Global Policy Forum

Ex-Governor Accused

Print
Agence France Presse
March 14, 2002

A landmark Indonesian human rights court began hearing its first case concerning atrocities in East Timor in 1999, with former governor Abilio Soares accused of failing to prevent the massacre of more than 100 people by militia gangs.


"The defendant knew about or ignored information that his underlings ... were conducting gross human rights violations such as murders as part of wide and systematic attacks on the civilian population," according to a charge sheet read to Soares, as the closely watched trials got under way Thursday.

Also due to be charged Thursday with gross human rights violations is the territory's former police chief Timbul Silaen. The charge is punishable by between 10 years' jail and death, a court official said.

A total of 18 military, police, militia and civilian officials are due eventually to face trial over the army-backed militia atrocities in the territory which shocked the world.

About 100 people staged a protest outside Central Jakarta district court as the trial began, alleging foreign interference. "Remember we are sovereign," read one banner.

Witnesses recognised some of them as supporters of Eurico Guterres, a notorious pro-Jakarta militia chief who is among those due to stand trial later.Jakarta has come under strong international pressure to punish atrocities by pro-Jakarta militiamen, who were supported by elements of the Indonesian army, before and after East Timor's vote in August 1999 to split from Indonesia.

Soares, 54, was charged with responsibility for violations by three of his deputies -- the civilian heads of the Liquicia and Covalima districts, Leonardo Martins and Herman Sedyono, and the deputy commander of the Pro-Integration Fighters militia, Guterres.Soares "failed to take appropriate steps in the conduct of his duties," according to the charge sheet read out by chief prosecutor I Ketut Murtika.

It says his three underlings, which will face trial separately later, "led or allowed pro-integration forces" in April or September 1999 to:

-- Attack refugees at a church in Suai in which 22 were killed and 21 injured

-- Attack the residence of pro-independence figure Manuel Carrascalao, with 12 killed and four injured

-- Attack refugees in the diocese of Dili in which 46 people were killed

-- Attack refugees at the residence of Dili Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, in which 10 people were killed and one injured

-- Attack refugees at the Ave Maria church in Suai, in which 25 were killed

Soares, an East Timorese appointed by Jakarta to the governor's post, gave his nationality as Indonesian. He was not asked to enter a plea. His lawyers asked for a two-week adjournment but the judge, Emmy Marni Mustafa, granted them one week until the 21st. Soares is not in custody.

Silaen, 52, rejected the allegations. "I will certainly say that there were no such things...we will see the facts in court," he told reporters."So far the international opinion is that we are war criminals but that is not the case. There will be witnesses, there will be testimony," said Silaen, who is currently head of a national police anti-corruption force.

"The defendant...who was responsible for maintaining law and order in East Timor is criminally responsible for gross human rights violations that is a crime against humanity, in the form of killings that were carried out as part of wide and systematic attacks which were known by the defendant as being directed at the civilian population," says the charge sheet to be read later Thursday to Silaen.

It cites the killing of refugees at a church in Liquicia, at Carrascalao's house, at the diocese of Dili, at Bishop Belo's house and at the Ave Maria church.Silaen's charge sheet in some cases gives different figures for the number killed to the charge against Soares. There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy.

In the months surrounding the vote for independence, pro-Jakarta militias killed hundreds of people, burned towns to the ground, destroyed 80 percent of the former Portuguese territory's infrastructure and forced or led more than a quarter of a million villagers into Indonesian-ruled West Timor.

Two international rights groups, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have questioned Indonesia's determination to bring offenders to justice.Amnesty International said earlier that "basic measures to ensure that the trials in Indonesia meet international standards of fairness are missing."


More Information on International Justice

FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Global Policy Forum distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C íŸ 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.


 

FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Global Policy Forum distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.