[A-List] Indonesia: Wiranto sings an old song

["Keaney Michael" <Michael.Keaney@xxxxxx>]

Jakarta's former military chief blames UN for East Timor poll massacres

John Aglionby in Jakarta
Friday April 5, 2002
The Guardian

General Wiranto, Indonesia's former military chief, yesterday absolved
his troops of responsibility for the violence in East Timor surrounding
the territory's 1999 vote for independence. Instead he blamed the 1,000
deaths and wide spread destruction on the United Nations organisers of
the ballot.

Testifying as a witness at the trial of Brigadier-General Timbul Silaen,
the Indonesian police chief in East Timor at the time, who is charged
with crimes against humanity, the retired general said his forces faced
"mission impossible" in safeguarding the referendum.

"I believe my subordinates were good and, based on my judgment, they
carried out their duties as I had instructed," Gen Wiranto said during
three hours of testimony at the special human rights court. "The chaos
hap pened because the losers were dissatisfied with irregularities in
the vote."

He said the UN had told him the process was not perfect, although
independent investigators only found a few minor wrongdoings. Dozens of
people were killed in the run-up to the ballot but most of the violence,
perpetrated by pro-Jakarta militias and elements of the Indonesian army,
occurred after the result was declared.

After testifying, Gen Wiranto told reporters that he could not have done
more to prevent the destruction: "I tried to reconcile the two
conflicting parties. I imposed a state of emergency aimed at restoring
peace and order in East Timor."

There is strong evidence to suggest that the carnage was far from a
spontaneous reaction to defeat, as Gen Wiranto indicated, but a
well-planned campaign coordinated by senior generals in Jakarta.

Three generals are among the 18 military and police officers, government
officials and militia leaders accused of gross human rights violations,
although none is considered to be the mastermind.

Gen Wiranto is not facing prosecution, despite Indonesia's human rights
commission recommending in a report published in 2000 that he should.
The court made no concerted effort to investigate what role the general
played in the East Timor violence. Western diplomats in court said that
such a lack of rigorousness was a further sign that the whole process is
a charade designed to stave off an international tribunal.

Full article at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,678998,00.html

Michael Keaney
Mercuria Business School
Martinlaaksontie 36
01620 Vantaa
Finland

michael.keaney@xxxxxx