Jakarta – A court on Monday acquitted a military commander of crimes committed during East Timor's break from Indonesia, the ninth official to be cleared over the 1999 bloodshed.

Lt. Col. Yayat Sudradjat was found innocent of failing to stop his subordinates from joining an attack on a church packed with pro-independence supporters in Liquica. At least 22 people were killed in the April 6, 1999 attack.

"The defendant has been cleared of charges of grave human rights abuses," said Judge Cicut Sutiarso.

Sudrajat, who was a top force commander in East Timor during the violence, is the ninth Indonesian officer to have been acquitted, leading human rights groups to describe the trials as a sham.

Last Friday, the court in Jakarta found Lt. Col. Soejarwo guilty over the violence, but he only received five years imprisonment – half of what prosecutors had asked. Like many Indonesians, Soejarwo uses a single name.

Two East Timorese civilians – the province's former governor and a notorious militia leader – have been found guilty. Despite the seriousness of the crimes, all three guilty men remain free on appeal.

Nearly 2,000 civilians were believed killed and 250,000 forced to flee their homes when Indonesian troops and their militia proxies launched a campaign of terror aimed at forcing people to vote for continued integration with Jakarta.

East Timor gained full independence in May, after a period of transitional rule by the United Nations following Indonesia's brutal 24-year occupation.