Dili – Dozens of demonstrators demanding justice greeted the UN Commission of Experts on its arrival Tuesday in Dili to assess progress made by East Timor and Indonesia in trying those responsible for crimes against humanity in 1999 when the Timorese broke from Jakarta's occupation.
The three-member commission, appointed by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in February, met with President Xanana Gusmco shortly after arrival in the Timorese capital at the start of their two- nation mission.
Composed by representatives from India, Japan and the Fiji Islands, the commission was scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri Wednesday.
It was not immediately clear how long the UN team would remain in East Timor, which was torn by Indonesian army-orchestrated violence in 1999, before traveling to Jakarta.
Foreign Minister Josi Ramos Horta told Lusa Dili's "fundamental concern" was for the Commission of Experts to "make concrete recommendations to the United Nations and the East Timorese government about the future" of Dili's UN-backed Serious Crimes Unit (SCU), whose mandate expires on May 20.
The peaceful demonstration organized by non-governmental organizations arose out of concern that Dili might sacrifice justice for victims of the 1999 rampages, largely carried out by anti-independence militias, to its declared policy of building good relations with Indonesia.
Dili and Jakarta agreed in December to set up a Truth and Friendship Commission (TFC), which has yet to begin its work, to deal with the pro-Indonesia violence that left more than 1,500 dead, forced 250,000 into temporary exile in West Timor and destroyed about 75% of the country's infrastructure.
The UN team is also to assess if and how the United Nations should aid the TFC.
Many Timorese and some international voices demand the UN set up an international tribunal to try the crimes against humanity committed in East Timor around the time of its plebiscite for independence after a quarter century of Indonesian occupation. They dismiss trials held in Jakarta as a whitewash.
For its part, Dili's UN-sponsored SCU has acknowledged it tried or investigated only about half of the crimes against humanity and did so against a backdrop of declared non-cooperation from Jakarta.
While Dili has promised to cooperate with the UN Commission of Experts, Jakarta has kept its distance, arguing the UN mission is useless given the bilateral agreement to set up the TFC.
Alkatiri's government has made it clear it does not want to be left with the onus of trying to bring Indonesian officials and officers to justice alone once the SCU ends its mandate next month.