United Nations – Despite objections from Indonesia and nine other countries, the UN Economic and Social Council on Monday endorsed the call for an international commission to gather information on possible human rights violations in East Timor.
The commission of inquiry, which could be the first step toward establishment of a UN war crimes tribunal for East Timor, is supported by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson and was approved in September by the UN Human Rights Commission.
In Monday's roll-call vote in the Economic and Social Council, 27 countries backed the Human Rights Commission's call for an international inquiry, 10 opposed it and 11 abstained. The opponents included China, India, Indonesia, Oman, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria and Vietnam.
The 54-member council, an organ of the General Assembly, coordinates UN economic and social work including the promotion of respect for human rights.
The European Union insisted at the Human Rights Commission that an investigation should be internationally led with Indonesian participation. But Indonesia opposed an international inquiry and supported a national fact-finding mission – a position it maintained on Monday. Details of the investigation must be worked out by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
The Economic and Social Council condemned "the widespread, systematic and gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in East Timor" and "the activities of the militias in terrorizing the population."
It endorsed the call on the secretary-general to establish an international commission of inquiry "with adequate representation of Asian experts" to cooperate with the Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights and UN investigators to gather information on possible violations.
The council also supported the commission's call to provide the secretary-general with the international commission's conclusions "with a view to enabling him to make recommendations on future actions."
During Monday's debate, Indonesia's UN Ambassador Makarim Wibisono reiterated his country's rejection of an international inquiry and questioned the legality of the Human Rights Commission's September meeting and Robinson's impartiality.
He stressed that following East Timor's overwhelming vote for independence on August 30, Indonesia transferred authority for the territory to the United Nations and began a national fact-finding mission to investigate human rights violations.
Since Indonesia voted against an international inquiry again on Monday, Wibisono said it was not legally bound by the council's decision. However, he said his government remained committed to fully cooperate with UN human rights mechanisms and to holding those responsible for human rights abuses accountable.
Portugal's UN Ambassador Antonio Monteiro said Indonesia's cooperation was essential and could open a new era in the region.
He expressed hope that in the future the Human Rights Commission could work with the full cooperation of democratic Indonesia, saying an international inquiry would allow for reconciliation in East Timor.