| Subject: LUSA: Truth body to advance even
without Timorese consensus - Ramos Horta
11-02-2005 13:16:00. Fonte LUSA. Notícia SIR-6743123 Temas:
East Timor: Truth body to advance even without Timorese consensus -
Ramos Horta
Dili, Feb. 11 (Lusa) - East Timor's leaders want national consensus on
how to deal with Indonesian atrocities committed in 1999, but will move to
set up a Truth and Friendship Commission with Jakarta regardless of
negative public reaction, Foreign Minister José Ramos Horta said Friday.
Just returned from talks over the bilateral commission in Indonesia,
Ramos Horta, downplayed the significance of criticism of the initiative
from civil society groups and the influential Timorese Catholic Church.
Ramos Horta, in comments to Lusa after briefing Parliament Speaker
Francisco Guterres on his talks with Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan
Wirajuda earlier this week, said Dili sought a "solid national
consensus" over the controversial issue.
But failing to achieve such agreement, he stressed that President
Xanana Gusmão, the government and parliament had the political
"legitimacy" to move forward to set up the bilateral commission.
Both the foreign minister and Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri described
recent criticism of the plan from Catholic Bishop Alberto Ricardo, the
head of the church in Dili, as "precipitate" and based on a lack
of information.
Local media quoted Bishop Ricardo earlier this week as saying he was
"perplexed" by the Dili-Jakarta plan to deal with the wave of
crimes against humanity committed by pro-Indonesia militias and troops
around the time of East Timor's 1999 independence plebiscite.
"I don't understand: If we reconcile will there be justice or
not", newspapers quoted the cleric as asking.
"When someone is caught robbing and is not tried" where does
that leave the victims, he questioned.
Whatever the future stance of the United Nations or the position of
"Timorese leaders", the bishop said the Catholic Church would
not budge from its demand that "justice be done".
Gusmão and his Indonesian counterpart, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono agreed
to set up the truth commission after a December meeting in Bali.
The two countries' foreign ministers have jointly presented the plan to
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, but have yet to get his blessing for the
initiative.
Domestic and international critics, arguing Dili appears willing to
sacrifice justice for normalized relations with its powerful neighbor and
former occupier, have called on the UN to create an international court to
try those responsible for the rampages five years ago.
Gusmão is scheduled to begin talks with Timorese political parties
next week to seek as broad a political consensus as possible over the
issue.
Indonesian forces and militias are blamed for the deaths of 1,500
people, forcing some 250,000 into temporary exile, and destroying most of
the country's infrastructure during a scorched earth campaign in 1999.
Trials of 18 Indonesian officers and officials in Jakarta have been
viewed internationally as a whitewash, while trials in Dili have dealt
with relatively minor cases and faced Indonesia's refusal to cooperate.
EL/SAS.
Lusa
Copyright © 2003 Agencia Lusa. Todos os direitos reservados.
www.lusa.pt
Back to February menu
January
World Leaders Contact List
Human Rights Violations in East Timor
Main Postings Menu
Note: For those who would like to fax "the
powers that be" - CallCenter is a Native 32-bit Voice Telephony software
application integrated with fax and data communications... and it's free of charge!
Download from http://www.v3inc.com/ |
