the 53-member state UN rights forum, voted in
\nfavor of sending the inquiry, a bureaucratic necessity.<\/p>\n
The vote was 27 to 10 with 11 abstentions and six members
\nabsent. The no votes came mainly from Asian and Middle East
\nNations, including Indonesia, India, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi
\nArabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Vietnam and China. Russia too voted
\nagainst.<\/p>\n
None of the experts appointed by Mary Robinson could go to the
\nterritory until ECOSOC endorsed the inquiry.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in Dili, East Timor, the man who will guide East
\nTimor as it begins its transition to independence arrived in Dili
\non Tuesday vowing to work closely with Timorese after complaints
\nlocal leaders were being sidelined.<\/p>\n
The United Nations' Sergio Vieira de Mello told reporters on
\nthe tarmac at Dili's Komoro airport: \"We are determined to
\nsucceed in very, very close coordination and consultation with
\nthe East Timorese.\"<\/p>\n
\"As far as I'm concerned... (relations) are not strained at
\nall. Too many statements have been made, some of which were
\npremature. Let us start working in earnest and without indulging
\nin premature and superficial remarks.\"<\/p>\n
De Mello takes over the UN Transitional Administration in East
\nTimor (UNTAET) to build the territory and establish a new legal
\nand political system, currency, civil service and economy before
\nindependence in about three years.<\/p>\n
He is expected to head the body for at least six months,
\nleading 500 foreign civilians and more than 10,500 soldiers and
\npolice.<\/p>\n
Considered one of the UN's rising stars, the 51-year-old
\nBrazilian held a similar role in war-torn Kosovo.<\/p>",
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