UN officials rocked in rally at the House
JAKARTA (JP): A rally at the House of Representatives (DPR) compound protesting the involvement of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) in a human rights violation case turned ugly on Monday.
The protesters, who claimed to be in the Red-and-White Legion, prevented a car carrying United Nations officials from leaving the compound with some of the mob jumping up and down on the car's roof.
UNTAET's political affairs officer in Jakarta, Elizabeth Moorthy, said that her office would file a complaint over the incident even though no one had been injured.
"We are going to lodge a protest to the foreign ministry," Elizabeth said adding that she regretted that there had been inadequate security when the U.N. officials visited the House to meet speaker Akbar Tanjung.
The protesters began their rally peacefully, protesting UNTAET's involvement in the questioning of some Indonesian military and police figures summoned as witnesses to the human rights violations in East Timor after last year's U.N. sponsored ballot.
Senior rock singer and actress Renny Djayusman, who led the rally, said the legion urged the government to expel UNTAET delegations intending to question Indonesian soldiers and policemen possibly involved in the case.
The group carried several banners, one of which read "Stop foreign intervention!" while waving dozens of Indonesian flags.
The protesters also demanded the release of pro-Indonesian militia leader Eurico Guterres, who is currently being detained at the Salemba penitentiary in Central Jakarta.
The protesters stopped their oration when they saw a car carrying UNTAET officials and started to bang on the car.
The car was later allowed to continue after a policeman told the mob to let the car go.
Some of the protesters tried to chase the car and threw rocks at the vehicle.
Separately, Attorney General Marzuki Darusman reaffirmed that his office, together with UNTAET, would continue to summon the 22 witnesses for the inquiry, but would not take coercive measures to ensure their appearance.
The 22 witnesses failed to appear at the planned five-day questioning, slated to begin last Thursday.
"We will summon them again ... there should not be any coercive measures to make them answer the summons," he told journalists at his office, pointing out that there is no deadline for the inquiry.
Lawyers for the 22 witnesses, who are soldiers, police officers and civil officials, had questioned the right of UNTAET to question their clients despite the existence of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) permitting such action. (jaw/bby)