---------------------------------------------------------- FREE Subscribe/UNsubscribe Indonesia Daily News Online 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 -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 Free Email @KotakPos.com visit: http://my.kotakpos.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------- Antara, January 24, 2000 FM OPTIMISTIC RI NOT TO FACE INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL Jakarta, Jan 24 (ANTARA) - Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab said he is optimistic that his working visit to United States recently will protect Indonesia from over human rights abuses in East Timor after the UN-administered ballot in the territory. "I believe that a recommendation to bring Indonesia to the international tribunal would not continue because some UN's member representatives whom I gave clarification on the issue had given their positive responses," Shihab told newsmen after meeting with visiting Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer here Monday. In his visit to the US last week, besides holding talks with American businessmen, Shihab also met with the UN Secretary General, US Secretary of State Madeline Albright, several members of the UN Security Council and some 20 UN's representative members including China, Russia, Portugal, Middle East and Asian countries. Shihab however, admitted he could not be "a hundred percent optimistic" that the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will back up Indonesia over the international tribunal. "Annan is likely not to have authority to decide the issue by himself. However I believe Annan will consider my clarification as well as the opinion of some 20 UN's representative members," he said. The White House itself has announced that it would not press Indonesia to face an international tribunal for the case. Asked whether his diplomacy tour protecting Indonesia from international court and the inquiry made by the investigative commission for human rights abuses in East Timor (KPP HAM) will help Indonesia from a international tribunal, Shihab admitted that the two effort do not have significant power. "I just did what I had to do as a foreign minister. But it also depends on the result made by the KPP HAM," he said. The government expected that the KPP HAM will work as best as it can so that it will not disappoint the people and the international community, he said. "President Abdurrahman Wahid has said that those who have been proven guilty in human rights abuses in East Timor must be brought to the court," Shihab said. The minister also said the comminsion should not hesitate to disclose that the fact it has found, including the allegation that scores of the Indonesian National Defense Force (TNI) senior officials had been involved in atrocities in East Timor after the holding of the UN-administered referendum in the territory that result in an overwhelming vote for independence. (L.NN-07/NN-06/P-9/15:09/nn02/TB05) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 27 Jan 2000 jam 05:28:20 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
