X-URL: http://www.scmp.com/News/Asia/Article/FullText_asp_ArticleID-20000904031850102.asp
South China Morning Post - Asia
Monday, September 4, 2000
EAST TIMOR
People patiently wait for justice
Spirit still strong: an East Timorese choir rehearses inside a gutted
church building for the anniversary of the massacre in Suai town,
southwest of the capital Dili, on September 6 last year when 140
people were killed by militiamen in a post-referendum attack.
Associated Press photo
JOANNA JOLLY in Dili
_________________________________________________________________
Ordinary East Timorese, taking a cue from their leaders, say they will
give Jakarta more time to indict senior military and militia figures
for last year's ravaging of the territory before passing judgment on
the Indonesian judicial process.
On Friday, the Indonesian Attorney-General's team responsible for the
investigation into crimes against humanity in East Timor released the
names of 19 suspects. Although three generals were on the list, the
former chief of the Indonesian armed forces, Wiranto, and top militia
figures were not named.
"It is not [within] our competence to ask [Attorney-General] Marzuki
Darusman why Wiranto is not included. What he needs now is our total
support and we support this process," independence leader and
president of East Timor's main political body, Xanana Gusmao, said in
the East Timorese capital yesterday.
Residents of Dili spoken to yesterday agreed. "Justice is important
because we had so much violence in East Timor last year," said
Patricio Lelan, 25. "We are happy with the list so far, but we do want
to see all the chief militia commanders, such as Eurico Guterres and
Joao Tavarres, indicted."
Carlos de Jesus, 22, said: "We respect this as a democratic process in
Indonesia. For the first time we are seeing suspects named, but let
the process continue to include more names so we can have real
justice."
Mari da Costa, a 35-year-old translator, was more sanguine. "I
personally do not believe that Indonesia is really behind this
process. But what can we do other than wait for the moment? If they
come up with more names, especially names from the Indonesian
military, then we will be happy. Otherwise we must find justice
elsewhere [through a United Nations war crimes tribunal]."
At least 600 East Timorese were killed, 300,000 forced from their
homes and many buildings in the territory destroyed last year in the
weeks following the August 30 vote for independence.
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