Dili says relations with RI more important then justice
Dili says relations with RI more important then justice
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesia and East Timor agreed to bury the hatchet and put
bilateral relations between them before the ongoing legal process
against Indonesian officials implicated in human rights
violations during Jakarta's occupation of East Timor.
During his brief visit here, East Timor's Minister of Foreign
Affairs Jose Ramos Horta apparently told officials that Dili
would ignore the recent recommendation by the United Nations
special crimes unit to East Timor's attorney general to indict
former and active Indonesian Military (TNI) officers in order to
maintain good relations with Jakarta.
"The relationship between Timor Leste and Indonesia is far too
important for any issue that might arise to discourage us or to
derail this relationship," he told a joint press conference with
his Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirayuda following their
meeting on Monday.
"Within the framework of our constitution, we will try to find
ways and means how the issue of justice is served but also to
avoid, in the pursuit of justice, any misunderstanding between
Timor Leste and Indonesia."
Horta made the visit upon President Xanana Gusmao's order to
clarify the recent UN special crime unit recommendation on Feb.
24 to declare the Indonesian military and civilians suspects in
crimes against humanity prior to and after the independence
ballot in 1999.
Among the officers were Gen. (ret). Wiranto, Maj. Gen. Zaky
Anwar Makarim, Lt. Gen. (ret) Kiki Syahnakri, Maj. Gen. Adam
Damiri, Brig. Gen. Suhartono Suratman and Col. Yayat Sudrajat.
Gusmao earlier expressed disappointment with the
recommendation, saying he should have been consulted first.
Hassan told the joint press conference on Monday that the two
countries had agreed to work together and would not let the past
issues affect bilateral relations between the neighboring states.
Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs director for East Asia
Primo Alwi Julianto said that during the meeting, Hassan said
that Dili should not push ahead with the recommendation in order
to maintain bilateral relations with Jakarta.
"Explicitly, Horta said that Dili would not go ahead with the
recommendation to the international tribunal, but could not stop
the ongoing national process at his attorney general's office,"
Primo told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
The official reiterated that as long as the process remained
confined to Dili's attorney general's office, it would not affect
non-East Timorese citizens.
"The recommendation will only matter should the East Timor
government file a lawsuit against the officials with the UN
International Court of Justice, which Horta said will not be
done," Primo said.
Primo added Horta referred the settlement through the truth
and reconciliation commission as the best solution to resolve the
cases of murder, deportation and persecution.