Indonesia is refusing to give a date for the publication of a Truth Commission report on rights abuses during East Timor's 1999 independence vote, despite growing criticism of the delay.
The Indonesia-East Timor Commission of Truth and Friendship, tasked by both governments to uncover the truth behind the violence surrounding the historic referendum, finalised the report in March but it remains under wraps.
"No date had been determined. We're still waiting for an appropriate time from both presidents," Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said.
He said the two leaders were very busy and it was proving difficult to co-ordinate their diaries so they could be together to jointly receive the report.
The commission's Indonesian co-chairman, Benyamin Mangkudilaga, said the body was "still waiting" for the green light from both sides to submit the report to the presidents.
He said this would be the first step toward the tabling of the report in the countries' parliaments.
A coalition of Indonesian human rights groups criticised the delay, which has led to fears the report is being watered down and names removed to protect Indonesian military figures from allegations of gross human rights violations.
"This is delaying justice – it should have already been made public," said Rafendi Djamin of the Human Rights Working Group, a local non-governmental organisation.
"We are afraid that the delay will give time to the perpetrators among high-ranking military officials to manipulate the report."
An estimated 1,400 people were killed when militias backed by the Indonesian military rampaged through East Timor as the then-province voted overwhelmingly to break away from Indonesia, which invaded in 1975.
The commission has no prosecution powers and has been boycotted by the United Nations, which says those guilty of rights violations should face justice.
It has heard testimony from scores of witnesses including East Timorese Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, a former separatist guerrilla fighter, and Indonesian military officers.
Concerns over the integrity of the Truth and Friendship report have been deepened in East Timor by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's decision to appoint his brother-in-law as special forces commander.
Brigadier General Pramono Edhie Wibowo, brother of First Lady Ani Yudhoyono, was named chief of the Kopassus special forces unit last week. Hardcore Kopassus troops are blamed for much of the violence in East Timor and Wibowo reportedly commanded one of the elite unit's squads there in 1999.
"The promotion of Pramono Wibowo is yet another example of the failure of Indonesia to deal with its military's long and sordid history of human rights violations in East Timor and elsewhere," John Miller, co-ordinator of the East Timor Action Network rights group, said in a statement Friday.
"Instead of promoting alleged rights violators, Indonesia should make sure that senior military officials responsible for the past rights crimes are brought to trial."