International scrutiny looms over rights trial

International scrutiny looms over rights trial

Debbie A. Lubis and Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The country's failure to conduct a fair and impartial human
rights trial will become the subject of an international
discourse next year, including at the International Human Rights
Commission in Geneva, a rights activist warned on Tuesday.

Asmara Nababan, former secretary-general of the National
Commission on Human Rights, said that such discourse would take
place as the country had shown irregularities and deviations in
its court system.

"We cannot predict how the conclusion of the discourse might
affect us. But one thing is certain: the latest trial over
violations of human rights in East Timor has proven that impunity
still exists in the country," he said.

Asmara was commenting on the poor performance of the country's
ad hoc tribunal trying the gross human rights violations that
took place in East Timor following a vote of independence on Aug.
30, 1999.

Many believe that the Military, as well as the National
Police, were involved in the violence that claimed hundreds of
innocent lives. But the Court has failed to send any security
officer to jail.

Only civilians -- former East Timor governor Abilio Jose
Osorio Soares and former commander of pro-Jakarta militia Aitarak
Eurico Guterres -- have been declared guilty over the violence.

Asmara said that the international court was the only option
if the national court mechanism did not uphold justice.

"We used to believe that impunity would be abolished through
the human rights trials, which are part of the national court
mechanism. But we have seen the trial of East Timor cases and
will also see the same thing happen again in the Tanjung Priok
trials next year," he said.

Agung Yudha Wiranata of the Institute for Policy Research and
Advocacy (Elsham) criticized the rights tribunal for not sending
Eurico to jail immediately.

"The Court has sentenced Eurico to 10 years' imprisonment.
Even though it is a minimum jail term it shows the seriousness of
the crimes committed by Eurico," Agung told The Jakarta Post.

Asmara then urged the public and the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) to demand that the government take firm measures
to protect and promote human rights in the country.

"A failure to maintain human rights would be a black mark on
the record on the current government and discredit the country
before the international community," he said.