Inter Press Service: 24 September 1999
EAST TIMOR: INDONESIA TO TAKE PART IN INQUIRY OF ABUSES
The United Nations commission that will investigate human rights violations in East Timor will work in co-operation with Indonesia - the nation occupying the island territory - according to an agreement beginning to take shape between European and Asian countries.
By GUSTAVO CAPDEVILA in Geneva
THE UNITED NATIONS commission that
will investigate human rights violations in East Timor will work
in co-operation with Indonesia - the nation occupying the island
territory - according to an agreement beginning to take shape
between European and Asian countries.
The differences voiced during UN Human Rights Commission meetings
by the two regions may be resolved next week by an agreement the
special commission says will include the input of Asian experts.
The original proposal of the European Union (EU) recommended
establishing an ''international commission of inquiry'' without
specifying its composition.
The participation of Asian experts and co-operation with
Indonesia's National Human Rights Commission were two of the
elements incorporated into the revised project that Finnish
delegate Pekka Huhtaniemi brought before the UN Friday.
The changes introduced by the EU were an effort to appease the
Asian nations that aligned themselves with Indonesia Thursday when
the UN's principal human rights body opened debate.
For most of the delegates from the 53 member-nations, the
predominant criteria is that they must uphold the basic principles
of humanitarian law, such as the free determination of the people
and the rejection of impunity.
But the commission also proved its determination to balance its
own unity with defending the universality of human rights.
Other delegations expressed their concern about the potential
consequences of a heavy-handed decision made by the commission.
Argentinean delegate Norma Nascimbene called for strengthening
the democratic process in Indonesia ''that president (Baharuddin
Jusuf) Habibie personifies.''
The special session of the Human Rights Commission was convoked
at the request of Portugal, former colonial power in East Timor.
The Portuguese government said it is worried about the Timorese
who are being ''systematically persecuted in what can only be
called ethnic cleansing.''
The report by the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights (UNHCHR),
Mary Robinson, describes the episodes of repression,
assassinations and violence unleashed in East Timor after an Aug
30 referendum on independence.
The vote resulted overwhelmingly in favour of independence for
this territory that has been occupied by Indonesia since 1975.
Robinson's report proposed creating an international commission
to investigate human rights violations and gather evidence to
bring those responsible for the massacres to justice.
The revised commission project, co-sponsored by several European
countries, Canada, and four former Portuguese colonies (Angola,
Brasil, Cape Verde and Mozambique), upholds the request made by UN
Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, to establish an international
commission of inquiry.
The new version states that commission of inquiry must have
adequate representation by Asian experts and that its work must be
carried out ''in co-operation with the Indonesian National Human
Rights Commission, among others.
The initiative calls for requesting specific missions to East
Timor by the UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial, Summary or
Arbitrary Executions, by the Representative of the Secretary-
General on the Internally Displaced and by the Special Rapporteur
on Torture.
It also proposes missions for the Special Rapporteur on Violence
against Women and the Working Group on Disappearances.
The reports of these special rapporteurs should then be presented
during the next sessions of the Human Rights Commission in April
2000, and potentially before the UN General Assembly, according to
the proposal.
The changes in the commission's proposal recognise the
participation of Indonesian human rights organisations in
investigating East Timor events.
Since the results of the East Timor referendum were released Sep
4, pro-Indonesia militias have forced the displacement of an
estimated 150,000 to 200,000 citizens, and another 2,500 have
disappeared, in addition to an unknown number of assassinations,
rapes, and other abuses. (END/IPS/tra-so/pc/mj/ld/99)