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TNI responsible for East Timor mayhem: Chief
The Indonesian Military (TNI) on Thursday admitted partial responsibility for gross human rights violations in East Timor in 1999, saying it would abide by any government decisions to follow up on a joint truth commission report
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The Indonesian Military (TNI) on Thursday admitted partial responsibility for gross human rights violations in East Timor in 1999, saying it would abide by any government decisions to follow up on a joint truth commission report.
The report by the Indonesia-Timor Leste Commission for Truth and Friendship (CTF) blamed the Indonesian government, military and police forces for crimes including murder, rape, torture and forced displacement.
"The government has accepted the report. The TNI will also accept it and wait for whatever action the government considers taking next," TNI chief Gen. Djoko Santoso was quoted by Antara news agency as saying at a press conference at Magelang Military Academy in Central Java.
He said the 1999 mayhem was "the state's responsibility and has become TNI's responsibility".
Djoko added it was still not clear yet what kind of amends the military would have to make in relation to recommendations in the report, because it was still under government scrutiny.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his Timor Leste counterpart, Jose Ramos-Horta, received the CTF report at a ceremony Tuesday in Bali.
Indonesia accepted the blame for the gross rights violations that took place before, during and after the 1999 referendum that led to East Timor's independence from Indonesia.
However, both Yudhoyono and Ramos-Horta agreed to consider the report the final authoritative account of what occurred during that period, in a bid to heal the wounds of victims and lay a foundation for stronger relations between the two neighbors.
This means none of the perpetrators of the violence will be prosecuted because "the case is closed", Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said.
Djoko said the military was "part of the state administration that follows the principles of democracy and thus abides by any decisions made by political authorities".
The CTF's establishment in 2001 was part of joint efforts by Indonesia and Timor Leste to resolve the pressing issue of human rights abuses by the TNI.
"This effort was a choice to overcome the problem by finding the truth and building friendships, while still looking to the future," Djoko said.
"With friendship, the two countries hope to be able to remember the past and draw wisdom for the future by improving cooperation."
The report said TNI and police personnel, as well as civilian authorities, consistently and systematically cooperated with and provided significant support to pro-Indonesia militias, thus contributing to the widespread violence.
The CTF mentioned the names of former Army Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) chief Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto, former transmigration minister Gen. (ret) Hendropriyono, former Udayana military commander Maj. Gen. (ret) Adam Damiri and his former deputy Maj. Gen. Mahidin Simbolon.
Pro-integration militia leader Tomas Goncalves said he met with Prabowo and then East Timor commander Col. Tono Suratman, and former military intelligence commander Lt. Col. Yayat Sudrajat in Oct. 1998 to plan the formation of East Timor militia groups, according to the report.
The CTF also revealed the role of former Indonesian military chief Gen. Wiranto, who was blamed by omission for the violence because as the highest-ranking military officer he should have known of the militia groups' movement.
