Indonesia Too Hasty in Responding CAVR Report to UN

Subject: AN: Indonesia Too Hasty in Responding CAVR Report to UN

Jan 27 16:03 Indonesia Too Hasty in Responding CAVR Report to UN

Kupang (ANTARA News) - Indonesia is too hasty in responding the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation (CARR) report to the United Nations, former East Timor Provincial Legislatives Assembly chairman when the country was part of Indonesia, Armindo Soares, said here on Friday.

"Indonesia should have studied the CAVR report before reacting in order to avoid an opinion that it wants to defend itself in facing an accusation," Armindo Soares said.

He made the statement in relation with reaction from Indonesian government against CAVR report to the UN that around 102,800 people were killed in East Timor during the integration with Indonesia.

According to Soares, the CAVR report about the killing during the integration from 1974 to 1999 was not perpetrated by Indonesian military and police alone.

He said the figure also included those who were killed in the civil war, by Fretelin and by the local people`s organizations that were formed to wage war against Indonesian military and police.

"Thus, the accusation of the killing is not merely addressed to Indonesian Defence Force (TNI) and police," Soares said, adding that the Indonesian government had to study the report thoroughly before making its response.

The CAVR report was delivered by Timor Leste President Xanana Gusmao to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan at UN Headquarters in New York on January 20.

It said in the CAVR report that the number of victims was known through an accurate calculation, a mortality survey and data taking at public cemetaries across East Timor which are scientifically accountable.

It also said that Indonesian Army during the integration period had committed human rights violations by attacking civilians.

However, Armindo Soares praised President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who postponed a meeting with Xanana as a sign of support to the reaction of Indonesian people against the latter`s report to UN.

Presidential Spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said on Thursday that the next meeting schedule for the two leaders had not yet been fixed because Yudhoyono was till concentrating on domestic issues.

He said the postponement of their meeting was not linked to the report to the United Nations by CAVR which was submitted by Xanana.

Indonesia has dubbed the report as discouraging because it was viewed as taking up the "old wounds" between the two nations after the East Timorese referendum in 1999, the solution of which Dili and Jakarta had agreed to solve through the mechanism of a joint Commission of Truth and Friendship (CTF).

The commission (CTV) was jointly declared by President Yudhoyono and President Xanana in Jakarta on March 9, 2005.

"We are unhappy with the report because it contains an untrue and questionable allegation. We also have no idea why the old wounds had to be re-opened," Dino said.

But he said the postponement of Yudhoyono-Xanana planned meeting had no link with the report.(*)