---------------------------------------------------------- Visit Indonesia Daily News Online HomePage: http://www.indo-news.com/ 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/ ---------------------------------------------------------- ANNAN REFUSES INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL FOR EAST TIMOR New York, Feb 1 (ANTARA) - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has refused an international tribunal and such a mechanism should not be considered until Indonesia has a chance to prosecute its own citizens allegedly involved in last year's human rights abuses in East Timor. Annan's decission is a political victory for the Indonesian government which sticks to its decission to investigate those allegedly involved in the human rights abuses on its own. The UN Secretary General said on Monday Jakarta should be given time to decide who are responsible for atrocities in East Timor before the world body decided whether or not to form an international tribunal. UN investigators on Monday blamed Indonesia's army and the militia for campaign of killings, rape and other atrocities in East Timor and called for an international tribunal to try them. In a separate letter Indonesian Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab angrily rejected a tribunal and denounced the probe, saying it did not address alleged abuses by pro-independence groups. In a letter to Annan, Shihab said the Indonesian legal system had been capable of trying human rights abusers. The Indonesian standpoint received a support from the United States. US Ambassador to the UN Richard Holbrooke expressed hope that there would never be an international tribunal after Rwanda and Bosnia. Holbrooke said Indonesian had the capability to deal with the case on its own. The UN Security Council which has the power to form an international court has yet to decide whether to set up the proposed international tribunal. Diplomats in the UN said it was unclear whether the idea to form an international tribunal will be agreed or not. Russia and China have been opposed to setting up of an international court without an agreement from the concerned country. Australia Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Indonesia should be given a chance to launch an investigation alone without UN intervention. The five member UN commission visited East Timor on Nov 25 - Dec 3 last year to collect data on atrocities and recommended the UN set up an "independent and international body" to prepare prosecutions against those responsible for serious crimes. After interviewing more than 170 witnesses, the team came to the conclusion that there were enough evidence of rapes, killings and tortures after the Aug. 30 referendum in East Timor. The team also said there was evidence of the involvement of the Indonesia's special forces command in funding pro-integration supporter's crime in East Timor. Pro-integration groups in East Timor launched a massive eart- scorching operations in some towns in the former Portuguese colony, notably the capital Dili, in September last year after announcement of the UN-sanctioned referendum in which they were defeated 21.5 percent to 78.5 percent from the pro-independence camp. The pro-integration groups claimed that they had been cheated in the ballot and took the law upon their hand in the aftermath of the decision. (U.LNY01/nn02/NN01/14:58/P-9/15:11/nn02/TB02) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 7 Feb 2000 jam 06:37:14 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
