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.