UN rights body to hold special session on E. Timor violence
UN rights body to hold special session on E. Timor violence
GENEVA (Agencies): The United Nations' main human rights body will hold an emergency special session this week to discuss the violence in East Timor, a UN spokesman said on Monday.
The 53-member state body narrowly agreed to meet on Thursday and Friday for the fourth such session in the more than 50-year history of the UN Commission on Human Rights.
"It has been agreed that there will be a special session," UN human rights spokesman Jose Diaz told Reuters.
The forum would be expected to condemn killings and forced deportations by pro-Jakarta militias and examine allegations of collusion by Indonesian troops, according to diplomats.
Western countries are expected to lobby the Commission to go further by calling for an inquiry to be set up which could lead to an international tribunal to bring war criminals to justice.
The decision to hold the Geneva talks was taken hours after a heavily armed multinational force arrived in the shattered territory and began disarming pro-Jakarta militias responsible for weeks of savagery in the wake of the Aug. 30 referendum vote for independence from Indonesia.
Portugal, a former colonial power which withdrew from East Timor in 1975, requested the special UN session.
UN human rights chief Mary Robinson backed the idea and a simply majority of 27 "yes" votes was required in response to the letter from Robinson's office so as to convene the talks.
Twenty-six were received by Friday's deadline, along with a verbal "yes" vote from Rwanda, but the written confirmation from Kigali came after the deadline, according to UN sources.
Asian countries, led by Indonesia, challenged the validity of Rwanda's "yes" vote, arguing it was not valid. Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Argentina, China, Mozambique, Madagascar and Botswana voted against holding the session.
The 53 member states were asked at the weekend to cast fresh ballots on the validity of Rwanda's vote, UN sources said.
The result of that vote was 28 states in favor of accepting Rwanda's "yes" vote, with 15 against and two "non-committal" responses, officials said. The remaining members did not reply.
The Geneva-based rights body has held three special sessions, on the wars in former Yugoslavia in 1992 and 1993 and on the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.
Xanana
From Darwin, Australia, AFP reported that East Timorese resistance leader Xanana Gusmao ruled out setting up a government in exile Tuesday, saying he would return to Dili as soon as possible to establish an administration with the UN's help.
"We will work in the framework of the UN to set up an administration during the phase that will lead up to independence," he said at his first news conference after fleeing Indonesia.
"We have very, very many issues to coordinate with the United Nations."
He said he came to Darwin "to see how the East Timorese can plan the future of their new-born nation".
Gusmao, 53, arrived in Australia from Jakarta Saturday night, but could not say when he would return to the East Timorese capital.
"I wish I am there now but many aspects have to be considered. I don't have a private plane, I don't have a ship, but I will go as soon as possible," he said.
Regarded as the rightful leader of the new nation of "Timor Lorosae" (Rising Sun of Timor), his devotion to the East Timor cause has earned him international recognition.
A journalist and teacher-turned guerrilla fighter, he succeeded Nicolau Lobato as head of the Fretilin resistance fighters opposing Indonesian rule when Lobato was killed in 1978.