Indonesia near quashing UN human rights inquiry
Indonesia near quashing UN human rights inquiry
GENEVA (Agencies): Indonesia called on Asian, African and
South American states on Friday to block a Western attempt to
launch a United Nations inquiry into alleged killings in East
Timor.
The United States backed a European Union resolution for an
investigation but Latin American and African delegations took the
floor at the UN Commission on Human Rights against it.
"The vote could be close. Latin American countries will have
the swing vote but they have been unenthusiastic," a diplomatic
source said.
"Some delegations could hide behind abstentions."
Portugal, the former colonial power in East Timor, called for
the two-day special session, the fourth in the Commission's 53-
year history.
Some form of compromise could emerge, possibly a chairman's
statement negotiated with Indonesia, a milder form of rebuke than
a resolution, according to diplomats and UN sources.
The Philippines envoy on Friday backed Jakarta's plans for a
national fact-finding commission, but not a UN investigation.
"We believe that the international community must provide
support to this effort and not demean or undermine it by
suggesting that it is welcome but not good enough without a
parallel international inquiry," Manila's delegate said.
On Thursday, Japan, China, India and Pakistan signaled in
speeches they would try to block any UN inquiry.
George Moose, the United States Ambassador to the United
Nations in Geneva, expressed support for the UN investigation
which would support Indonesia's own national inquiry into the
bloodshed which erupted after the pro-independence ballot.
"It is important to send a signal to all parts of the world
that gross violations of human rights will not be tolerated,"
said Moose, speaking on the second day of debate.
Mozambique, Slovenia, Norway and Switzerland made similar
statements.
Australia and New Zealand, observer states without voting
rights, also spoke in favor of a inquiry to compile evidence.
The draft EU text calls on UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to
set up a panel of experts to document crimes by pro-Jakarta
militias with alleged complicity by Indonesian forces.
Similar commissions led to the establishment of UN war crimes
tribunals for former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
The inquiry could be the first step towards the establishment
of a UN war crimes tribunal for East Timor and is supported by UN
Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson.
Indonesia rejects the proposal, saying an international
inquiry would only make the situation worse and make
reconciliation more difficult. Instead, it wants to send its own
fact-finding mission to East Timor.