The Star [Malaysia], Tuesday, February 25, 2003
Indonesia to ignore UN indictments against generals
KUALA LUMPUR - Indonesia's foreign minister said Tuesday his country would ignore
U.N. indictments of Indonesia's former armed forces chief along with six other
generals for crimes against humanity during East Timor's bloody independence vote in
1999.
The Indonesian response came a few hours after U.N. prosecutors said in a statement
that the seven military officials and a former governor of East Timor have been indicted
with "crimes against humanity for murder, deportation and persecution.''
Topping the list of indictments was ex-Indonesian armed forces commander Gen.
Wiranto, who has long been named as the man most responsible for the bloodletting
that swept the former Indonesian territory when its citizens voted for independence in
the U.N.-sponsored referendum.
Rights groups have long called for Wiranto, who like many Indonesians uses a single
name, to be held accountable. But the indictments are mostly symbolic because
East Timor and Indonesia have no extradition treaty, and Indonesia has ignored all
previous such indictments linked to the 1999 bloodshed.
Arrest warrants have been requested from the Dili District Court. They will then be
forwarded to Indonesia's Attorney General, U.N. officials said. But Indonesian Foreign
Minister Hassan Wirayuda said his government would "simply ignore'' the indictments,
and insisted there was no need to take action against Wiranto.
"He is a free man. ... Why take action?'' Wirayuda told The Associated Press. "Who
gave (the U.N.) the mandate to indict Indonesians, under what basis, what authority?''
The indictment also charges six generals who were responsible for security in East
Timor and ex-governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares with funding, training and arming the
pro-Indonesia militias that joined the Indonesian military in killing nearly 2,000 people
and forcing 250,000 Timorese to flee their homes before and after the referendum.
Along with Wiranto, those indicted are Maj. Gen. Zacky Anwar Makarim, Maj. Gen.
Kiki Syahnakri, Maj. Gen. Adam Rachmat Damiri, Col. Suhartono Suratman, Col.
Mohammad Noer Muis, Lt. Col. Yayat Sudrajat and Soares.
Tuesday's indictment accuses the men of involvement in 280 killings in 10 separate
attacks. Among them were a church massacre in Liquica, an attack on a rally in Dili
and an attack on a church compound in Dili.
The United Nations governed East Timor for 2 1/2 years until the territory achieved
independence last May. The world body still provides government advisers, several
hundred policemen and about 2,500 peacekeeping troops in the world's newest
nation. - AP
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