In 1997 the international community showed a new willingness to search for solutions to the problems of conflict and human rights violations in East Timor. The pledge by the new UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, to renew UN peace-making efforts, the change of format in the Tripartite Talks under UN auspices, the adoption of a resolution on East Timor by the 53rd session of the UN Commission on Human Rights and the initiatives of individual governments attest to a new international commitment, inspired by the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Bishop Belo and Josi Ramos-Horta.

Yet this new engagement has not yielded any breakthroughs in the peace talks. Nor has it led to significant changes on the ground. Indeed, 1997 saw a continuation of the patterns of human rights violations that have persisted in East Timor for many years: arbitrary detentions, torture and ill-treatment, extra-judicial executions and disappearances. The East Timor Human Rights Centre (ETHRC) has documented these violations, as well as highlighting unfair trials and restrictions on freedom of expression and association.

There was a marked increase in violations by Indonesian security forces in the first half of the year, especially between May and July, in response to the violence which surrounded the May 1997 general election. During this period there were also credible reports of violations by the Armed Forces for the Liberation of East Timor (FALINTIL)* and the ETHRC condemns these as violations of international humanitarian law. However, the attacks by FALINTIL do not justify the Indonesian security forces' response of increased human rights violations. Following the FALINTIL attacks, the Indonesian military intensified its activities, with many innocent East Timorese being arbitrarily detained, tortured, intimidated and harassed in order to obtain information.

Throughout the year, legitimate and peaceful expressions of political dissent by the East Timorese people were met with excessive use of force by security forces and serious violations such as arbitrary detention and torture. Security forces also systematically committed violations against supporters of the Resistance, with East Timorese students continuing to be targeted.

This report documents these violations. It also examines ways of breaking the cycle of violence, including options for human rights monitoring by the UN. On that basis the report ends with recommendations for the government of Indonesia, the East Timor Resistance and for the international community.

* The National Council of Maubere Resistance (the umbrella organisation for the East Timorese Resistance) has publicly accepted responsibility for some of these violations and has called for an end to violence in East Timor.