15th July2008. Several generals who were allegedly involved in roles during rioting in East Timor (now Timor Leste) in 1999, are now under the spotlight again. According to final report by the Indonesia-Timor Leste Commission of Truth and Friendship (CTF), which has been leaked to Tempo, the generals know what really happened.
The report mentioned General (retired) Wiranto, who at the time was Defense and Security Minister and Commander of the Indonesian Military, as knowing the number of pro-autonomy militia and morally supporting the militia. When TEMPO contacted him two days ago, he refused to talk more about it. “Later, I will be able to comment,” he said. The report also mentioned Lieutenant General (Retired) Prabowo Subianto coming to East Timor in 1998 and met figures from the pro-integration group.
He also refused to make any comment. “I will talk about it later. Now, I just want to talk about the party,” he said when explaining about his participation in the Great Indonesia Movement Party in Jakarta, yesterday. According to Presidential spokeperson, Dino Patti Djalal, Oresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to receive the report from Commission of Truth and Friendship in Denpasar today (15/7). The President and Timor Leste President, Ramos Horta, will sign the joint agreement.
Defense minister Juwono Sudarsono said the commission's final report did not blame one side only. The report actually says both countries are responsible for the rioting that happened in East Timor during September 1999. “It is not true that the report only blames the Indonesian government,” said Juwono yesterday. According to the copy of the report obtained by Tempo, human rights violations happened during the voting in 1999.
The commission found evidence that the Indonesian Military, Police, and civilian authorities, consistently and systematically supported and worked together with militias in the violation. Therefore, these three institutions should be heldresponsible. According to, Juwono said East Timor civilian and military institutions should also be held responsible. Juwono certainly said the commission's report was a political agreement not a judicial agreement. No legal action taken based on this report.
