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Monday, February 14, 2005

Indonesia-East Timor truth commission not to include officials

February 14, 2005 5:59am

Text of report attributed to Muhammad Atqa entitloed: "Foreign minister: Members of the TFC will not include officials from Indonesia or East Timor" carried by Indonesian Detikcom web site on 12 February

Detikom, Muhammad Atqa, Jakarta (12 February 05): Indonesia's foreign minister, Hasan Wirayudha, clarified that the Truth and Friendship Commission [TFC] being formed by the Indonesian and East Timor governments will not include officials from either country, but will, however, include community leaders with high integrity.

"Not officials, but leading figures with integrity, we hope will form our joint secretariat. Maybe they will come from the mid-region between Indonesia and East Timor," said the foreign minister after appointing consul-generals, consuls and two new officials in the Foreign Ministry at its offices on Jalan Pejambon, Jakarta on Friday (11 February 2005).

In relation to the terms of reference (TOR) of the Truth and Friendship Commission which have not yet been finalized, the foreign minister explained that he will meet East Timor Foreign Minister Ramos Horta in the near future to discuss the matter.

"I will meet Ramos Horta again in one week. I met Foreign Minister Horta in Bali on 8 February. The meeting was really friendly. Even though we put forward plans for the terms of reference, it is not a problem because this is a joint idea resulting from our cooperative efforts to complete the terms of reference," explained Foreign Minister Wirayudha.

Foreign Minister Wirayudha also explained that at the end of this month the terms reference should be completed. Now, only small changes need to be made to the formulation's preamble. "Our target is to immediately report to each country's agencies." I hope that by the end of this month there will be an agreement," he said.

Foreign Minister Wirayudha also explained that the Truth and Friendship Commission's [main] task is to close a period in East Timor and Indonesia's past and also to advance friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

"The Commission aims to appropriately close the burden or part of the history between Indonesia and East Timor and particularly not to investigate human rights violations that occurred in 1999," he said.

With the creation of the terms of reference, then in one or one and a half months the Commission will be running. "If the terms of reference can be finalized by February, then in one or one and a half months the Commission will be running," he said.

Source: Detikcom web site, Jakarta, in Indonesian 12 Feb 05

BBC Monitoring

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