RI, E. Timor balk at UN experts commission idea

RI, E. Timor balk at UN experts commission idea

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia and its former province East Timor are set to reject an
idea to establish a commission of experts to review the judicial
processes of human rights abuse cases involving Indonesian
military and police officers during a meeting with UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan this week, a spokesman for the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs said in Jakarta.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda left for New York
on late Sunday for talks with Annan.

Hassan and his East Timorese counterpart Jose Ramos Horta will
jointly meet with Annan some time this week.

The two ministers will share their views on the formation of
commission of experts, which was proposed by the UN, to focus on
alleged human rights abuses in East Timor, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs spokesman Marty Natalegawa said.

"In this connection, together with Foreign Minister (East
Timor's) Horta, Pak Hassan is expected to brief Annan regarding
the two countries' views on how best to address the issue of
alleged violations of human rights in East Timor and how to
promote friendship between the two countries," Marty told The
Jakarta Post.

The UN secretary general proposed the establishment of an
international commission of experts following calls from several
non-governmental organizations, such as Amnesty International and
Human Rights Watch, after Indonesian courts acquitted a number of
security and civilian officials.

The commission was aimed at reviewing whether or not judicial
processes on human right violations in East Timor had been
properly conducted.

East Timor separated from Jakarta following the 1999 autonomy
plebiscite that was marred by violence carried out by pro-
Indonesia militia in which more than 1,400 people were killed.

Indonesia and East Timor, however, have repeatedly rejected
the idea for a commission of experts, expressing the desire to
maintain cordial relationships in the spirit of reconciliation.

"In principle, we can not accept the idea (of the commission
of experts) as it would create new precedents in the judicial
processes of sovereign countries," Marty said.

"The Indonesian government itself can not intervene and
conduct any evaluation of our own judiciary, so why we should
allow UN to evaluate our judiciary," he said.

East Timor's leadership has also reiterated that it needs good
relations with Indonesia.

The visit by Ministers Hassan and Horta to New York follows
discussions between the two ministers in Jakarta last Sunday and
bilateral talks between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and
East Timor President Xanana Gusmao at the Tampak Siring Palace in
Denpasar, Bali, on last Tuesday.

European Union member countries, the United States and New
Zealand had expressed disappointment over the Indonesian courts'
acquittals of military and civilian officers.

They also demanded that an international court deal with
rights abuses by Indonesian officers during Jakarta's rule in
East Timor.

But Dili has said that it would prefer to have an
international truth and reconciliation commission rather than a
court. Dili set up its own commission in 2002.