Dili – Timor Leste prosecutors charged more than 50 people, including a former police chief and a militia boss, with crimes against humanity yesterday over violence surrounding a 1999 vote for independence from Indonesia.
Among those indicted, according to a statement from the Serious Crimes Unit in Timor Leste, formerly called East Timor, were the former Indonesian chief of police for East Timor, Timbul Silaen, and a former leader of pro-Jakarta militias, Eurico Guterres.
They were charged with "counts of crimes against humanity including murder, enforced disappearance, inhumane acts and deportation". Most of the others charged in the indictments were members of the militias.
The indictments were strongly criticised by Timor Leste's independence hero and President, Mr Xanana Gusmao, yesterday. He said peace, stability and progress "greatly depend on the relationship we will forge with the Republic of Indonesia" and such indictments were not in the national interest.
The prosecutors in the Serious Crimes Unit are funded by the United Nations but work under the authority of the new nation. Earlier this week, the unit had filed charges against eight other people, including a former Indonesian armed forces chief, General Wiranto, and a former governor.
Indonesia has so far ruled out sending any of its former officials to Timor Leste to stand trial.
Guterres, former chief of the feared Aitarak militia, was sentenced in November by an Indonesian human rights court to 10 years in jail on similar charges. He is appealing against the conviction. Silaen was also tried in Indonesia but acquitted.
The Indonesian human rights court has delivered verdicts in the cases of 15 out of 18 suspects charged with human rights violations in Timor Leste, and has handed down convictions in four of the cases.
In the latest development in the Indonesian hearings, a court yesterday postponed for two weeks a verdict on Brigadier-General Noer Moeis, who commanded Indonesian troops at the time of the August 30, 1999, ballot in which East Timor's citizens voted overwhelmingly to end Jakarta's 24-year rule.
So far, the Serious Crimes Unit has filed 58 indictments charging a total of 225 people. None of the Indonesians has been handed over.
Pro-Jakarta local militias launched a savage intimidation campaign against East Timorese before their August 1999 vote for independence, and a campaign of revenge and forced deportation afterwards.
The widely criticised Indonesian rights court has accused defendants only of failing to prevent violence. Prosecutors in Dili say top Indonesian officials actually formed, funded and directed the militias.