Wiranto, Damiri, Noer Muis to testify at human rights trial<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Former Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto is
\nexpected to make a much-anticipated appearance at the human
\nrights tribunal on April 4 to testify in the trial of a former
\nIndonesian official accused of committing crimes against humanity
\nin East Timor in 1999.<\/p>\n
At the third hearing on Thursday, presiding Judge Andi Samsan
\nNganro also plans to summon former chief of the Udayana Military
\nCommand Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri and former chief of the Wiradharma
\nMilitary Command Brig. Gen. A. Noer Muis as witnesses at the
\nCentral Jakarta District Court on April 4.<\/p>\n
Judge Andi made the statements during the third session of the
\ntrial of former East Timor police chief Brig. Gen. Timbul Silaen,
\nwho is accused of perpetrating gross human rights violations
\nbefore and after the August vote sponsored by the United Nations
\nin the former Indonesian province of East Timor in 1999.<\/p>\n
"The court has accepted the prosecutors' indictment and
\ndecided to continue the trial against the defendant. At the next
\nhearing on April 4, we ask the prosecutor to bring the three
\nwitnesses to give their testimonies. They are Wiranto, Adam
\nDamiri and Noer Muis," Andi told the court.<\/p>\n
Wiranto has repeatedly said he is ready to testify before the
\ncourt.<\/p>\n
Some human rights activists have demanded that Wiranto be
\nnamed a suspect due to his position at the time when the violence
\ntook place in East Timor. But Wiranto, who was questioned in 2000
\nby the commission of inquiry into the East Timor debacle, denied
\nany wrongdoing. His name was not in the list of 30 persons
\nrecommended by the inquiry to the Attorney General's Office for
\nformal investigation.<\/p>\n
Adam and Muis are among 18 defendants charged with gross human
\nrights violations in the former Portuguese colony.<\/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, as well as the attacks by pro-Jakarta militias on the
\nresidences of pro-independence leaders, Manuel Viegas Carrascalao
\nand Leandro Isaac, on April 17, 1999.<\/p>\n
Prosecutor James Pardede also accused Silaen of being
\nresponsible when groups of soldiers of the Indonesian Military
\n(TNI) and the National Police went on the rampage at St. Ave
\nMaria church in Suai in September 1999. At least 27 people were
\nkilled, including three Catholic priests.<\/p>\n
Silaen is further accused of being responsible when militiamen
\nattacked Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo's residence in Dili on
\nSept. 6, 1999.<\/p>\n
"It's better for me for this trial to continue, so that we can
\ndisclose to the public that we did good things there," Silaen
\ntold reporters after the trial.<\/p>\n
Earlier, defense lawyers challenged the legality of the
\nongoing trial, arguing that the country's legal code did not
\nrecognize retroactivity.<\/p>\n
They also insisted that Law No. 26\/2000, which serves as the
\nlegal basis for the human rights trial, did not specifically
\nmention East Timor as coming under the court's jurisdiction.<\/p>\n
"The establishment of the ad hoc tribunal is in line with a
\ndecision of the House of Representatives as it asked the
\nexecutive to issue a decree about the matter.<\/p>\n
"To follow up on this, the President issued a decree in 2001
\nto establish the ad hoc tribunal to try the 1984-bloodshed in
\nTanjung Priok and the 1999 East Timor violence. Therefore, the
\ncourt is competent to try the case," Judge Andi said, adding that
\nthe matter did not involve retroactivity.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, the court resumed the trial of former East
\nTimor governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares on the same charges.
\nLike Silaen, Abilio's trial was adjourned until April 4 to hear
\nthe panel of judges' decision.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/wiranto-damiri-noer-muis-to-testify-at-human-rights-trial-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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