De Mello lauds moves to try East Timor suspects

JAKARTA (JP): Following the announcement of 19 suspects in the East Timor case, several expressed hope that these would only be the first of another batch of officials and officers to be named in the case.

The head of the United Nations Transitional Authority in East Timor (UNTAET) Sergio Vieiera de Mello went so far as to defend possible criticism against the Attorney General's Office saying that it is common in the judicial process to start from the bottom up.

"I do not think we should hold it against the Attorney General if all the names are not there yet. That is how the judicial process is in these very serious crimes," de Mello told reporters on Friday.

"In crimes against humanity we need to go from the bottom up. The same thing happened in Rwanda, the same happened in former Yugoslavia," he added.

"As far as we're concerned, this is only the beginning".

He further said that what is important now is to meet the hope of the East Timorese to see those responsible for the mayhem brought to court. The Indonesian government should be determined in that endeavor, he added.

"The first list has come out. The next phase is the judicial process. These person should be indicted and should be presented to court here in Jakarta. I believe the Attorney General has taken the proper steps," de Mello said.

De Mello asserted that UNTAET will always support the Attorney General's Office in its efforts to solve the case. He remarked that the seriousness of Jakarta in this endeavor, which can be seen from the announcement, will only weaken the call for an international tribunal.

Meanwhile Adrianus Meliala, secretary of the expert team helping the investigation into the East Timor cases, said Friday's announcement of "only" 19 suspects was possibly made to pacify public sentiment about the case.

He said there is a possibility of others being named as suspects.

"Considering that the investigation must be finished on the deadline of Oct. 17, the investigation team had to make the announcement," he told the Post, referring to the three-month deadline.

The investigation began in April and, according to the law, can last for three months with only one extension allowed.

"It's likely that several other names are still being kept by the investigation team to buy some time while strengthening arguments to apprehend them," he remarked.

Adrianus said by naming the 19 as suspects, prosecutors have the power to intensively interrogate them under oath, which may also reveal evidence to incriminate other offenders.

"Their testimonies can drag in other names that have yet to be announced as suspects," he said.

Later in the day, former justice minister Muladi called on the House to speed up the deliberation of the human rights tribunal bill to pave the way for the establishment of an ad hoc East Timor trial.

He told a law seminar that any further delay could create an impression that the government is unwilling to bring those responsible in the East Timor violence to justice.

The bill currently being deliberated in the House of Representatives is expected to be passed before the end of September.

It includes an article on the possible establishment of an adhoc tribunal with punishment varying from three years to life imprisonment.(rms/bby/dja)