House to review MoU signed with UNTAET

House to review MoU signed with UNTAET

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives and the government
agreed on Thursday to review the memorandum of understanding
(MOU) which has been disputed as a legal ground for a joint
investigation by the Attorney General's Office and the United
Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) over
last year's East Timor mayhem.

House speaker Akbar Tandjung told a joint media conference
that legislators would study the MOU in a series of hearings
later next month, following the holiday recess, and focus on
several dictums which are considered qualified as a binding
bilateral agreement.

"Should there be dictums in the memorandum which are not in
accordance with Indonesian law, there will be a dialog for some
modifications or adjustments," Akbar said after a two-hour dialog
with Attorney General Marzuki Darusman.

The dialog was also attended by the chairmen of the House
Commission I on defense, foreign and political affairs Yasril
Ananta Baharuddin, Commission II on home and legal affairs Amin
Aryoso and the Inter-parliamentary Union Cooperation Body
chairman Sabam Sirait.

The meeting took place after several representatives,
including the legislators, top generals and lawyers representing
military and police officers implicated in East Timor violence
delivered their opinion that the agreement would lead to foreign
intervention in the country's domestic affairs.

However, Marzuki dismissed speculation, saying that
prosecution of alleged human rights perpetrators would only be
under Indonesian law and that they would not be extradited.

He said that during the dialog, the House leaders raised
questions on several points carried by the MOU, including mutual
assistance to facilitate the transfer of persons and extradition.

Marzuki assured that there would be no rejection from UNTAET,
should there be changes to the MOU, which he and UNTAET chairman
Sergio Vieira de Mello signed last April.

"I believe UNTAET will respect our decision to make some
changes to the memorandum which have been suggested by the
legislature, and represents the interests of the Indonesian
people," he told the media briefing.

Marzuki said that the MOU is still effective, but will only be
valid after the hearings, which will discuss issues in the
memorandum, are completed.

"We need some time to calm things down and to settle these
matters through the hearings. The investigation will proceed in
its own time," he said.

Meanwhile, Attorney General's Office spokesman Muljohardjo
told journalists on Thursday that the dossiers on East Timor's
pro-independence militia leader Eurico Guterres were filed with
the North Jakarta District Court.

Eurico's lawyer Suhardi Somomoeljono told The Jakarta Post
that the district court would announce the panel of judges and
set the date for the initial hearing on Monday.

Eurico, who is currently being detained at a safe house within
the Jakarta Police headquarters compound, will be charged with
Article 160 of the Criminal Code for persuading others to go
against the government and Article 214 of the same Code for a
forceful and belligerent act.

Guterres allegedly ordered his supporters last September to
retrieve weapons they had earlier handed over to the police.
(bby)