Rights activists air concerns over East Timor rights tribunal

JAKARTA (JP): Human rights activists aired doubt on Thursday that the government-sanctioned commission of inquiry into East Timor would be able to thoroughly resolve alleged rights abuses in the troubled territory.

Hendardi of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) told The Jakarta Post that while the mission was not authorized to prosecute the alleged perpetrators, its findings would not be "legally binding".

Hendardi was speaking after attending a closed-door discussion on the inquiry with a number of leading rights activists at the National Commission on Human Rights' office.

"Impartiality and justice can only be guaranteed if those who are found involved in the violence are brought to an international war crimes tribunal," Hendardi said.

He was referring to the planned establishment of a national human rights tribunal which was decided by Jakarta last week following its rejection of an international commission of inquiry into East Timor.

Rampaging violence prevailed in East Timor following the announcement of the Aug. 30 ballot which saw an overwhelming vote for independence.

Hundreds of people are believed to have been killed and rights groups claim that pro-Jakarta militias and some elements within the Indonesian Military were allegedly involved in the violence.

Rights body chairman Marzuki Darusman said later in the day that he "acknowledged" the skepticism.

Marzuki, however, said that "under the enormous international pressure, it will not be easy for the government to ignore the findings of the fact-finding mission".

"What we are doing now is trying to eliminate the culture of impunity here... the establishment of a national human rights tribunal will show that nobody can get away now with human rights violations," Marzuki said.

Marzuki said the mission, which was scheduled to complete its investigation by the end of December, was expected to start work early next week.

Leading human rights groups have said that a rejection to an international inquiry into East Timor was a sign of the government's reluctance to bring those who were allegedly involved in the violence to an international war crime tribunal. (byg)