UNHCR announces E. Timor inquiry team

UNHCR announces E. Timor inquiry team

GENEVA (AP): The United Nations' top human rights official
Friday named a five-member team that will investigate allegations
of atrocities in East Timor.

The team "is expected to go to the region following working
meetings in Geneva later this month," said a statement from the
office of Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

However, Indonesia has rejected the UN inquiry, saying its own
National Human Rights Commission should investigate and recommend
punishment for those responsible for terrorizing the territory
after its people voted overwhelmingly for independence.

The team includes A.M. Ahmadi, a former Indian chief justice;
Mari Kapi, deputy chief justice of Papua New Guinea; German
lawmaker Sabine Leuthesser-Schnarrenberger and Judith Sefi-Attah
of Nigeria.

It will be led by Sonia Picado of Costa Rica, a member of the
country's legislative assembly.

The inquiry team has "extensive legal and human rights
experience," Robinson's office said. The team is to report its
conclusions to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan by Dec. 31.

Robinson assumed responsibility for the investigation,
covering alleged abuses dating back to January, after an
emergency session of the UN Human Rights Commission last month
voted 32-12 for an international inquiry.

The commission called for an "adequate representation of Asian
experts."

"We owe it to the people of East Timor to investigate
seriously and objectively the terrible reports of human rights
violations and establish responsibility for any crimes
committed," Robinson said.

Robinson has said the scale of atrocities could warrant the
creation of an international tribunal, similar to those
established to prosecute war crimes from the former Yugoslavia
and Rwanda.

But if Indonesia does refuse to cooperate, the UN inquiry will
only be able to gather evidence from witnesses in East Timor, but
won't be able to corroborate the testimony with Jakarta's
military files to establish a chain of command.

East Timor slipped into anarchy after its people voted
overwhelmingly Aug. 30 to separate from Indonesia, which invaded
the former Portuguese colony in 1975. Pro-Indonesian militias,
backed by the army, went on a looting and killing spree, burning
down entire villages and driving tens of thousands of people from
their homes.