Army's decision on Liquisa applauded

Army's decision on Liquisa applauded

JAKARTA (JP): Politicians lauded yesterday the Army's decision to court-martial two of its members over the killings of six East Timorese, although they were not in full agreement with some of the findings of the military investigation into the affair.

Clementino Dos Reis Amaral, a senior East Timorese politician, who sits in the National Commission on Human Rights, said the Army's report on the incident in East Timor's Liquisa regency last January was generally consistent with the one conducted by his commission.

The only divergence was over the status of the victims, with the Army insisting that they were members of the armed separatist rebel group, Fretilin. The National Commission on Human Rights has doubts about the military claim.

Two members of the House of Representatives, B.N. Marbun from the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) and Syamsul Muarif from the dominant Golkar faction, also applauded the Army.

Syamsul described the action as "appropriate and courageous". Marbun, who also had some reservations about the status of the victims, nevertheless said the Army's move was "positive."

Army Chief of Staff Gen. R. Hartono announced on Monday that two soldiers would be court-martialled in connection with the death of six East Timorese in the Liquisa regency last January.

Hartono said several officers and soldiers would also face disciplinary measures over the affair.

Clementino, who took part in the investigation by the human rights commission, applauded the Army for admitting the mistakes made by its own members.

He said, however, that he had a hard time accepting the statement on the status of the victims. "We should never make arbitrary accusations, especially against people who are dead. That's not kind."

Clementino said there was no way military investigators could have easily ascertained that the people shot dead by the soldiers were really rebels. "Those villagers, the common people, many of whom are illiterate, are really in a bind. When soldiers come, they are usually helpful. But once the soldiers are gone, and the rebel groups come, they, too, often have no choice but to provide them with food or shelter."

The Commission agreed, in principle, with the Army's findings because they were derived through correct procedures, he said. "But what's important here is that such an incident must never happen again, in this territory, in the future."

"If this happens again, then it means the democratization process in East Timor is still far from being solid," he said.

Syamsul called the military's admission of the mistakes made by its soldiers as "appropriate and courageous", and urged that legal procedures be carried out as soon as possible in order to prove whether the victims really were rebels.

The process of determining the status of the victims will be crucial to the credibility of the findings, he pointed out. "I believe it's rather difficult for people to decide, in East Timor, who are rebels and who are civilians."

"In addition, the two soldiers will have due opportunity to defend themselves in court, and explain what the causes of their action were," Syamsul said.

Marbun also expressed doubts over the status of the victims. "What the Council has found is really positive and a step forward, but in order for this case to be really transparent, the trial should be held soon," he said.

Marbun said the killing was proof of ABRI's failure in dealing with the territory. "I believe the territorial development approach that ABRI employs in East Timor is still off target.

"That's why we should examine where the mistakes originated from," he said, adding, "But we should all welcome and support ABRI for its open attitude in the matter." (swe)