Timor criminals must be tried at home: Rights body

JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights here on Thursday defended the government's rejection of an international tribunal on alleged rights abuses in East Timor as a soon to be established national tribunal would be sufficient.

"The request for the establishment of a national human rights tribunal was initiated by us to reduce foreign intervention," rights body chairman Marzuki Darusman told reporters after meeting with United States Defense Secretary William Cohen.

"Whether we like or not, we must have a credible and complete institution that can assure the international community that should the (national) fact-finding mission find the alleged rights abuses, they will be lawfully processed," he replied when asked whether top military officials would be prosecuted if they were implicated.

Marzuki's comment came as Jakarta rejected on Wednesday the international commission of inquiry on East Timor. The government said that it would launch its own investigation into alleged rights abuses in the former Portuguese colony.

A United Nations human rights commission on Monday voted to establish an inquiry into the violence that swept East Timor following the Aug. 30 ballot.

Indonesia maintains the decision is non-binding.

Minister of Justice/State Secretary Muladi said Thursday that the government, along with the rights body, would start drafting a government regulation in lieu of a law on the establishment of the human rights tribunal next week.

The minister said it might take some time to draft the regulation due to the complexity of the problem. But he emphasized that such a law was needed in preventing international interference in internal affairs.

"This is an emergency, not only because we are facing a crisis, but also because this is related to our national dignity," said Muladi.

Muladi had boasted on Wednesday that President B.J. Habibie would sign the regulation by Thursday.

Separately, leading rights groups on Thursday slammed Jakarta's rejection of the international inquiry, saying that it was a sign of reluctance to bring those involved to court.

"The rejection of the international inquiry on East Timor reflects the apprehension of certain people who were allegedly involved in the rights violations (in East Timor)," the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) said in a statement.

The Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) feared that the rejection would trigger international economic sanctions on the country.

Sources from the Madrid-based European Council of Humanity Action and Cooperation claim that high-ranking Indonesian officers were responsible for the violence.

It accused former TNI Intelligence Chief Maj. Gen. Zacky Anwar Makarim, former Jakarta military chief Maj. Gen. Syafri Syamsuddin, three former East Timor military commanders, 13 pro- integration leaders and TNI Commander Gen. Wiranto of being in someway responsible for the violence.

Marzuki, however, dismissed the reports saying that "the national human rights tribunal will only take into account the findings of the national fact-finding commission's investigation". (byg/prb)