Military admits 'routine meetings' with militias

Military admits 'routine meetings' with militias

JAKARTA (JP): An army general admitted on Monday that military
officers in East Timor regularly met with prointegration militias
accused of violence and destruction in the territory following
the Aug. 30 self-determination ballot.

Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri, former chief of the Udayana Military
Command, said, however, that the meetings were aimed only "to
maintain peace and order" in the territory.

East Timor was under the supervision of the Udayana Military
Command when the ballot on East Timor's future was held.

"There were routine meetings between district military chiefs
and the people to maintain security (in East Timor), but these
were not uncommon practices for territorial units," Adam told
reporters after being questioned by the government-sanctioned
Commission of Inquiry into Human Rights Violations (KPP HAM) in
East Timor.

Apart from Adam, former East Timor military commander Brig.
Gen. Tono Suratman appeared before the commission on Monday.

Violence erupted in the former Indonesian province following
the ballot that resulted in an overwhelming vote against
Jakarta's wide ranging autonomy proposal.

Both Adam and Tono insisted that there were no militias in
East Timor, except self-initiated civilian guards.

The commission, in its midterm report, claimed that based on
preliminary investigations and witnesses accounts, the Indonesian
Military (TNI) was directly or indirectly involved in the
violence perpetrated by militias.

Former TNI chief Gen. Wiranto denied the allegations during
his questioning last week, saying that the violence was an
emotional outburst which was neither premeditated nor
controllable.

Wiranto, who is now coordinating minister for political
affairs and security, Adam and Tono are among a number of top
military officers being targeted in the inquiry.

Other officers to be questioned this week include Maj. Gen.
Zacky Anwar Makarim, Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Syamsuddin, Brig. Gen.
Glen Kairupan and former East Timor Police chief Brig. Gen.
Timbul Silaen.

Commission member Todung Mulya Lubis said later in the day
that the leader of the prointegration forces, Joao da Silva
Tavares, was scheduled to be questioned on Tuesday.

Tavares and a number of militia leaders failed to turn up for
questioning last week, claiming that they were never summoned by
the inquiry team. (byg)