UN officials rocked in rally at the House

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)