---------------------------------------------------------- FREE for JOIN Indonesia Daily News Online via EMAIL: go to: http://www.indo-news.com/subscribe.html - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- The Sydney Morning Herald, October 3, 1999 Foreign Press Blackens Military: Wiranto Jakarta, Sunday: Armed Forces Commander General Wiranto has accused the foreign press of trying to blacken the Indonesian military over the violence in East Timor, a report said in Jakarta today. At military headquarters during a rehearsal for a ceremony to mark the 54th anniversary of the armed forces today, General Wiranto said he was convinced none of his troops in East Timor had committed human rights violations. "We should not be fooled by reports from abroad that clearly want to corner our soldiers," he was quoted by the Suara Pembaruan evening daily as saying. He said, however, that the government had set up its own independent commission to investigate allegations of violations in East Timor. "We have been doing our best based on the laws, discipline and the values of human rights. "To convince others, I have agreed on the establishment, by our own National Commission on Human Rights, of an independent commission on human rights violations," he said. He said any other commission, including one formed by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, must work with the Indonesian commission. "We have our pride, our self-esteem, and not anybody can just come and immediately investigate. There are rules to the game," he added. Indonesia has rejected a resolution of the UN High Commission on Human Rights sending a commission of inquiry to investigate reports of crimes against humanity in East Timor, including by pro-Indonesia militias whom they said were backed and armed by the military. General Wiranto has been cited by various sources as one of several Indonesian generals and officer responsible for atrocities in East Timor that followed the pro-independence ballot there. He also denied that Indonesian soldiers of the elite Kopassus forces had been caught among the militia men rounded up by soldiers of the International Force for East Timor in the Com area in East Timor last week. "There is no such thing. That is a lie...and I do not want to involve myself in such lies," he said. Reports have quoted Interfet officials as saying two of the militia men arrested carried documents linking them to the Kopassus. -AFP ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 13 Oct 1999 jam 09:50:29 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
