Antara - The Indonesian National News Agency

September 2, 2002

SIX E TIMORESE WITNESSES FAIL TO APPEAR AT RIGHTS TRIAL

Jakarta, Sept 2 (ANTARA) - Six witnesses from East Timor failed to appear at the Central Jakarta district court here Monday to testify at a human rights court session to try former Dili regional military chief Lt Col Endar Priyanto.

"We received a facsimile from the East Timor attorney general saying the six could not come to the trial because no international officials were available to accompany them," ad hoc prosecutor K Lere said.

Lere said the East Timor government had asked the United Nations in New York to provide the officials but nobody had been sent to them and therefore they decided not to send the witnesses.

"Now we are planning to send one of our prosecutors there (to East Timor) to accompany the witnesses," Lere said.

The six witnesses are Maria Christina Carrascalao (daughter of Manuel Carrascalao), Leandro Isaac, Victor dos Santos, Domingus Boavita, Alfredo Sanches and Florinto dos Santos.

The six witnesses had been summoned to the court session to testify on an attack on the house of Manuel Carrascalao on April 17, 1999. The incident occurred after a rally to mark the launching of a Pam Swakarsa (civilian security guard or militia) group.

In an earlier court session, former Dili district head Dominggus Soares had confirmed that the rally had taken place. He said he joined the rally but did not immediately go home after it was over.

He said he did not hear any shot from the house of Manuel Carrascalao which was only one hundred meters away.

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