Death of East Timor suspect to foil probe
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)