---------------------------------------------------------- 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/ ---------------------------------------------------------- ANTARA, FEBRUARY 16, 2000 RI NEEDS TO REMAIN ALERT ABOUT POSSIBILITY OF INT'L TRIBUNAL Jakarta, Feb 15 <ANTARA>--Indonesia needs to remain alert about the possibility of an international tribunal despite UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's positive assessment of its efforts to bring those responsible for atrocities in East Timor to justice, Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab said here Tuesday. Although Annan would recommend to the UN Security Council there was no need for an international tribunal, Indonesia was well advised to watch the Council's further attitudes on the issue, Shihab told the press after a meeting with the visiting UN chief. "It is true that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan will recommend waiving the need for an international tribunal. But the Security Council itself will hold meetings to discuss the matter soon," Shihab said. Annan is on a two-day visit in Indonesia, where he was scheduled to meet various parties, including President Abdurrahman Wahid, Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, People's Consultative Assembly Chairman Amien Rais, House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tanjung, Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono, Human Rights National Commission <Komnas HAM> Chairman Djoko Soegianto, Attorney General Marzuki Darusman, former president BJ Habibie and former foreign minister Ali Alatas. Shihab urged the Komnas HAM as well as the Attorney General's office to perform well in handling post-ballot atrocities in East Timor. "Those institutions have to show the international community that Indonesia is able to set up a credible and transparant trial , so that there is no need for an international tribunal," he said. "If those parties do not seem serious in carrying out their duties, the Security Council could actually favor an international tribunal to settle the case," he added. Annan on the same occasion expressed the same views as Shihab but added he believed the Security Council would not rush to call for the formation of an international tribunal since the Indonesian government had demonstrated its seriousness to implement a credible domestic trial. "Obviously, the Council members will keep their eyes open to follow developments...what is happening here <in Indonesia>," he said. About the purpose of his visit here, Annan said he wanted to ascertain for him self that those who allegedly committed the crimes in East Timor would be brought to trial. In addition to the settlement of the human rights abuses in East Timor, the UN chief and the Indonesian foreign minister at their meeting also discussed economic and financial reforms, human rights in general, East Timor, UN-Indonesian relations and the repatriation of East Timorese refugees still sheltered in the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. Annan arrived here Tuesday morning and is scheduled to leave to East Timor on Thursday morning <Feb 17>. <T.NN08/17:40/IAJM-23:20/Jb:61/ri2/23:34/TB02> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 17 Feb 2000 jam 06:15:35 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
