Part 1: calls
A
collection of recent reports, articles and news calling for the
establishment
of an International War Crimes Tribunal to try war crimes and crimes
against
humanity.
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Part 1 up-dated: Feb 14, 2002
NEW =
Added
to BACK DOOR Website
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Contents:
Part
1: calls [this page]
*
Background
* Petitions
& Lobbying
* Calls
from East Timorese
* Calls
from Indonesians
* Calls
from the International community
Portuguese:
Jan
25 OTL: A Indonésia arrasta o julgamento dos crimes cometidos em
Timor Leste
Reportagem de 14 fevereiro 2002
"Foi para evitar a
constituição
dum tribunal internacional para julgar os crimes
contra a humanidade cometidos em Timor Leste que os dirigentes de
Jacarta
propuseram julgar os responsáveis num tribunal indonésio
(ver OTL, JUS03-2001/09/02). No Conselho de Segurança, as
Nações
Unidas aceitaram essa proposta que contraria a
recomendação
da sua própria Comissão de Inquérito mas
reservam-se
ao direito de reconsiderar essa decisão se a justiça
indonésia
não respeitar as normas internacionais na matéria e
não
der satisfação às expectativas da comunidade
internacional.
... Quanto tempo a comunidade internacional vai conceder ao tribunal
para
apresentar resultados? Já passaram mais de dois anos sobre os
factos.
A total ausência de balizas favorece a estratégia de
arrastamento."
Observatório
Timor Leste
Jan
25 ETO: Indonesia delays East Timor atrocities trials
Report added Feb 14
"To avoid the setting up of an international
human rights tribunal to try those responsible for crimes
against humanity committed in East Timor, Jakarta’s authorities
proposed
that suspects be tried by an Indonesian court. Given the real threat of
China’s veto on the Security Council, and in spite of its own
Commission
of Inquiry’s recommendations, the UN agreed to Indonesia’s proposal,
while
reserving the right to reconsider its decision if Indonesian justice
did
conform to international standards and/or did not fully satisfy
international
community expectations. ... How much time is the international
community
going to give the [Indonesia’s ad hoc] tribunal to come up with
results?
Over two years have already elapsed since the atrocities occurred. A
total
absence of time limits serves to encourage further delay tactics." East
Timor Observatory
Bahasa
Indonesia/Melayu:
Buletin La'o Hamutuk:
[PDF format]
Vol. 2, No. 6 & 7
Oktober
2001
Keadilan untuk Timor
Lorosa’e?:
http://www.etan.org/lh/PDFs/LHv2n6-7bh.pdf
Bahasa
Indonesia/Melayu:
Laporan Seminar Sehari
di Dili, Timor Lorosa'e: [PDF format]
16 Oktober 2001
Keadilan and
Pertanggungjawaban
di Timor Lorosa'e
Pengadilan
Internasional
dan Pilihan Lain
Diselenggarakan oleh: Forum
NGO Nasional Timor Lorosa'e, Yayasan
HAK, La'o Hamutuk, FOKUPERS,
Caritas
Australia, Judicial System Monitoring
Programme
(JSMP)
http://www.etan.org/lh/PDFs/justbahasa.pdf
Bahasa
Indonesia/Melayu:
Okt
16 NGOs: Keadilan and Pertanggungjawaban di Timor Lorosa'e - Agenda
Seminar
Laporan ditambahkan tanggal 2 Januari
2002
"Daftar Isi: Agenda Seminar; NGO
Timor Bersatu Menuntut Pengadilan Internasional; Penuntutan Kejahatan
Berat
di Timor Lorosa'e; Proses Peradilan di Indonesia untuk Kasus
Pelanggaran
Berat Hak Asasi Manusia di Timor Lorosa'e 1999; Penuntutan Kejahatan di
Bawah Proses Peradilan Internasional; Laporan NGO Mengenai Kegiatannya;
Presentasi Kelompok Kerja; Daftar Hadir Peserta Seminar; Surat Kepada
Deputi
Pemerintah Transisi UNTAET; Surat dari NGO untuk Dewan Keamanan PBB;
Surat
Kepada Dewan Keamanan PBB dari Warga Antarbangsa di Timor Lorosa'e" Forum
NGO Nasional Timor Lorosa'e, Yayasan
HAK, La'o Hamutuk, FOKUPERS,
Caritas
Australia, Judicial System Monitoring
Programme
(JSMP)
A Summary/Chronology
of
all major events:
October
2001 LHB: Justice and Accountability for East Timor: Sep 99 - Oct 01
Timeline added Nov 15
Petition for Lawyers and Legal
Scholars
to sign:
Jan
31 Attorneys and Legal Scholars Call for International Tribunal for
East
Timor Release added Feb 1
"The time to prosecute the crimes
inflicted
upon the East Timorese through the establishment of an
International
Criminal Tribunal is now. Each step by the international community
to prosecute the acts perpetrated against the East Timorese advances
the
rule of law, and signals that neither state-condoned nor
state-perpetrated
terror, wherever it occurs, will be tolerated." Nearly 50 Legal Experts
from around the world (Signatures at: http://www.etan.org/news/2002a/01law.htm
)
“We intend to keep pressing for justice
for the people of East Timor, and will continue to collect signatures
in
support of a tribunal, ... A tribunal is necessary to hold those high
ranking
officials who organized and implemented the destruction of East Timor
accountable.
The international community cannot countenance impunity.” Anthony
DiCaprio,
Center for Constitutional Rights & lead attorney in a civil action
against General Johny Lumintang
Canada-based Actions:
Nov
15 KairosCanada: Appeal for Tribunal Action added Nov
15
“There must be no hiding place for
political
monsters such as unleashed the destruction of
East
Timor in 1999. These are crimes which are far greater than their
immediate
victims ... They strike at the future as well as the present. They make
the world more dangerous for everyone.” Bishop Belo of Dili, Winner of
the Nobel Peace Prize, 1996
"Please show your support for the creation
of an international tribunal on East Timor and for human rights reform
in Indonesia. Below is a brief
outline
of a letter you can send to Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs,
The
Hon. John Manley. Please also send a copy of your correspondence to our
office. We will forward copies to all of the member countries on the UN
Security Council, the UN body which mandates the creation of an
international
tribunal." Kairos: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives
Ideas for Action in achieving
Justice
for East Timor:
October
2001 LHB: Solidarity and International Justice Article
added Nov 9
"In the Philippines, the
Asia-Pacific
Coalition for East Timor (APCET) has suggested that a People’s
Tribunal
(unofficial prosecutors presenting evidence to a panel of experts who
are
not legal judges) could be a good way to highlight the issues, develop
the evidence, and create momentum toward an official legal court. ...
The
next session of the Commission [UN Commission on Human Rights], in
March/April
2002, will also require concerted lobbying to ensure that pressure for
justice is maintained. ... The possibility of preparing legal cases
against
leading generals and using the courts of countries, such as Belgium,
which
have shown a willingness to exercise universal jurisdiction over Crimes
Against Humanity, is an idea which the movement must seriously
consider.
Solidarity groups are likely to have the chance to discuss this and
other
possible strategies at a conference on impunity in Amsterdam at the
beginning
of December." Paul Barber, TAPOL,
the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
Jun
13 TAPOL: British aid agencies call for justice in East Timor
Release added June 14
“Below is a press release for the UK
media.
Others may wish to do a similar release for their media.” Paul Barber,
TAPOL,
the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
ETAN/U.S.: Current Action Alerts: http://www.etan.org/action/urgntMnu.htm [often includes actions to: Create an International Tribunal for East Timor] Link updated Sep 1
Jan
29 AP: Horta: East Timor Asked to Admit Wrongdoing
News
added Jan 31
"He [Dr.
Jose Ramos-Horta] urged the United Nations to set up a criminal
tribunal
to deal with the worst abuses in East Timor, as it sponsored tribunals
for the Balkans and Sierra Leone, but said he was not optimistic. “The
U.N. Security Council does not seem to have the courage to do what is
logical,
to set up a war crimes tribunal,” he said." Peter James
Spielmann
East Timorese
&
International (includes Indonesia):
Nov
14 LH: Dili Justice Seminar report excerpts Summaries
added Nov 15
"The following material relates to a seminar
held in Dili on 16 October 2001 entitled Justice And Accountability In
East Timor: International Tribunals And Other Options organized by
several East Timorese non-governmental organizations. ... If you would
like the 24-page seminar report including all papers, discussions and
outcomes
of the seminar, write to
ifet@etan.org
and I will email you an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file. Please indicate if
you
would like the English or Bahasa Indonesia version. The full report of
the seminar will be available soon at
http://www.etan.org/lh/reports.html"
Charlie Scheiner, La'o Hamutuk
Oct
30 UNSC: ET women: ‘Arria formula’ meeting Speech
added
Nov 2
"East Timorese women join the rest of
society, including Bishop Belo, all
political parties and NGOs in
appealing
for justice for serious crimes including gender-based
crimes through an International Tribunal. Last year’s
resolution
on women, peace and security emphasized “the responsibility of all
States
to put an end to impunity and prosecute those responsible for genocide,
crimes against humanity, and war crimes including those relating to
sexual and other violence against women and girls.” Because Indonesia
is
unlikely to successfully prosecute those who ordered and implemented
the
invasion, occupation and destruction of East Timor from 1975 on, the
Security
Council must take immediate action to create an International
Tribunal
for East Timor to ensure that those most responsible for these
crimes
are brought to justice." Natércia Godinho-Adams, on behalf of East
Timorese women’s organizations
Oct
24 ET NGOs: Urgent Steps Needed to Establish Justice
Letter
added Oct 27
"We urge the United Nations not to leave
East Timor alone with the consequences of the crimes
so terrible that they are characterized as against all humanity. It
is time to take immediate steps to establish an International
Tribunal
for East Timor. This is the only mechanism that could address
the current need for justice, the missing element so far, in the
process
of nation building for East Timor and worldwide respect for human
dignity."
Yayasan
HAK; Lao Hamutuk; FOKUPERS;
Bishop
Belo’s Center for Peace and Development Kdadalak Sulimutu Institute
(KSI);
Working Group for Electoral Education (KKPP); Judicial
System Monitoring Project (JSMP);
East
Timor Student Solidarity Council (ETSC); Student Solidarity Council
of Oe-Cusse; Yayasan Timor Nabilan;
Nove-Nove Survivers Group (Maliana); NGO Forum
Oct
18 United Timorese NGOs calls for an international ad hoc tribunal
Call added Oct 19
"During a
seminar on justice for East Timor on 16 October 2001, all participating
Timorese non-governmental organizations (NGOs) unanimously called for
the
establishment of an international ad hoc tribunal with the
jurisdiction
to try international crimes committed after the Indonesian invasion in
1975. ... All NGOs emphasized the need to bring justice to the victims,
to avoid further human rights violations in Indonesia and the
responsibility
of the international community to try crimes against humanity committed
during an Indonesian occupation which was never legally recognized by
the
United Nations." Judicial System Monitoring
Programme
Oct
17 ETimorese NGOs write DSRSG re Justice, Indonesia
Letter
added Oct 20
"One of the outcomes of this
meeting [16 October 2001] was a resolution that it is an
International
Tribunal that would be the most viable means of holding those
senior
government and military officials to account. Being aware of your
planned
visit to Indonesia, another outcome of the meeting was the resolution
to
bring to your attention our strong views and lasting commitment to
ensure
that those known Indonesia figures who have documented involvement the
attempted genocide of the East Timorese will face justice."
Ubalda
Alves FOKUPERS, Joaquím
Fonseca
Yayasan
HAK, Tomás Freitas Lao Hamutuk
(Representatives from the 16 October meeting)
East Timorese
&
International (includes Indonesia):
Bahasa Indonesia/Melayu:
Laporan Seminar Sehari
di Dili, Timor Lorosa'e: [PDF format]
16 Oktober 2001
Keadilan and
Pertanggungjawaban
di Timor Lorosa'e
Pengadilan
Internasional
dan Pilihan Lain
Diselenggarakan oleh: Forum
NGO Nasional Timor Lorosa'e, Yayasan
HAK, La'o Hamutuk, FOKUPERS,
Caritas
Australia, Judicial System Monitoring
Programme
(JSMP)
http://www.etan.org/lh/PDFs/justbahasa.pdf
Aug
28 SMH: To forge a future, Timor needs justice for the past
Article from ETimor added Aug 30
"Prosecuting the crimes of 1999 is
essential
for East Timor, but also for Indonesia. Democracy there is fragile and
the military continues to intrude on both government and civil society.
Much remains to be done. We call on the international community for
the following: * To push for an international legal process for the
generals and top militia leaders whose crimes are not only against the
people of East Timor but against the international community for
breaches
of international criminal law. This requires the international
community
to call them to account before an international criminal tribunal.
... " Bishop Carlos Belo
Jul
14 LH: "Youth Front for a War Crimes Tribunal" calls for U.S. govt
disclosure
News from ETimor added July 14
"On 4 July 2001, approximately 200
activists
gathered in front of UNTAET headquarters for a rally demanding that
UNTAET
support an international tribunal for East Timor. ... Among its
demands,
the group [Youth Front for a War Crimes Tribunal] called upon the
United
States government to fully and publicly disclose its role in supporting
Indonesia's crimes against the East Timorese people and to actively
support
the creation of an international tribunal for East Timor." La'o
Hamutuk
June
22 SMH: And justice for all: Dili backs international war crimes
tribunal
Good News added June 23
"East Timor’s de facto government, the
National Council, has backed the formation of an international war
crimes
tribunal to prosecute leaders of anti-independence militias and
their
Indonesian army supporters. The council voted overwhelmingly in support
of the tribunal and also endorsed legislation to establish a South
African-style
Truth
and Reconciliation Commission. The moves were initiated by council
member, Mr Aniceto Guterres, East Timor’s best known lawyer, who also
heads
the country’s Yayasan-HAK human rights
foundation"
Mark Dodd, Herald Correspondent in Dili
Jun
15 ET NGO Forum: Donors’ Meeting Discusses Key Issues
Final release added June 18
"The NGO community is still concerned
about the lack of clarity about future justice
for East Timor, and urges continued international attention on how
this will be achieved. It is essential for Reconciliation.
We would like to see an International Tribunal as one of the
options
to be explored.”
Aderito Soares,
ET
NGO spokesman on Legal and Constitutional issues
Jun
15 ET NGO Forum: Political Transition Comment added
June
18
"From an NGO point of view we need to
proceed with the prosecution of people who have committed human
rights
crimes. We have seen no progress in Indonesia and also in East Timor.
We
might need to think about another way. How can we stop impunity? It is
relevant and urgent to have a conference to discuss the establishment
of an international tribunal, so that there is justice for East
Timorese
people, and this will assist the democratisation process of Indonesia."
Forum
Nacional ONG Timor Lorosa'e / The East Timor National NGO Forum
Jun
13 ET NGO: REDE: Donors’ Conference: Women's Issues in East Timor
Paper added June 15
"An International Court is the
most pressing demand in the interests of justice. Of all the victims of
Indonesian military violence the greatest suffering was borne by women,
which up to this time has not yet met with the justice that victims
hope
for." REDE Feto Timor Lorosa’e (Timorese
Women’s Network)
Jun
13 ET NGO: Donors’ Conference: Justice & Human Rights
Paper added June 15
"The only remaining option for the
prosecution
of those responsible for human rights violations in East Timor
currently
residing Indonesia is to establish an International Ad Hoc Criminal
Tribunal. The tribunal should be established on recommendations
from,
and according to terms negotiated by the East Timorese people." Forum
Nacional ONG Timor Lorosa'e / The East Timor National NGO Forum
Jun
13 ETNGO Forum: The voice of Civil Society calls the Donors
Statement added June 14
"NGOs recommend that international
donors financially support an international conference in East Timor to
discuss
the need for an international tribunal. This conference
should
be held as soon as can be practically arranged in order to assist the
community
to reach a common position on an international tribunal. There can be
no
reconciliation without justice. Therefore, the creation in East Timor
of
a functioning court administration needs to be a priority for the
international
donor community. NGOs recommend that funding for adequate and
appropriate
capacity building within this sector be prioritised as a matter of
urgency."
Forum
Nacional
ONG Timor Lorosa'e / The East Timor National NGO Forum
Jun
13 JUSTICE FOR EAST TIMOR Petition added June 13
"[this] statement reflects the views of
many organisations in Indonesia and East Timor, several of
which
have signed it. The primary purpose of the statement is to call
upon
the international community to set up an international tribunal for
East Timor to bring the perpetrators of gross violations to
justice.
We firmly believe that timely justice and the ending of impunity are
essential
for peace and reconciliation in East Timor and for democracy and
stability
in Indonesia. We are convinced that credible trials will not be
possible
in Indonesia and that justice will not prevail unless international
mechanisms
are established without further delay."
Statement endorsed by 45 Organisations
/ Networks in Solidarity with East Timor from around the world
May
16 DPA: U.S. reassures East Timor leaders of support
News
added May 18
“There is no alternative but for the
(U.N.)
Security Council and the secretary general of the United Nations to
push
for a war crimes tribunal,” Ramos Horta, Nobel Peace laureate
Apr
25 NGO Forum: Expression of Concern at Xanana’s Statement regarding an
International Tribunal Press Release from ETimor
updated
May 16
"The NGO Forum regards an
International
Tribunal as an option that needs to be seriously considered given
that
to date Indonesia has not made any progress in investigating human
rights
offences committed by the Indonesian military in East Timor." ET
NGO Forum: Umbrella agency representing over 120 East Timorese
Non-Government
Organisations
"If an international court is not a
priority
for resolving war crimes cases in East Timor, what other court is able
to ensure that the war criminals concerned do not just walk free?”
Arsenio
Bano, Executive Director of the ET NGO Forum
Apr
23 AP: Nobel Laureate Bishop Belo Appeals For East Timor Tribunal
News
"Justice must not be restricted to a
chosen
few. It must be universal, ... We have no faith in the investigations
being
conducted in Jakarta. Those who authorized the crimes in East Timor
will
not face justice there, ... It is our belief that only an
international
court will be able to prosecute the generals and commanders who
were
behind the September 1999 violence. It is clear that what happened in
East
Timor was not a spontaneous response by Timorese who wanted to stay
with
Indonesia." Bishop Carlos Belo of East Timor, the only Catholic bishop
ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize
Apr
11 STL: International court must be set up in Timor Lorosae as fast as
possible News from ETimor
“The serious crimes cases are not being
heard in an effective manner, ... We all know that the cases being
heard
right now just involve the ‘small fry’, while the ‘bigger’ culprits are
roaming free in Indonesia, ... I hope that, very soon, we could have an
international court sitting in Timor Lorosae, ... The main actors,
involved in the 1999 crimes against humanity, can then be tried in
Timor
Lorosae and the United Nations will have the right to subpoena them to
appear in court,” Cancio Xavier, Public Defender’s Office
Apr
9 BWT: Solidarity With East Timor: New Challenges, New Opportunities
Analysis added Apr 10
"This international
tribunal is not just essential for trying the crimes of the past,
but
for creating a foundation, a legal system that people will really
believe
in. Until now the East Timorese people have never believed in the law,
never believed that there is such a thing as rule of law in their
country.
. . There's a fear that if these crimes of the past are not dealt with,
a sort of lawlessness might continue in East Timor and the culture of
violence
[created by the Indonesian occupation] we have been brought up in for
the
past twenty-four years will perpetuate itself." Ajiza Magno, a young
East
Timorese woman working with the Sa'he
Institute
for Liberation
Apr
4 DN: RealAudio of Interview of Xanana and Kirsty Sword Gusmao
Interview updated May 16
[Statements in the US and Indonesian press
quoting Xanana Gusmao as saying that an international crimes tribunal
is
not a priority for the East Timorese give the impression that he does
not
consider a tribunal as important to the East Timorese. However, these
and
other comments by Xanana reveal that he considers that the
establishment
of an international crimes tribunal is a role that the international
community
must play since East Timor doesn't have the resources to do it
themselves.
- BD]
"DN: The Indonesian government says
they'll try the people who they feel committed crimes but they are yet
to do this. Do you think an international war crimes tribunal should be
set up?
Xanana Gusmao: It is the job of the
international
community. ... East Timor is a very small country and, we cannot be
ambitious
to be, to be a model of justice, but we hope the international
community
can do that. I believe that the (?) project of searching all the
genocide
crimes in East Timor from 1975 can give to the international community
enough proof of the involvement of certain generals."
Mar
5 AFP: Horta calls for UN tribunal in East Timor News
"If Indonesia proves incapable of bringing
the culprits to justice, we believe the UN Security Council will have
no
alternative but to create an ad-hoc tribunal for East Timor ...
There can be no reconciliation without justice, we cannot declare an
amnesty"
Jose Ramos Horta, Foreign minister in East Timor's transitional
government
& 1996 Nobel Peace laureate
Feb
28
TP: Ad Hoc Committee for Human Rights Cases: UN Must Give Indonesia A
Timeframe
News
“Let me be straight. Though I value Serio
de Mello’s efforts in Jakarta, I still think in order to be effective
the
UN must give Indonesia a deadline to deal with the [crimes against
humanity]
cases,” Aderito de Jesus, Director,
Sahe
Institute of Liberation
Feb
14 SMH: UN credibility at risk over war crimes, says Horta
News
"If Indonesia fails to deliver justice
then I don't see how the Security Council can get away from creating a
war crimes tribunal for East Timor. ... I am confident a war crimes
tribunal remains a strong option.'' Jose Ramos Horta, cabinet
member
for foreign affairs, UN-chaired East Timor Transitional Administration
(ETTA)
Aug
30 2000 IHT: A Year Later, East Timor's People Are Still Waiting for
Justice
Article added June 30
"The United Nations should immediately
set up a human rights tribunal for East Timor. Such a tribunal should
not
be limited to crimes committed in 1999 but should cover all crimes
beginning
in 1975 when the Indonesian military began its campaign of terror
against
the East Timorese people. The United States, Britain and Australia have
a special responsibility to ensure that this happens because for more
than
two decades they backed Indonesia's occupation of East Timor. Their
active
support for an international tribunal will help them atone for their
complicity."
Aderito
de Jesus Soares, founder, East Timor Jurists Association
Nov
1999 NI: We Will not be crushed Plea added May 24
"I urge each of you to call on your
governments
to open a war crimes tribunal on Indonesia. We do not want
revenge.
We just want those who are guilty of war crimes against humanity to be
brought to justice. For the sake of those who were murdered. For the
sake
of those were burnt to death in their houses. All over the world, we
must
strive to bring to justice those Indonesian ministers and political
leaders
who for the past 23 years have executed this crime against a small
nation."
José Ramos Horta, Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Jan
25 JP: End game in East Timor Editorial added Jan 26
"Even though it has been almost two and
a half years since an eruption of violence in
East
Timor, not a single Indonesian military and police officer
responsible
for security in the territory at that time has been prosecuted. ...
there
is no doubt that Indonesia owes the international community some
credible
explanation. ... unless Indonesia lives up to its responsibility as a
member
of the international community, an international tribunal hearing
for these officers will be the most appropriate alternative." Jakarta
Post
Editorial
East Timorese
&
International (includes Indonesia):
Nov
14 LH: Dili Justice Seminar report excerpts Summaries
added Nov 15
"The following material relates to a seminar
held in Dili on 16 October 2001 entitled Justice And Accountability In
East Timor: International Tribunals And Other Options organized by
several East Timorese non-governmental organizations. ... If you would
like the 24-page seminar report including all papers, discussions and
outcomes
of the seminar, write to
ifet@etan.org
and I will email you an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file. Please indicate if
you
would like the English or Bahasa Indonesia version. The full report of
the seminar will be available soon at
http://www.etan.org/lh/reports.html"
Charlie Scheiner, La'o Hamutuk
17 Asia-Pacific
countries
(including Indonesia):
Nov
12 APCET: Ten years ago today, a massacre in Dili stunned the world
Statement added Nov 13
"The crimes against
East Timor are also crimes against humanity. It is time that the
international
community close this grim chapter in world history by convening an international
human rights tribunal for East Timor. It is time that the
Indonesian
government redress their past wrongs by cooperating, if not, initiating
proceedings to convene this international court. It is time for the
victims
and kin of all crimes in East Timor to rest. It is time for East Timor
to be completely free."
Asia-Pacific Coalition
for East Timor (APCET)
17 Asia-Pacific
countries
(including Indonesia):
Oct
29 APCET letter to UN Security Council on International Tribunal
Letter added Oct 31
"We are writing to urge you to establish
an international tribunal to try the war
crimes,
crimes against humanity and genocide committed in East Timor from
1975
onward. ... [We are] hopeful that your Excellencies will mark this
month’s
commemoration of the UN’s birthing by being true to the principles of
which
you were founded. In this era when peoples of the world have almost
lost
faith and trust in entities such as the UN, establishing an
international
tribunal for East Timor will be an apt celebration of the ideals that
engendered
the UN." Mr. Augusto N. Miclat, Jr., Coordinator, APCET,
the Asia-Pacific Coalition for East Timor [The coalition includes
17
affiliates from Asia-Pacific countries]
East Timorese
&
International (includes Indonesia):
Bahasa Indonesia/Melayu:
Laporan Seminar Sehari
di Dili, Timor Lorosa'e: [PDF format]
16 Oktober 2001
Keadilan and
Pertanggungjawaban
di Timor Lorosa'e
Pengadilan
Internasional
dan Pilihan Lain
Diselenggarakan oleh: Forum
NGO Nasional Timor Lorosa'e, Yayasan
HAK, La'o Hamutuk, FOKUPERS,
Caritas
Australia, Judicial System Monitoring
Programme
(JSMP)
http://www.etan.org/lh/PDFs/justbahasa.pdf
Jun
13 JUSTICE FOR EAST TIMOR Petition added June 13
"[this] statement reflects the views of
many organisations in Indonesia and East Timor, several of
which
have signed it. The primary purpose of the statement is to call
upon
the international community to set up an international tribunal for
East Timor to bring the perpetrators of gross violations to
justice.
We firmly believe that timely justice and the ending of impunity are
essential
for peace and reconciliation in East Timor and for democracy and
stability
in Indonesia. We are convinced that credible trials will not be
possible
in Indonesia and that justice will not prevail unless international
mechanisms
are established without further delay."
Statement endorsed by 45 Groups and
Organisations
in Solidarity with East Timor from around the world
West
Timor:
Jun
8 UMNS: Refugees in West Timor face critical conditions
News added June 11
"Rondo
[Centre for Internally Displaced People’s Services in West Timor]
believes
churches can make a difference in the crisis by advocating for action.
He and the East Timor Action Network,
which
sponsored his U.S. speaking tour, are calling for:
· Pressure from the U.S. and
international
community on the Indonesian government to disarm and disband the
militias.
· Support for an international
tribunal on crimes against humanity committed in East Timor.
· Creation of a credible refugee
registration process with significant international participation and
oversight.
· Adoption of a complete ban on
weapons sales, training and support for the Indonesian military by the
United States until these issues have been resolved." United Methodist
News Service
Apr
19 RadioNeth: Komnas HAM Sec.Gen supports International Tribunal for
Timor
Interview
" ... there has been so much delay not
only on the part of the executive but also by parliament. So who can
blame
the international community and groups here in Indonesia for coming to
the conclusion that the government is not serious about dealing with
these
crimes by setting up ad hoc courts? In other words, an
International
Tribunal will prove to be the only alternative if people’s demands
for justice are to be met. ... Bearing in mind all the delay, it is
better
to set up an International Tribunal. This is the only way for justice
to
be done." Asmara Nababan, secretary-general of Indonesia’s National
Human
Rights Commission, Komnas HAM
Calls from the International community
International
network
of Christian organisations and churches
Feb
8 CCET: Freedom without justice in East Timor?
Statement
added Feb 14
"An international support network of
Christian
groups and churches at the Twelfth Christian Consultation on East
Timor,
held in Antwerp from 7-9 December, joined its voice to a mounting
international
campaign and called for Indonesia to set a deadline of July 2002, after
which an international tribunal should be set up to deliver
justice.
This would allow the East Timorese a chance to move on from the events
of the Indonesian occupation." Catherine Scott for Christian
Consultation
on East Timor (CCET)
Japan:
Jan
30/31 Free East Timor Japan Coalition letter to UNSG
Letter
added Feb 1
"We therefore call on you to strongly
commit yourself to: (1) the establishment of an international
tribunal
to properly investigate crimes against humanity
committed in East Timor, not only in 1999 but throughout the entire
period
of the Indonesian occupation, and prosecute those responsible for these
atrocities; and (2) the provision of proper funding and resources for East
Timor’s judicial system to ensure that low-level militia members
within
East Timor are brought to justice." Free
East Timor! Japan Coalition
International
Legal
Experts:
Jan
31 Attorneys and Legal Scholars Call for International Tribunal for
East
Timor Release added Feb 1
"The time to prosecute the crimes
inflicted
upon the East Timorese through the establishment of an
International
Criminal Tribunal is now. Each step by the international community
to prosecute the acts perpetrated against the East Timorese advances
the
rule of law, and signals that neither state-condoned nor
state-perpetrated
terror, wherever it occurs, will be tolerated." Nearly 50 Legal Experts
from around the world (Signatures at: http://www.etan.org/news/2002a/01law.htm
)
“We intend to keep pressing for justice
for the people of East Timor, and will continue to collect signatures
in
support of a tribunal, ... A tribunal is necessary to hold those high
ranking
officials who organized and implemented the destruction of East Timor
accountable.
The international community cannot countenance impunity.” Anthony
DiCaprio,
Center for Constitutional Rights & lead attorney in a civil action
against General Johny Lumintang
United States:
Jan
15 ETAN: Indonesian Judges Will Not Provide Long-Delayed Justice for
ETimor
Release added Jan 15
"The multiple delays in establishing the
court, its limited jurisdiction, and the continued impunity with which
the Indonesian military operates throughout the archipelago only
reinforce
our belief that the special Indonesian court will be a sham, ... The
Indonesian
military remains too powerful and the courts too corrupt. Without an
international tribunal, those most responsible for Indonesia’s
scorched
earth campaigns in East Timor will escape punishment,” John M. Miller,
spokesperson for East Timor Action Network
U.S.
Canada:
Nov
15 KairosCanada: Appeal for Tribunal Action added Nov
15
“There must be no hiding place for
political
monsters such as unleashed the destruction of
East
Timor in 1999. These are crimes which are far greater than their
immediate
victims ... They strike at the future as well as the present. They make
the world more dangerous for everyone.” Bishop Belo of Dili, Winner of
the Nobel Peace Prize, 1996
“For decades the people of East Timor
suffered enormous brutality and slaughter of tens of thousands of
people.
In order for the new country to begin a new life, it is essential that
the United Nations establish an international tribunal ... ”
Very
Reverend Bill Phipps, Former Moderator of the United Church of Canada
“Here is work for a United Nations
international
tribunal. Without such an effort the new nation will not be able to
move
ahead in true freedom. The work of building global peace requires such
a demonstration of justice.” Msgr. Peter Schonenbach, General
Secretary,
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
East Timorese
&
International (includes Indonesia):
Nov
14 LH: Dili Justice Seminar report excerpts Summaries
added Nov 15
"The following material relates to a seminar
held in Dili on 16 October 2001 entitled Justice And Accountability In
East Timor: International Tribunals And Other Options organized by
several East Timorese non-governmental organizations. ... If you would
like the 24-page seminar report including all papers, discussions and
outcomes
of the seminar, write to
ifet@etan.org
and I will email you an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file. Please indicate if
you
would like the English or Bahasa Indonesia version. The full report of
the seminar will be available soon at
http://www.etan.org/lh/reports.html"
Charlie Scheiner, La'o Hamutuk
17 Asia-Pacific
countries
(including Indonesia):
Nov
12 APCET: Ten years ago today, a massacre in Dili stunned the world
Statement added Nov 13
"The crimes against
East Timor are also crimes against humanity. It is time that the
international
community close this grim chapter in world history by convening an international
human rights tribunal for East Timor. It is time that the
Indonesian
government redress their past wrongs by cooperating, if not, initiating
proceedings to convene this international court. It is time for the
victims
and kin of all crimes in East Timor to rest. It is time for East Timor
to be completely free."
Asia-Pacific Coalition
for East Timor (APCET)
Japan:
Nov
12 TETA: The eve of 10th anniversary of Santa Cruz massacre
Statements added Nov 12
"On Nov. 11, more than 70 people took
part in a memorial event in Tokyo to commemorate the 10th anniversary
of
the Santa Cruz massacre in East Timor. After about an hour meeting,
mourners
walked to the Indonesian embassy in Tokyo carrying pictures of victims
of the Santa Cruz massacre and laid flowers at the gate of the embassy.
The event was organised by Tokyo East Timor Association (a member group
of Free East Timor! Japan Coalition ), National Christian Council,
Japan
Catholic Council for Justice and Peace, Amnesty
International Japan, Network for Indonesian Democracy, Japan, Japan
NGO Network for Indonesia, and Pacific Asia Resource Center. The
attendants
unanimously approved the statement prepared by organisers, calling for
the establishment of an international tribunal to prosecute
Indonesian
military officers and top-level militia leaders responsible for crimes
against humanity committed in East Timor." Kyo Kageura, Tokyo
East Timor Association (Free East
Timor! Japan Coalition)
17 Asia-Pacific
countries
(including Indonesia):
Oct
29 APCET letter to UN Security Council on International Tribunal
Letter added Oct 31
"We are writing to urge you to establish
an international tribunal to try the war
crimes,
crimes against humanity and genocide committed in East Timor from
1975
onward. ... [We are] hopeful that your Excellencies will mark this
month’s
commemoration of the UN’s birthing by being true to the principles of
which
you were founded. In this era when peoples of the world have almost
lost
faith and trust in entities such as the UN, establishing an
international
tribunal for East Timor will be an apt celebration of the ideals that
engendered
the UN." Mr. Augusto N. Miclat, Jr., Coordinator, APCET,
the Asia-Pacific Coalition for East Timor [The coalition includes
17
affiliates from Asia-Pacific countries]
International:
Oct
24 Internationals in ET write UN Security Council on Justice
Letter added Oct 27
"We
are writing as citizens of many countries who currently reside in East
Timor (Timor Lorosa’e), working with a variety of organizations.
Through
our work and our friendships, we have developed close contacts with
many
people and organizations in this soon-to-be independent nation. We
understand
and share their feeling that justice has not been served for the crimes
against humanity committed here between 1975 and 1999. On 16
October,
we attended a conference in Dili
entitled
“Justice and Accountability in East Timor,” where more than 60 East
Timorese from more than 15 organizations came together and unanimously
voiced their demand for an International Tribunal to provide
justice
for East Timor. ... They are asking, as are we, for the international
community
to take responsibility to end impunity for those who occupied and
devastated
this country." J Conway (Asia-Pacific
Support Collective); Sr. B Guhit (Bishop
Belo’s Center for Peace & Development); J Gunter; C Serreira e
Freire (Oikos); M Hachisuka (La’o Hamutuk);
T Irawati (FORTILOS); V Joshi (LH); N
Katjasungkana (FORTILOS); I Lempp; J Newton (Caritas
Australia); S Martin (CA); H
McCaughey
(Australian Volunteers International); C Ranheim (Judicial
Systems Monitoring Programme); S Rosa; C Scheiner (International
Federation for East Timor); P Sexton (LH);
A de Sousa (LH); J Sternberg
Japan:
Oct
20 Free East Timor! Japan Coalition writes to UNSG re international
tribunal
Letter added Nov 13
"Just as the victims of the U.S. attacks
deserve justice, so do the East Timorese. Terrorism, which is generally
defined as the systematic use of violence to create a general climate
of
fear in a population and thereby to bring about a particular political
objective, is an accurate description of the sufferings
inflicted on the East Timorese people by the Indonesian military
during
the 24 years of Indonesian occupation. ... We therefore call on you to:
1) support the establishment of an international tribunal to
properly
investigate crimes against humanity committed in East Timor, not only
in
1999 but throughout the entire period of Indonesian occupation, and
prosecute
those responsible for these atrocities" Free
East Timor! Japan Coalition
East Timorese
&
International (includes Indonesia):
Bahasa Indonesia/Melayu:
Laporan Seminar Sehari
di Dili, Timor Lorosa'e: [PDF format]
16 Oktober 2001
Keadilan and
Pertanggungjawaban
di Timor Lorosa'e
Pengadilan
Internasional
dan Pilihan Lain
Diselenggarakan oleh: Forum
NGO Nasional Timor Lorosa'e, Yayasan
HAK, La'o Hamutuk, FOKUPERS,
Caritas
Australia, Judicial System Monitoring
Programme
(JSMP)
http://www.etan.org/lh/PDFs/justbahasa.pdf
United States:
Sep
6 CONG: Anniversary of Suai massacre & Atambua murders
Statements added Sep 7
"If we in the United States and the
international community are not to fail the people of East Timor once
again
-
* We must support an International
Criminal Tribunal ...
* We must take immediate steps to protect
and return home safely the East Timorese refugees
...
* We must continue to provide humanitarian,
economic and development aid to East Timor ...
* We must continue to suspend all U.S.military
aid and training to the Indonesian military ...
* We must strongly and unambiguously
support
the independence process in East Timor, ... " Rep. James P. McGovern
United States:
Sep
6 CONG: Anniversary of Suai massacre & Atambua murders
Statements added Sep 7
"I support Senator Harkin’s Resolution
calling for the establishment of an international war crimes
tribunal
to prosecute crimes against humanity in East Timor. I have also worked
with Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont to restrict
funding to Indonesia unless the Indonesian government allows refugees
to return to East Timor and is actively committed to peace with East
Timor."
U.S. Senator Jack Reed
United States:
Sep
6 CONG: Anniversary of Suai massacre & Atambua murders
Statements added Sep 7
"An international tribunal on war
crimes
with a full mandate to investigate crimes both before and after the
independence
referendum is the only true path to justice and reconciliation
in East Timor. I am proud to be the House sponsor of Senator Harkin’s
resolution
calling for an international tribunal on war crimes in East Timor.
House
Concurrent Resolution 60 has 58 cosponsors and has been referred to the
Committee on International Relations." Rep. Lane Evans
United States:
Sep
6 ETAN: Grassroots & Congressional Action Mark Anniversary of Timor
Massacres Release added Sep 6
“East Timor took an historic step with
last week’s democratic, multiparty election.
Yet, the U.S. and the wider international community have failed to
fully
address critical issues, ... The victims of past crimes require justice
and all refugees in West Timor who wish to
return
must be able to do so. ... An international tribunal is the
only
way to be certain that the Indonesian military commanders and political
leaders most responsible are held accountable for the systematic human
rights abuses in East Timor. Indonesia does not have the will and
East Timor does not have the resources or access to try them. An
international
tribunal is essential to uphold international human rights standards
and
to end the impunity of the Indonesian military,” John M. Miller,
spokesperson
for East Timor Action Network (ETAN)
France: (French)
Aug
23 ApT: Le réglement de la question du Timor oriental est une
question
internationale Release added Aug 25
"Nous appellons le gouvernement
français
à maintenir son niveau d’implication dans la mission de l’ONU,
à
soutenir
la création d’un tribunal pénal ad hoc pour
Timor-Est et à agir de manière énergique pour que
les Timorais de l’Est deplacés en Indonésie
échappent
à la terreur de milices soutenues par l’armée et puissent
choisir librement de rentrer ou de rester en Indonésie." Agir
pour Timor
France:
Aug
23 ApT: A solution of the ETimor issue is an international question
Release added Aug 25
"We call on the French government to keep
its level of implication in the UN mission, to support the creation
of an ad hoc international penal tribunal for East Timor and to act
energetically so that the East Timorese displaced in Indonesia escape
the
terror of army-supported militia and can freely choose to go back or
stay
in Indonesia." Agir pour Timor
Australia:
Aug
22 AAP: Australian Senate rejects Timor war crimes tribunal
News added Aug 23
"Greens [party] Senator Bob Brown said
Australia should pressure the United Nations to set up a war crimes
tribunal to deal with atrocities in East Timor between 1975 and
1999.
Senator Brown said 2,000 East Timorese were killed during the
referendum
period but 200,000 were killed during the entire Indonesian occupation,
so Indonesia was only investigating one per cent of crimes." AAP
Australia:
Aug
21 AUSGOV: Senate debate on war crimes tribunal
Transcript
added Aug 29
"(4.22 p.m.) --I now move: That the Senate
calls on the Australian Government to request that the United Nations
set
up an international war crimes tribunal to bring justice to
those
responsible for the crimes against humanity committed during the 1975
to
1999 Indonesian occupation of East Timor." [Greens] Senator Brown
(Tasmania,
Australia)
United Nations
Consultant:
Aug
13 SMH/J.Dunn: Crimes Against Humanity Demand a Proper Airing
Opinion added Aug 13
"Indonesian officers responsible for
murder
and mayhem in East Timor should face an international court,
...
Will they be brought before the new [Indonesian] tribunal? Indications
are that the prosecutors will focus on lower-level military
involvement,
and on the militia leaders in West Timor. ... An international tribunal
would offer the best path to justice plus the prospect of an enduring reconciliation
between Indonesia and the new East Timorese state, which is a virtual
precondition
of the disengagement of UN peacekeepers." James
Dunn, investigator of crimes against humanity in East Timor
United States:
Jul
23 ETAN Urges New Indonesian President to Show Support for ETimor
Release added Aug 1
"Given the Indonesian military’s continued
political power and its ties to Megawati, the international community
must
recognize that Indonesia is not capable of prosecuting the Indonesian
military
and political leaders responsible for crimes against humanity committed
in East Timor from 1975 onwards, ... We urge members of UN
Secretary-General
Kofi Annan and the Security Council to take the steps necessary to
establish
an international tribunal to prosecute crimes against humanity and war
crimes committed in East Timor." John
M.
Miller, The East Timor Action Network
(ETAN)
Australia:
Jul
13 HT Lee: Speech at Canberra launch of "A Dirty Little War"
Speech added July 17
"Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has
welcomed Milosevic’s detention but when it comes to our dealings with
Jakarta,
the Jakarta lobby of the Department of Foreign Affairs, DFAT is still
calling
the shots and pulling the strings. It is therefore time for the
Australian
Government of whatever political persuasions to cut those strings and
take
a tougher stand with Jakarta by calling for and making sure the International
War Crimes Tribunal for East Timor is established. It is only than
that the ghosts of Balibo, Maliana, Suai, Liquica, Lospalos, Viqueque,
Atsabe, Alas, Same, Dili and all the killing fields of East Timor, can
finally be laid to rest." HT Lee,
Australian press photographer in East Timor Sep 1999
United Nations
Official:
Jul
13 AP: UN Official Calls For War Crimes Tribunal For East Timor
News added July 14
“If there’s no progress toward bringing
to justice the people responsible for the crimes ... there should be an
international
war crimes tribunal,” Peter Galbraith, political affairs minister
in
the U.N. administration in East Timor
United States:
Jun
1 Gabrielson: U.S. Responsibility in the West Timor Refugee Crisis
Report added July 11
"The U.S., as number-one ally of
Indonesia,
should use its many connections within the government and military of
Indonesia
to press hard for the immediate disarming, disbanding, and criminal
trial
of the militias in West Timor. Not a single dollar of military aid
should
be released to Indonesia until human rights abuses stop in West Timor
and
across the Archipelago. International human-rights tribunals
should
be set up to try Indonesian military officers for crimes against
humanity
committed in East and West Timor, as well as in other locations." Curt
Gabrielson
International:
Jun
13 JUSTICE FOR EAST TIMOR Petition added June 13
"In the light of the above, we call upon
the international community to:
* Press the UN Security Council to take
immediate steps to set up an international tribunal to bring to
justice Indonesian military officers and others responsible for gross
violations
of human rights in East Timor whenever they were committed.
* Ensure that UNTAET makes the necessary
structural and management changes to the SCIU and that it allocates
sufficient
resources and personnel to the Unit so that it is able to conduct
credible
investigations and prosecutions which take into account the systematic
and planned nature of the violence.
* Press the UN to provide greater
professional
and financial support to inexperienced East Timor judges, prosecutors
and
defenders.
* Make a commitment to support and provide
resources for serious crimes investigations in East Timor after the
current
UNTAET mandate expires."
Statement endorsed by 45 Groups and
Organisations
in Solidarity with East Timor from around the world
Britain:
Jun
13 CAFOD/CIIR/TAPOL: British aid agencies call for justice in East Timor
Release added June 13
“Indonesia has prevaricated too long on
this issue. Jakarta does not intend to pursue justice for the East
Timorese.
It is now time for the international community to act. An international
tribunal must be set up. Timely justice and the ending of impunity are
essential for peace and reconciliation in East Timor and for democracy
and stability in Indonesia.” CAFOD’s East Timor Programme Officer Catherine
Sexton
United States:
Jun
6 U.S. NGO letter to Powell re. intl tribunal for East Timor
Petition added June 9
" ... we urge the U.S.
government
to redouble its efforts to end impunity and ensure accountability and
justice.
The United States should heed Bishop Belo’s cry by giving unconditional
support for an international tribunal on East Timor, and taking the
lead
in encouraging the UN Security Council to do the same. " 33
U.S.
Non-government organisations
United Nations
Consultant:
Jun
2 Dunn: Re call for Tribunal Comment added June 19
"In view of the changing scene in Jakarta
the need to press for an international tribunal is now more urgent. ...
What we should not be doing, is hesitating and encouraging the TNI
command
establishment to conclude that it is now likely to escape international
scrutiny." James Dunn,
Crimes
investigator for United Nations Transitional Administration in East
Timor
(UNTAET)
Aotearoa
New Zealand:
May
14 IHRC: NZ Foreign Minister Urged To Act On International Tribunal
Release added May 20
"The Indonesia Human Rights Committee
has written to the Minister of Foreign Affairs [Aotearoa
New Zealand] to urge him to mobilise international support for
an
effective international tribunal to try those responsible for
mass
murder in East Timor. The Committee also wants stronger action to
enforce
an end to militia violence in the West Timor refugee camps and on the
border
with East Timor." Indonesia Human Rights Committee
International:
May
9 SBS: Australias East Timor secret TV documentary
"In an extraordinary investigation,
reporter
Mark Davis returns to East Timor to disclose disturbing new revelations
about Australia’s secret intelligence information prior to the
country’s
independence referendum. ... The Australian member of the International
Commission of Jurists, Justice John Dowd, says the report reinforces
the
need for an International War Crimes Tribunal to examine crimes
committed by the Indonesian Army and the Indonesian-backed militia."
SBS
Dateline (Australia)
United
Kingdom:
May
8 Catholic aid agency CAFOD calls for war crimes court on East Timor
Release
“It is clear that there is no political
will in Jakarta for any serious steps to be taken against those who
commit
human rights atrocities. Jakarta’s efforts on this front have lost all
credibility. ... One of the best steps towards the development of
democracy
in the long-run is the promotion of justice and the rule of law. CAFOD
is concerned that groups being seen as clearly above and outside the
law
will affect the development of democratic principles in both East Timor
and Indonesia, and will only promote the use of violence in both
societies.
... It is time for the international community to realise that we can
best
support these fledgling democracies by bringing to justice those guilty
of such atrocities. Indonesia cannot and will not do this itself, and
it
is time for the establishment of an international tribunal on East
Timor.”
Catherine
Sexton, CAFOD Programme Officer for East Timor
Ireland:
May
3 IT: War Crimes in East Timor Letter to the Irish
Times
[Dublin]
"It is time for the international
community
to tell Indonesia that it has had its chance and failed.
...
So if trial and prison is good enough for Milosevic and Pinochet, it is
good enough for Indonesia’s former dictator, Suharto, who is still free
despite having robbed and murdered for 32 years. Many of those TNI
commanders
who were responsible for countless murders in East Timor are likely
enjoying
comfortable retirements in Jakarta. Any international war
crimes
tribunal for East Timor will serve several purposes. It will let
the
Indonesian people know the full extent of the savagery and horror of
what
was done in their name. And it will let them and the world know the
Indonesian
military for what they are - a gang of murderers and criminals. They
won’t
just become international pariahs, but become pariahs in their own
country.
Last but not least, for those of us who saw many members of our
families
die, it will give us some comfort at the thought that those responsible
will one day have to face justice and answer for what they did." Jose
Lopes
United States:
Apr
2001 Estafeta: Will East Timor See Justice? Article
"Since the Indonesian system perpetuates
impunity, ETAN is calling on the United States and other nations to
create
an international tribunal to try those responsible for serious
human
rights abuses and crimes against humanity in East Timor since 1975.
This
was the
number one priority of the East Timorese
NGOs I met with in December and January, and is also ETAN’s highest
goal."
Charles Scheiner, National
Coordinator, East Timor Action Network/US
France: (French
& English)
Apr
28 Agir pour Timor demande la création immédiate d’un
tribunal
pénal international ad hoc sur Timor-Est / Agir pour Timor calls
for the immediate creation of an ad hoc international criminal court on
ETimor Release; Link to report added June 25
"Un processus judiciaire international
est suspendu à la mise en oeuvre d’un processus judiciaire
indonésien.
Cette mesure, qui n’a pas d’équivalent dans l’histoire
récente
(on pense notamment à l’ex-Yougoslavie et au Rwanda), est
incompatible
avec le caractère international du conflit de Timor-Est, ...
Agir
pour Timor recommande: L’établissement immédiat
d’un
tribunal pénal international ad hoc, dont le mandat devrait
couvrir
au moins l’entière période de l’occupation
indonésienne."
Rapport Agir pour Timor
"An international judicial process is
suspended to the implementation of an Indonesian judicial process. This
measure, which has no equivalent in recent history (ex-Yougoslavia and
Rwanda notably come to mind), is incompatible with the international
character
of the East Timor conflict, ... Agir pour Timor recommends: The
immediate
set-up of an ad hoc international criminal court, whose mandate
should cover at least the full Indonesian occupation period." Agir pour
Timor report
Australia:
Apr
28 SMH: Timor Crimes Editorial
"It will be a further crime, added to
those indicated by this report [Indonesian
Commission
of Investigation into Human Rights Violations (KPP HAM) secret 41-page
report], if the Indonesian Government now fails to extend the
jurisdiction
of the Indonesian special tribunal on human rights cases well back
before
the time of the referendum, to catch the many crimes committed before
August
1999. If not, there will be renewed international pressure for a
special
UN war crimes tribunal for Indonesia like those for Rwanda and
Yugoslavia."
Sydney Morning Herald editorial
International:
Apr
26 TAPOL: Indonesia forfeits right to conduct Timor trials
Release
“The Indonesian authorities have cynically
misled the international community as to their true intentions and
cannot
be trusted. Indonesia is neither willing nor able to provide justice to
the long-suffering victims of the appalling crimes committed by the
Indonesian
military and its militia proxies in East Timor. International justice
must
now take its course.” Paul Barber, TAPOL,
the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
United States:
Mar
26 About HR: US Court Goes After Architect of ETimor Terror
News with background
"The East Timorese have been seeking to
hold accountable those responsible for the great suffering inflicted
upon
them by Indonesia’s invasion and occupation of their country. They are
especially concerned that, barring the creation of an international
tribunal, the Indonesian military leaders who gave the orders will
escape justice. The lawsuit and hearing provide a forum for the East
Timorese
to tell their stories and to have a court officially acknowledge and
rule
on one of those responsible." John
Miller,
East Timor Action Network (ETAN)
International:
Apr
25 AI: Indonesia: Struggle against impunity -- one step forward, two
steps
back Release
"It is a case of one step forward, two
steps back, ... The decision to establish courts on Tanjung Priok and
East
Timor is a positive move, but to restrict the mandate of the court on
East
Timor to post-ballot cases denies justice to the scores of victims who
suffered serious violations in the months leading up to the vote. ...
This
compromised decision should force the international community to
seriously
consider the establishment of an international criminal tribunal on
East Timor
so that the 1999 events can be looked at in their entirety,"
Amnesty
International
United States:
Apr
25 ETAN publishes text of suppressed UN report on East Timor destruction
Release & Link to full text of report
"The report is now available on the
internet
at http://www.etan.org/news/2001a/dunn1.htm
The document, "Crimes Against Humanity
in East Timor, January to October 1999: Their Nature and Causes," was
written by former Australian diplomat James Dunn, an independent
consultant
to the Chief Prosecutor for the UN Transitional Administration in East
Timor's (UNTAET). ...
"An international tribunal is
needed
if the East Timorese are to see justice for the crimes committed
against
them. As of now, no Indonesian military officers have been indicted,
much
less tried for the crimes recounted in Dunn's report, ... Justice
cannot
be served in Indonesian courts because many East Timorese are too
traumatized
to travel to Indonesia to testify. Also, the military command has
consistently
blocked UN investigations, refusing to extradite suspects or even to
allow
them to be questioned. In fact, many of the officers named in the
report
maintain positions of authority in the TNI, ... Any Indonesian trials
are
fraught with so many legal, practical and political problems that any
convictions
of high-ranking officers are extremely unlikely," John Miller,
spokesperson,
ETAN
After numerous delays, the Indonesian
government recently authorized an ad hoc human rights court on East
Timor.
But the court itself has not been set up, and its mandate is restricted
to "gross human rights violations that occurred in East Timor after the
self-determination vote" of August 30, 1999, precluding prosecution for
numerous crimes commtted before that date." The
East Timor Action Network/U.S.
United Nations
Consultant:
Major Report Apr
20 SMH: James Dunn 'Crimes Against Humanity in East Timor, Jan-Oct 99'
Executive summary and recommendations
"Efforts should be stepped up to establish
the guilt of those ultimately responsible, or with shared
responsibility,
for the crimes committed in 1999, and to commence action to have them
brought
to justice. Particular attention needs to be given to investigating the
roles played by TNI commanders, with a view to laying charges against
those
responsible for the events of 1999. ...
In the event that no progress is made
in Indonesia towards bringing to justice those responsible for the
crimes
committed in East Timor in 1999, immediate steps should be taken to
negotiate
the setting up of and international tribunal for this purpose.
...
While this report focuses on events in
1999, in the course of my enquiries persistent allegations of very
serious
crimes against humanity, involving mass murder, since East Timor was
invaded
in 1975 have been brought to my attention. I join with the KPP HAM
report
(recommendation 27) in calling for a thorough investigation of what
transpired
and of who was responsible. The most serious crimes, such as the Creras
and Santa Cruz massacres, are crimes of such magnitude that they must
be
considered of concern to the international community as a whole."
James Dunn, Crimes investigator for United
Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), 14 February
2001
Germany:
Mar
19 Watch Indonesia: German MP demands stronger commitment for Human
Rights
Release
"At the 56th UNCHR a one year deadline
has been set for the Indonesian Government to accuse all those human
right
violators. Since then nothing has happened and the time limit has been
exceeded. Because of that there is no other alternative but to
establish
an international ad-hoc court as soon as possible." Mrs.
Leutheuser-Schnarrenberger,
Committee for Human Rights and humanitarian aid of the German
Parliament
(Bundestag)
Japan:
Mar
14 Japan: NGO Joint Petition on UNCHR 57th session
Petition
"As Indonesia’s occupation of East Timor
was never recognized by the UN, human rights abuses committed by the
Indonesian
army and police in East Timor during the occupation are by definition
an
international problem, and should therefore be tried within an
international
framework. It is now clear that satisfactory investigations and
trials
cannot possibly be conducted in Indonesia due to obstruction by the
Indonesian
army and by the conservative majority in Indonesia’s parliament.
Indonesia
has also refused all extradition requests made by UN investigators,
despite
signing a Memorandum of Understanding with UNTAET envisaging mutual
cooperation
in legal, judicial and human rights related matters." NGO Joint
Petition
on UNCHR 57th session
United States:
Mar
10 ETAN: Memo to UN Commission on H. Rights Memo
"The UNCHR should call for the
establishment
of an international tribunal to try crimes against humanity
committed
in East Timor, ... The demonstrated inability of both Indonesian and
East
Timorese judicial systems to bring Indonesian military and political
personnel
and militia leaders to justice should be clearly decried, and the
defiant
lack of cooperation of the TNI and Indonesian parliament with UN
investigations
strongly condemned. If the international community chooses to continue
to wait for Indonesia to prosecute, the UNCHR should set clear
deadlines
and standards. Failure to meet these criteria would then trigger steps
to set up an international tribunal. Any tribunal should be charged to
investigate and prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity
committed
in East Timor from 1975 to the end of 1999."
East
Timor Action Network/U.S.
International:
Feb
2 ICG: Indonesia: Impunity vs. Accountability For Gross Human Rights
Violations
Report
"The international community has a
particular
obligation to ensure accountability for Indonesian perpetrators of
serious
crimes committed in East Timor in 1999. It has a more general concern
for
accountability because of its stake in democratisation and stability in
an important country. This requires a higher degree of international
engagement
in Indonesian processes than might otherwise be normal or tolerable.
The
prospect
of an international tribunal to adjudicate serious crimes committed
in East Timor was first raised within the UN in 1999, and judicial
processes
have been set in train by the UN administration in East Timor for the
investigation
of such crimes. This international interest and activity will continue
to put pressure on Indonesia to set its own house in order. If handled
judiciously, it will strengthen those in Indonesia advancing the cause
of accountability, but the international community can not expect a
quick,
neat or comprehensive pay-off." International Crisis Group (Brussels)
International:
Jan
31 TAPOL: TAPOL demands international tribunal for East Timor on
anniversary
of UN report Release
"TAPOL has today accused the United
Nations
Secretary General, Kofi Annan, and members of the UN Security Council -
including Britain - of encouraging a culture of impunity in Indonesia
and
of failing in their duty to ensure timely justice of East Timor's
victims
of human rights atrocities instigated and directed by the Indonesian
military.
... TAPOL says in letters to the Secretary General and Security Council
members that it has been clear for some time that there is no
alternative
to international justice for East Timor. It urges the UN to act on the
Commission's recommendation to set up an international tribunal
without
delay. ... Speedy justice and the ending of impunity are essential
for peace and reconciliation in East Timor and for democracy and
stability
in Indonesia," Paul Barber, TAPOL,
the
Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
United
Kingdom:
Dec
6 2000 Times: Bishops call for international tribunal to try war crimes
in East Timor Letter
"In Indonesia
efforts
are being made to set up trials. But the conditions for them to be
conducted
according to international standards do not exist and are unlikely to
in
the near future. ... No healing process can start in the knowledge that
perpetrators will go unpunished. Justice is vital to East Timor's
future,
and to the future of Indonesia, which is struggling to found a
democratic
state based on the rule of law." David Konstant, Bishop of Leeds,
Chairman,
Catholic Bishops' Conference Department of International Affairs &
Richard Harries, Bishop of Oxford
International:
including but not limited to Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Belguim,
Canada, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea,
Netherlands,
Portugal, Sweden, USA, Wales
Dec
2 2000 CCET: Christian churches call for justice and peace in East Timor
Statement
"While the
International
community ... has waited for the Indonesian government to try
perpetrators,
the defenceless victims of these mostly pre-meditated actions, are
struggling
to come to terms with huge physical and emotional loss. No healing
process
can start in the knowledge that perpetrators are at large, and will go
unpunished. Without healing, East Timor's unique chance of founding a
nation
based on higher principles rooted in freedom and equity, will be
still-born.
Justice is vital not only to East Timor's future, but also to the
future
of Indonesia, which is also struggling to found a democratic state
based
on the rule of law.
* We call for
an international ad hoc tribunal
in which both Indonesia and East Timor
will participate.
* We call for all
suspected perpetrators to be tried, regardless of their military rank."
Christian Consultation on East Timor (statement
signed by 36 Christian organisations and churches)
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