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.