Jakarta – Former Indonesian military chief and presidential hopeful Wiranto has shrugged off a reported move by United States to bar him from entry over accusations of rights violations, media reported on Sunday. Wiranto, indicted for war crimes by a special UN tribunal for violence in East Timor surrounding its 1999 independence vote, dismissed the report by the Washington Post, calling it as an "old baseless issue," the Jakarta Post reported.

He did not want to go the United States, Wiranto was quoted as saying. "It is an old issue but I have proven that I had no difficulties when I went overseas to Singapore and China. All of a sudden this resurfaces, perhaps to color the presidential campaign," he said.

Wiranto was army commander when militia gangs backed by the Indonesian military rampaged across East Timor in the aftermath of the vote for independence. The United Nations estimated 1,000 people were killed. Wiranto has repeatedly denied accusations of human rights violations.

The State Department has put six current and former Indonesian military officers, including Wiranto, on a watch list of indicted war criminals, effectively barring them from entering the United States, the Washington Post reported on Friday, citing unidentified US government officials.

The Washington Post did not identity the other five officers. Wiranto and military spokesman were not available for comment.

Wiranto, a presidential candidate from the second largest party in parliament, Golkar, is a colorful figure credited with trying to hold down violence during riots in the last days of rule by former autocrat Suharto.