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Former
Indonesian Strongman To Testify In Rights Trial
Report
by Kazi Mahmood, IOL Correspondent
JAKARTA,
March 29 (IslamOnline) - Former Indonesian Military (TNI) strongman
Gen. (ret) Wiranto is expected to appear at the human rights
tribunal on April 4, news reports said on Friday.
He
is expected to testify in the trial of a former Indonesian official
accused of committing crimes against humanity in East Timor in 1999.
At
its third hearing on Thursday, Presiding Judge Andi Samsan Nganro
also plans to summon some former military heavyweights including
Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri and former Commander, Brig. Gen. A. Noer Muis
as witnesses at the Central Jakarta District Court on April 4.
Indonesia
has staged the trial of former East Timor Police Chief Brig. Gen.
Timbul Silaen, in order to prove its fairness and resolution to deal
with rights abuse in East Timor, a former territory.
Silaen
is accused of perpetrating gross human rights violations before and
after the August vote in the former Indonesian province of East
Timor in 1999. The United Nations sponsored the vote.
Wiranto,
who was army chief under former President Suharto and Minister of
Defense under president B G Habibie. He repeatedly said he was ready
to testify before the court.
Some
human rights activists have demanded that Wiranto be named a suspect
due to his position at the time when East Timor violence took place.
But Wiranto, who was questioned in 2000 by the commission of inquiry
into the East Timor debacle, denied any wrongdoing.
His
name was constantly removed from the lists of persons to testify in
rights trial dealing with East Timor or other rights abuse cases in
Indonesia.
Observers
in Jakarta say Wiranto still enjoys the favors of the current
leaders of the country, including those of President Megawati
Sukarnoputri.
Megawati
had picked him as potential vice president in the 1999 presidential
vote that saw the victory of Abdurrahman Wahid.
Silaen
is charged under Article 9 of Law No. 26/2000 on rights tribunals
with the killing of civilians that occurred at separate places in
East Timor, including the Liquisa incident on April 6, 1999.
He
is also accused of the attacks by pro-Jakarta militias on the
residences of pro-independence leaders Manuel Viegas Carrascalao and
Leandro Isaac on April 17, 1999.
Prosecutor
James Pardede also accused Silaen with being responsible when groups
of soldiers of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police
went on the rampage at the St. Ave Maria church in Suai in September
1999. At least 27 people were killed, including three Catholic
priests.
Thousands
of people died in the East Timor massacre when pro-Indonesian
militias went on a rampage destroying the province and attacking
pro-Independence civilians.
The
Indonesian military is said to have assisted the militias, but
Jakarta refused to accept this criticism saying its military had
direct orders not to interfere in the pro-Indonesian revolt.
East
Timor was annexed to Indonesia in 1971 after the departure of the
Portuguese troops following the decision by Portugal not to keep any
presence on the territory it occupied.
East
Timorese elements and the United Nations never approved of the take
over by Indonesia, culminating in the bloody referendum in 1999.
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