Death of East Timor suspect to foil probe

JAKARTA (JP): Activists condemned on Thursday the murder of ex-militia leader Olivio Moruk, one of 19 people named as suspects in last year's violence in East Timor, describing it as an attempt to foil the government's efforts to investigate rights abuses in the territory.

The founder of the Commission on Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Munir, said he suspected Tuesday's murder was part of an elaborate plan to conceal evidence related to the East Timor mayhem.

"As a consequence, the Indonesian government now has to pay dearly in trying to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident (in East Timor).

"If the government fails, it will only raise further distrust among the international community, which will pressure (Indonesia) by imposing an embargo or just bringing the case to an international tribunal," he said at his office.

Munir also blasted the Attorney General's Office for failing to guarantee the safety of the suspects in the case.

He said that in a case in which military and militia figures were implicated, the Attorney General's Office should have anticipated such attacks.

"The office should have put all the suspects in detention here (in Jakarta) to protect them," he said.

Olivio's death further complicates the case, which already was made more difficult by a recent constitutional amendment which protects people from being prosecuted for past human rights abuses.

"Now not only is the government's credibility at stake, but the legislative bodies and the Indonesia Military are also under the suspicious eyes of the international community," Munir said.

Meanwhile, a group supporting independence in East Timor, Solidarity for Peace in East Timor, blamed Udayana Military Commander Maj. Gen. Kiki Syahnakri, whose area of responsibility includes East Nusa Tenggara, for the murder of three UN aid workers on Wednesday.

The group also demanded President Abdurrahman Wahid immediately remove pro-Indonesian militias from camps housing East Timorese refugees in East Nusa Tenggara. (bby)