Belo fails to testify in rights trial

Belo fails to testify in rights trial

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Despite the use of teleconferencing in the human rights tribunal
for the East Timor case, state prosecutors failed to present key
witness former Dili Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo on Monday
and only heard weak testimonies against a military officer from
two witnesses.

The court is trying former East Timor military chief Brig.
Gen. M. Noer Muis on charges of allowing his subordinates to
attack, kill and torture pro-independence supporters at Belo's
residence and the Diocese office in Dili and the Ave Maria church
in Suai after the August 1999 independence vote.

Judges decided to delay issuing a verdict on the trial to
allow key witnesses, including Belo, to testify in court through
teleconferencing.

One of the witnesses, Nonato Soares, who suffered a stab wound
during the Diocese massacre that killed at least 13 people, said
on Monday he didn't see any military or police personnel take
part in the attack.

"I was taking refuge in the house with my family and around
300 others in the Diocese compound when militiamen started
attacking the complex. I saw militia like Aitarak and Besi Merah
Putih (Red and White Iron) attack the compound," he said.

Nonato said that he saw military and police officers outside
the gate of the Diocese compound after he came out of the house,
but that he didn't know what their purpose was in being there.

He also said that he was stabbed by militiamen when he was
helped by military officer Lt. Sutarman to get out of the
compound.

But, on the way to Dili port, Nonato said, he met another
military officer, Capt. Agus Suwarno, who hit him with a pistol,
without any provocation.

"He almost shot me, but my wife begged him not to do so, then
he just hit me with his pistol," he said.

Nonato, who is a former military officer and a village head,
lost his son and nephew in the Diocese massacre.

Another witness, Tobias dos Santos, a former police officer at
Suai Police precinct, said that he was at home when the attack of
Ave Maria church in Suai began on Sept. 6, where 22 people were
killed.

"My house is only 500 meters from the church and I heard
continuous gunfire from the church. After the strike ended, I
went to my office and stopped by the location," he said.

"I met several pro-Jakarta militiamen who carried out the
attack, but I don't know whether or not the military and police
were involved in the attack," he added.

Nonato and Tobias are among four witnesses who were supposed
to testify through teleconferencing, which was funded by the
World Bank. State prosecutors are supposed to bring 10 key
witnesses to the court.

Prosecutor Widodo Supriyadi blamed the Attorney General's
Office of East Timor for their lack of commitment to bring
witnesses to testify through teleconferencing.

"We have sent letters about the list of witnesses. We can't do
anything about their absence. It's the responsibility of the East
Timor Attorney General's Office," he said.

"I'm also very disappointed with the witnesses today," he
added.

Assistant prosecutor Teuku Rahman supported Widodo's
statement, saying the prosecutor only received the name of four
witnesses on Monday morning before the start of the hearing.

Agus Takabobir, Noer Muis' lawyer, said that the witnesses had
not proven the involvement of military officers in various
massacres.

"The witnesses didn't see that military take part in the
attacks. Their testimonies are weak," he said.

He also complained about the validity of the teleconference,
which was held without a letter of authorization from the Supreme
Court as it was held outside Indonesia territory.