East Timor President Jose Ramos Horta has praised a much-criticised commission probing the violence that accompanied his nation's break from Indonesian rule in 1999, saying it could be a model for other nations.
The body has no powers to recommend prosecution for those it finds responsible for the bloodshed after the territory voted to end 24 years of Indonesian occupation in a UN-sponsored independence ballot.
Ramos Horta said the East Timorese and Indonesians sitting on the Commission of Truth and Friendship were working with courage and honesty.
"I believe that it will satisfy the people of both sides, and it will set a precedent for other countries to deal with similar situations," he said on a trip to Indonesia, his first overseas visit since becoming president last month.
Up to 1,000 people were killed in a rampage by Indonesian troops and their militia proxies during and after East Timor's vote for independence.
UN-backed prosecutors in East Timor have indicted several Indonesian generals for atrocities, but Jakarta has refused to hand them over. Under intense international pressure, Indonesia put 17 officers on trial in 2000 and 2001, but all were found not guilty.
Ramos Horta and other East Timorese leaders have refused to push Indonesia for justice, saying that building better ties with its giant neighbour would better serve the interests of its 900,000 mostly poor people.
"The important thing is we don't allow ourselves to be hostage of the past but look forward with courage," Ramos Horta said as he stood next to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, himself a former military general.
Local and international rights groups have criticised the ongoing commission, calling it a whitewash intended to exonerate criminals and perpetuate a culture of impunity. They are demanding an international tribunal be set up to try those responsible.
The commission, which is hearing testimony from witnesses and examining documents related to the violence, is due to present its findings later this year.