Jakarta – A top Indonesian Cabinet minister warned East Timor not to press ahead with the prosecutions of several Indonesian generals for alleged crimes committed during the former province's independence drive in 1999.

"Indonesia cannot accept this ... I say that if this goes ahead, it will damage relations between Indonesia and East Timor," Senior Defense Minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said after a Cabinet meeting.

Last week, prosecutors in Dili, East Timor's capital, filed charges against a former Indonesian armed forces chief and six other generals, accusing them of crimes against humanity when their troops went on a rampage before and after a UN-organized independence referendum in East Timor.

Yudhoyono's comments came three days after East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao sent his Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta to Jakarta to defuse tensions.

Gusmao expressed concerns that last week's indictments could cause unnecessary strains with Indonesia, although political ties between the two nations have improved significantly over the past two years.

Indonesia is East Timor's largest trading partner, and the two governments are preparing an agreement on issues left unresolved from Indonesia's occupation of the half-island territory.

The indictments last week were issued with extensive assistance from the UN Serious Crimes Unit. Legal, and rights observers say it is unlikely that the charges will lead to trials.

The rampage by Indonesian troops and allied local militias left at least 1,000 people dead and much of the territory destroyed.

East Timor gained full independence last May following 2 1/2 years of UN transitional rule. Previously, it was occupied by Indonesia for 24 years.