EAST TIMOR TO CONTINUE PROMOTING CTF

July 28, 2005 12:04am Asia Intelligence Wire

New York, July 27 (ANTARA) - East Timor will continue promoting the Commission on Truth and Friendship (CTF) it has formed with Indonesia as the best solution to the post-ballot human rights abuses in 1999 and calling on UN Security Council members not to support the UN Commission of Experts's recommendation to settle the case in an international tribunal.

"I have met with all members of the UN Security Council on East Timor's commitment to work closely with Indonesia in this issue through the CTF," East Timor's Permanent Representative to the UN, Jose Luis Guterres, said here Tuesday.

He said most of the council's members appreciated the serious efforts being made by Indonesia and East Timor to settle the case.

East Timor's President and Prime Minister, Guterres said, had also sent letters to the UN Secretary General expresisng regret about the Commission of Experts (CoE)'s recommendation, including on establishment of tribunal if the Indonesian government could not reopen the trial of suspects in the gross human rights violations.

East Timor believed an international tribunal would not be an effective solution and Indonesia was of the same opnion, he said.

The case, Guterres added, would be reviewed by the CTF which had independent members.

During his meetings with UN Security Council members, he said, most of them showed interest in developments in human rights issues in Indonesia as well as East Timor.

They wanted to see Indonesia's and East Timor's commitment on the issue.

"I see that todays Indonesia is much from the Indonesia in the past. Now they have a strong commitment in the issue of human rights, democracy and freedom," Guterres said.

Commitment to uphold human rights, he said, was not only shown by the Indonesian government but also by Indonesian political parties, public figures as well as religious leaders.

Indonesia's willingness to receive the visit of the UN CoE and provided necessary information had shown its commitment on human rights issues, he said.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan last June had conveyed the commission's recommendations to the Security Council.

But so far, the council has yet to set an agenda to discuss the recommendations.