DATE=03/13/02

TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT

TITLE=EAST TIMOR TRIALS

NUMBER=5-51258

BYLINE=PATRICIA NUNAN

DATELINE=JAKARTA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

/// EDS: THIS PIECE CAN BE USED THROUGH 3/16.///

INTRO: Indonesia this week (3/14) has put the first officials on trial for crimes against humanity committed in East Timor during its 1999 vote for independence. But the landmark cases come after long delays, which cast doubt on Jakarta's commitment to mete out justice and prosecute high level officials alleged to have backed the violence. V-O-A's Patricia Nunan takes a closer look at the trials and their implications.

TEXT: /// SOARES ACT IN INDONESIAN FADE ///

East Timor's former governor Abilio Soares identifies himself before the court, thus becoming the first defendant to appear before Indonesia's special human rights tribunal.

Thursday's case marks the first time Indonesia is putting its own officials on trial for their alleged role in the bloodshed in East Timor three years ago.

Human rights groups accuse elements of the Indonesian military of orchestrating the violence of anti-independence militias groups, which fought to keep East Timor from breaking free from Indonesian rule.

Hundreds of people are believed to have died in militia attacks in the months surrounding a UN-supervised vote on East Timor's political future in August, 1999. Hundreds of thousands of others were forced to flee their homes for the safety of refugee camps.

It was a violent end to decades of fighting between East Timorese guerillas and Indonesian troops -- who in 1975 invaded the former Portuguese colony of East Timor.

The opening of the human rights tribunal comes after months of delay and doubt as to whether Indonesia was serious about its pledge to bring to justice officials accused of human rights abuses in East Timor.

Rights groups are still skeptical of the process. They say the court's mandate is limited. Only seven people have been indicted -- with not one senior officer among them. In addition, the court is only hearing cases of abuses committed in limited areas and during a short period of time. Many in East Timor say human rights violations were committed during much of Indonesia's 25 year rule.

Christian Ranheim is with the Judicial System Monitoring program, a non-governmental organization that monitors East Timor's human rights cases.

/// RANHEIM ACT ///

I think it is the viewpoint of all Timorese N-G-Os that this court has only got jurisdiction for cases in April and September 1999 and also only cases from Dili, Liquisa, and Suai. And as Abilio Soares said himself, '99 is only a very short period of time in the history of Indonesia inside East Timor. It was illegally occupied for 25 years and this is just two months of that period. From the viewpoint of East Timorese N-G-Os it will not bring justice even though these trials are in accordance with international human rights standards.

/// END ACT ///

Indonesia must contend with competing pressures in these trials. At home, many Indonesians oppose the trials -- believing the military was only trying to reserve Indonesia's territorial integrity by quelling any and all East Timor independence moves.

But if President Megawati Sukarnoputri fails to prosecute the cases fully and fairly -- she may lose credibility with the international community and possibly vital aid.

Jakarta is also interested in reestablishing military ties with the United States -- severed in 1999 after the Indonesian Armed Forces were implicated in the East Timor terror.

But some rights activists worry that the new global focus on anti-terrorism will forge closer military cooperation whether or not Indonesia holds military officials accountable for East Timor atrocities.

Diarmid O'Sullivan is an analyst with the International Crisis Group in Jakarta. He says that would send the wrong signal to the Indonesian military.

/// O'SULLIVAN ACT ///

Making the Indonesian military accountable to the law is very important to democratization in Indonesia as a whole and that's a long-term goal that is going to have a huge influence on where Indonesia goes in the future. So it would be regrettable if the pressure to make the Indonesian military accountable to the law were scaled back purely because of a short-term consideration.

/// END ACT ///

The Indonesian investigation into human rights abuses in East Timor runs parallel to East Timor's own. With the assistance of the United Nations, an East Timorese court has already has already convicted a handful of suspects for human rights abuses and crimes against humanity. That court has yet to try an Indonesian suspect.

But the human rights trials in Jakarta may not mark the end of East Timor's efforts to win justice. East Timorese leaders and some human rights groups are pushing for an international human rights tribunal to be formed to hold accountable all those who participated in the bloodshed. (SIGNED)

NEB/HK/PN/JO/RH