Indonesia says it will not extradite 17 pro-Jakarta militiamen and army soldiers indicted in East Timor for crimes against humanity.
Indonesia foreign ministry spokesman Wahid Supriyadi said Tuesday Jakarta has no extradition treaty with East Timor. He said the suspects will be tried in Indonesian courts.
International prosecutors in East Timor Monday indicted nine pro-Jakarta militiamen and eight Indonesian soldiers for their alleged involvement in a bloody rampage against independence supporters in Dili in April 1999 that cost 13 lives.
Among those charged is Eurico Gutteres, a notorious militia commander who now heads a youth wing of President Megawati Sukarnoputri's ruling party in Jakarta.
Under an agreement signed in 2000, Indonesia committed itself to cooperate with United Nations investigations in East Timor. However, Jakarta has maintained that the agreement contains no provisions for the extradition of suspects.
East Timor is currently under temporary U.N. administration. It is due to become independent in May.