Investigators return to E. Timor for more facts
Investigators return to E. Timor for more facts
JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights has deferred announcing the result of its investigation into the deaths of six people at the hands of the military in East Timor, saying that it needs more evidence.
The commission originally planned to disclose the result today. Its fact finding team returned from East Timor on Monday.
Commission members have said that their findings may not necessarily be the same as those from the investigation conducted by the military.
Marzuki Darusman, a member of the team, told The Jakarta Post yesterday the team will fly back to East Timor today to recheck the accuracy of some of the material it gathered earlier.
The five-person team that left last week was personally headed by commission chairman Ali Said. The other members of the team were Muladi, Djoko Soegianto and Clementino Dos Reis Amaral, who is an indigenous East Timorese. The team that will depart today will be led by Marzuki. Ali Said's place will be taken by Soegiri.
Amaral yesterday said the purpose of the return trip is to talk to key witnesses whose information requires clarification.
The killings of the six East Timorese in Liquisa regency have prompted an international outcry because of allegations that they were all unarmed civilians.
The military command in East Timor insists that they were members or supporters of Fretilin, an armed separatist movement. The military says that all six were killed during an armed clash.
The Armed Forces (ABRI) has conducted its own investigation. Its team recently returned from East Timor.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. R. Hartono is planning to establish an Officers' Honor Council to follow up on the report.
Yesterday, the result of the military investigation was discussed at a limited cabinet meeting presided over by Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman at his office.
Soesilo told reporters after the meeting that Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung reported to the meeting about the military fact finding team. "A summary of the report will soon be made available to the public," Soesilo said.
Soesilo said that the ABRI chief was of the opinion that press reports on the killings have been blown out of proportion.
At a hearing with Commission I of the House of Representatives on Monday, Gen. Feisal said that the East Timor military command reported that the Fretilin rebels had been planning to turn Liquisa into their major base camp when the military moved into the area last month.
The close proximity to Dili makes Liquisa an attractive place for Fretilin in its hopes of continuing its anti-integration campaign and of gaining exposure from the international media, Feisal said. (imn/pwn)