Generals' lawyers to visit East Timor

Generals' lawyers to visit East Timor

JAKARTA (JP): Lawyers defending Army generals under scrutiny
for their alleged involvement in the East Timor debacle will
visit the territory on Jan. 16 to prove their clients' innocence.

One of the lawyers, Mohamad Assegaf, told The Jakarta Post on
Thursday that the United Nations Transitional Authority for East
Timor (UNTAET) gave the team permission to enter the territory.

Assegaf, however, said for logistical and security reasons
UNTAET could only let in five or six members of the team.

"Maybe the team will stay there for two or three days,"
Assegaf said.

Adnan Buyung Nasution, Ruhut Sitompul, Tommy Sihotang, Yan
Juanda Saputra and former justice minister Muladi are among those
who will be leaving for the former Indonesian province, Assegaf
said.

Assegaf also claimed to have received approval from
independence leader Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao to meet with
the team.

The team failed to enter East Timor last month, with Buyung
accusing the International Force in East Timor (Interfet) of
obstructing justice.

UNTAET, however, said that the team was denied entry because
it did not provide adequate advance notice.

UNTAET officials said that difficulties in transport,
accommodation and security in East Timor were such that visits
took time to arrange.

The government-sanctioned Commission of Inquiry into Human
Rights Violations (KPP HAM) in East Timor has alleged that
several senior Army officers, including Gen. Wiranto, were in
some way responsible for the violence which raged following the
Aug. 30 self-determination ballot.

Wiranto, who was TNI commander and defense minister when the
violence broke out, is now the coordinating minister for
political affairs and security.

Following a fact-finding visit to East Timor in November and
December, the commission concluded that the military and the
police colluded with prointegration militias in the violence,
which left more than 260,000 people seeking refuge in neighboring
East Nusa Tenggara.

The commission was set up in late September following
Jakarta's refusal to accept the UN inquiry into post-ballot
violence in East Timor. (byg)