Timor Leste arrests militiaman
Timor Leste arrests militiaman
Guido Guilliart, Associated Press/Cailaco, Timor Leste
A militiaman accused of committing crimes against humanity during
Timor Leste's bloody break from Indonesia was arrested late last
month as he returned to visit relatives, police said on Thursday.
Manuel Maia's arrest on July 27 was believed to be the first
of a militiaman linked to the 1999 violence that left 1,500 dead
since the United Nations closed its unit investigating and
prosecuting rights violations in May.
"He has been involved in many cases against the people and he
is accused of crimes against humanity," said Cailaco Police Chief
Fauseo Pallo, who was involved in the arrest. "The victims are
looking for justice."
Among the crimes Maia is accused of committing is the killing
of two independence supporters in the village of Manapa in April
1999, and helping Indonesian soldiers and other anti-independence
militiamen burn down homes in the town, which is near the border
with Indonesia.
His case could serve as a barometer of Timor Leste's
willingness to go after the hundreds of indicted militiamen and
Indonesian soldiers who are still at large -- many of them in
Indonesia, human rights groups say.
"There are a lot of war crimes suspects in West Timor
(Indonesia)," said Robin Perry, legal officer with Judicial
System Monitoring Program in Timor Leste. "They will be looking
to see how the case of Maia will be treated."
"If (he) is allowed to walk free or given a light jail
sentence, then that could send a clear signal to suspects that
they can return to East Timor without fear of prosecution," said
Perry, referring to Timor Leste's former name.
Nearly 1,500 people died when the Indonesian military and its
proxy militias went on a killing, looting and burning spree after
the Timorese voted overwhelmingly for independence.
The international community pressured Jakarta in 2002 to
establish a special tribunal to prosecute Indonesians allegedly
responsible for the violence.
But the trials have been widely criticized as a sham, with all
17 police and military commanders indicted receiving acquittals.
The other, a Timorese militia leader, is free on appeal.
Timor Leste has indicted 440 Indonesian servicemen and militia
members for human rights violations. Of those, 339 suspects are
believed to be living in Indonesia -- including failed Indonesian
presidential candidate Gen. Wiranto, who was the country's
military chief in 1999.
It remains unclear if any of those suspects will see a
courtroom. Timor Leste's legal system remains weak and the UN's
Serious Crimes Unit -- responsible for most of the indictments --
closed on May 20. The UN Security Council has yet to act on a
request to extend its mandate as rights groups and diplomats
want.
Further complicating matters is the fact that neither
Indonesia nor Timor Leste support the creation of an
international tribunal -- which is seen as the best way to bring
perpetrators outside Indonesia to justice.
Instead, they have joined together to form the Truth and
Friendship Commission, which will investigate the violence but
has no power to prosecute.