First step towards reconciliation, but no justice for the victims of the violence

The joint report of the truth-finding commission of Indonesia and East Timor on the violence in East Timor in 1999 is in the opinion of the Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) a "first step towards reconciliation”."However the report published today provides little help in encouraging efforts on behalf of justice for the victims of massacres, expulsion and murder, since neither state shows any interest in carrying out prosecutions, criticised the GfbV Asia consultant, Ulrich Delius on Tuesday in Göttingen.It is regrettable that Indonesia and East Timor have made it clear in the past few weeks that they favour an amnesty for all criminals, although this is not specifically recommended in the report.

It would have been so much better, said Delius, if Indonesia ’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had not merely expressed his regret at the murders, rape and torturing committed in the name of his country, but had also officially asked for forgiveness. "It is also disappointing that in the report the names of those responsible for the crimes are not mentioned. Up to now only one leader of a pro-Indonesian militia force has been sentenced to ten years imprisonment for the killing of twelve people. After only two years in prison this Eurico Guterres was however released in April 2008. All the other persons accused were found not guilty by Indonesian courts.

The relatives of the 1,400 people murdered and several tens of thousands of expelled East Timorese have been waiting in vain for justi ce. They were victims of an orgy of violence of pro-Indonesian militia, who with the support of Indonesian security forces tried in 1999 with all means at their disposal to prevent a referendum supervised by the United Nations on the independence of the island of East Timor , which was occupied by the Indonesians.

Leading Indonesian politicians have to the present day successfully opposed any prosecution of the acts of violence by international courts. In view of the enormous economic, political and military influence of Indonesia the government of East Timor exercises restraint with regard to the overpowering neighbour. "However without a rigorous prosecution of the crimes and without the punishment of those responsible a genuine reconciliation between East Timorese and Indonesians is hardly to be expected”, warned Delius. Today’s ceremony on Bali, important as it is for relations between the two states, in which the two heads of state express their regret over the acts of violence, is nevertheless not going to change anything.