Also: Indonesia Court Charges 7 More Suspects Over Timor Violence

Jakarta Post [online] June 2, 2002

AGO to hand over dossiers of 7 suspects for East Timor trial

JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General Office (AGO) will hand over on Monday dossiers of seven defendants -- including former militia leader Eurico Guterres -- accused of human rights violations to the ad hoc rights court in Central Jakarta, AGO spokesman Barman Zahir said.

The seven defendants would be tried in five separate cases, Barman said as reported by Metro TV.

It is also reported that besides Guterres, who led the pro-Indonesian Aitarak militia, the defendants include the former head of Liquica district, Leonito Martins and the former heads of the Liquica district police and military, Adios Salova and AsepKusnawi, AFP said.

Also to be tried will be former Dili police chief Hulman Gultom, former Dili military commander Sudjarwo and his predecessor Endar Priyanto.

Kusnawi, Salova and Martins will be tried in the same case linked to the massacre of 22 East Timorese who had taken refuge at a church in Liquica on April 6, 1999, Barman said.

Gultom and Priyanto will be accused of failure to prevent and halt violence in Dili following a rally of militiamen on April 17, 1999.

Barman, however, did not detail the charges against Sudjarwo and Guterres but Sudjarwo was Dili military commander in September 1999.

Guterres' Aitarak militiamen were allegedly involved in September violence in Dili during a fierce dispute between pro-independence and pro-integration camps following East Timor breakaway from Indonesia.

Six police and military officers and one former governor are currently on trial on charges of gross human rights violations in the then-Indonesian province.

Eleven other officers and officials, including the seven to be tried soon, will face similar charges, prosecutors have said.

Indonesia Court Charges 7 More Suspects Over Timor Violence

JAKARTA, June 3 (AP)--Indonesia Monday charged seven more people - including a notorious militia leader - over violence that swept East Timor when it voted for independence in 1999.

Indonesia has been under intense international pressure to bring justice to those responsible for the rampage in its former territory which left up to 1,000 dead.

With Monday's announcement, a total of 25 people have been charged with crimes against humanity by allowing or failing to prevent the killings. They could face the death penalty if convicted.

The trials of seven of the suspects are currently taking place in Jakarta in a specially convened Indonesian human rights court.

Attorney General's Office spokesman Barman Zahir said he would soon announce when the new suspects - including notorious pro-Jakarta militia leader Eurico Guterres, several local police and military chiefs and a civilian district head - would stand trial.

Activists contend that Indonesia's courts are too corrupt and incompetent to handle such sensitive cases and that indictments are weak and poorly prepared. They also allege the masterminds of violence haven't been charged. U.N. officials have told Jakarta that if those responsible for the bloodshed don't face justice in Indonesian courts, an international war crimes tribunal, akin to those for former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, could be held.

Elements of the Indonesian military and pro-Jakarta militias terrorized East Timor before, during and after it voted overwhelmingly to separate from 24-years of Indonesian rule in August 1999.

Guterres led the feared Airtarak or Thorn militia in the campaign of violence in the capital Dili. Prosecutors allege his gang and several others like it were set up and funded by the military and local government officials. Indictment papers filed at the court Monday allege that Guterres told his followers on April 7, 1999, to kill pro-independence leaders, including Manuel Carascalo and his family. Shortly after, a pro-Jakarta mob murdered 12 people at Carascalo's house in Dili.

Back to June menu
May
World Leaders Contact List
Human Rights Violations in East Timor
Main Postings Menu