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.