RI troops faced 'Mission Impossible' in E. Timor: Wiranto
RI troops faced 'Mission Impossible' in E. Timor: Wiranto
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Former Armed Forces chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto testified in his
capacity as a witness on Thursday at the Central Jakarta Human
Rights Court, trying former East Timor Police chief Brig. Gen.
Timbul Silaen.
Wiranto appeared as a witness in the three-hour questioning at
the court where Timbul is on trial for committing gross human
rights violations in East Timor in 1999.
It was the fourth hearing for Silaen. Unlike the previous
hearing, Silaen was wearing his police uniform during Thursday's
hearing.
Silaen is charged under Article 9 of Law No. 26/2000 on rights
tribunals with the killing of civilians that occurred at separate
locations in East Timor, including the Liquisa incident on April
6, 1999, and attacks by pro-Jakarta militias on the residences of
pro-independence leaders, Manuel Viegas Carrascalao and Leandro
Isaac, on April 17, 1999.
Wiranto said that Indonesian Military, which had just taken
over the security operation from the police at that time, had
been put in an exceptionally difficult situation which he dubbed
"Mission Impossible".
He said that the transfer was made under his orders in his
capacity as the Armed Forces chief at the time when a massive
rampage occurred in the former Indonesian province before, during
and after the 1999 ballot.
Wiranto said that it was the military's duty to handle the
chaotic situation there, in view of the fact that the security
situation had grown totally out of control, following an
announcement by the United Nations Mission in East Timor (Unamet)
of the vote result on Sept. 4, declaring victory to the pro-
independence group.
"Unamet's failure to remain neutral during that historic
moment sparked anger among East Timorese who felt that were being
treated unfairly ... Who should be blamed should they ... these
East Timorese of the pro-Jakarta group ... who expressed their
anger through vandalism and arson in the territory hours after
the Unamet announcement?" Wiranto asked the court in an emotional
tone.
Aware that the police would be unable to control the
situation, the Indonesian Military Headquarters decided to
totally take over the security operation from the police on Sept.
5, Wiranto added.
When presiding Judge Andi Samsan Nganro asked whether the
defendant was an officer in charge of the security operation when
violence from April to September took place, Wiranto said:
"No ... it was the military officer ... that was the military
commander ... but I didn't say that their responsibility would be
any different."
As the hearing went on, members of the panel of judges
repeatedly made mistakes, by saying that the vote result was
announced by Unamet on Aug. 4. They were also sometimes confused
the four incidents involving the defendant so that Wiranto was
forced to correct their remarks.
The hearing was supposed to hear testimonies of former Udayana
Military commander Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri and former Wiradarma
Military Resort commander Brig. Gen. A. Noer Muis, but Judge Andi
adjourned the trial until April, 11, as time had already run out.
Earlier in the day, the court decided to continue the trial of
Abilio Jose Osorio Soares, former East Timor governor. Should the
domestic legal system fail to conduct a fair trial, the
international community has the authority to take over the
process.
Like Silaen, Abilio has also been charged with committing
gross human rights violation in East Timor before, during, and
after the 1999 ballot.
"Everyone has equality before the law so that any impunity
must be wiped out," Presiding Judge Emi Marni Mustafa told the
court.
The trial was adjourned until April 11 to hear the testimonies
from witnesses, including Wilhelmus Dos Santo, former regent of
Bobonaro, and Suprapto Tarman, former regent of Ailieu.