Tetum below
PDFs:
English,
Tetum
ETAN: Letter to RDTL President José Ramos-Horta on Justice and Accountability
March 23, 2010H.E. José Ramos-Horta
President, Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
Dili, Timor-Leste
Dear Mr. President,
We are writing to
express our sadness and deep dismay on reading
your speech to the UN Human
Rights Council in Geneva on March 11, 2010. In your address, you refer to
having been "unfairly criticized by some fringe elements in this amorphous
international community” for decisions made by you and the Government of
Timor-Leste concerning justice and accountability.
While you did not
mention Amnesty International by name, the target of your anger was clear as
it directly followed a
public dispute with them regarding your
stance on an
international tribunal. It is ironic that one whose heart is as forgiving as
yours would issue such a strong attack on another Nobel Peace Prize
laureate. Amnesty International has stood strongly for peace, and
collaborated closely with you throughout the Indonesian occupation during
the long campaign for human rights in Timor-Leste. To refer to them as
“fringe” and accuse them of “regurgitating ready-made clichés or academic
jargon on justice” is both disrespectful and engages in the same rhetorical
excess you decry.
| |
| |
While we are aware of the difficulties and
roadblocks to achieving meaningful justice and
accountability, we believe that prosecutions of
those most responsible for human rights and war
crimes through a tribunal would offer tremendous
support to democracy and human rights in both
Timor and Indonesia.
|
|
ETAN shares
a number of
positions with Amnesty International concerning justice and accountability
for crimes committed in Timor-Leste during the Indonesian occupation and the
state of justice in independent Timor-Leste. Over the years, we have debated
these positions with you, both publicly and privately, and respectfully. We
share your frustration that the members of the UN Security Council have not
acted to implement the UN’s promise that impunity must never be tolerated.
We agree that it is unfair for the burden of achieving justice to be placed
entirely on the shoulders of Timor-Leste.
We proudly stand with
Amnesty International and many other organizations in Timor-Leste, Indonesia
and elsewhere in continuing to support an international tribunal for
Timor-Leste as the best way to achieve justice and accountability for crimes
committed from 1975-1999. While we are aware of the difficulties and
roadblocks to achieving meaningful justice and accountability, we believe
that prosecutions of those most responsible for human rights and war crimes
through a tribunal would offer tremendous support to democracy and human
rights in both Timor and Indonesia. This would certainly help the people of
both countries recover from their traumatic and oppressive experiences and
move forward to peaceful, less-troubled lives under the rule of law.
You have often said that
the East Timorese people do not want an international tribunal. We must
strongly contest this assertion. When we ask East Timorese what ETAN should
work on, nearly everyone urges us to continue to struggle for justice and
accountability. As you are aware, there is a coalition of Timorese
organizations called
ANTI (National Alliance for the International Tribunal)
with whom we work closely. In 2005, the Timorese Commission for Reception,
Truth and Reconciliation recommended a tribunal, as have Timorese,
Indonesian, and UN commissions since 2000.
In August 2009, you
opened a Solidarity Conference in Dili titled “The Struggle for Justice
Continues,” which ETAN co-sponsored. The conference was attended by more
than 200 people, at least three-quarters of them from Timor-Leste. The
conference declaration, which grew out of the various panels and
discussions, was approved by acclamation. It "urged the government of
Timor-Leste, the international community and the UN to take principled
action against impunity, and demanded an international tribunal for
Timor-Leste” for crimes from 1975-1999.
 |
|
| Victims' Congress in
Dili, September 2009. Photo by John M. Miller, ETAN |
|
You told the UN Human
Rights Council that "The victims demand acknowledgement of the truth,
recognition of their suffering and a measure of individual or collective
assistance." But their demands are deeper. In September 2009, victims and
families of victims from all 13 districts of Timor-Leste met in Dili to form
a national victims’ association. Participants cried out for justice, and
called for an international tribunal.
We also stand with
Amnesty International, the United Nations, the President of Timor-Leste’s
Court of Appeals, as well as many Timorese citizens, attorneys, and civil
society organizations in questioning the unconstitutional release of
Maternus Bere. We believe that it undermines the rule of law in Timor-Leste
and international law. When leaders decide that the “national interest”
requires the violation of the separation of powers and legal rules to
satisfy the request of a foreign government, they endanger Timor-Leste’s
hard-won sovereignty and Constitutional democracy.
 |
|
| Candles are lit at the
Indonesian Embassy in Dili on September 6, 2009, the anniversary of
the Suai Church massacre, where Maternus Bere was thought to be
residing. Photo by La'o Hamutuk. |
You informed the Human
Rights Council that “there was not a single soul lighting a candle in
protest at the gates of the said embassy where the alleged mass murderer had
been sheltered while awaiting medical evacuation.” This is clearly not
true. Several of our members witnessed more than a hundred Timorese, many
women dressed in black for mourning, participate in a candle-light vigil in
front of the Indonesian embassy which was hosting Bere was at the time and
for nearly two months afterwards (see photos at
http://www.laohamutuk.org/Justice/99/bere/09MaternusBere.htm).
In closing, we
respectfully ask you to acknowledge and listen to the many organizations and
individuals, both Timorese and non-Timorese, who continue to believe that an
international tribunal is the best legal, moral and practical way for the
people of Timor-Leste to move beyond conflict, trauma and injustice toward a
peaceful future.
'We write this letter to
express our desire for continuing dialogue. Whether or not we eventually
reach the same conclusions, we believe that our debates can be conducted
without casting aspersions, questioning motives, or engaging in insults or
personal attacks. In Timor-Leste, you are well-known for supporting honest
dialogue conducted with mutual respect as a method to resolve differences.
These principles should also apply internationally, and we encourage you to
return to them.
Sincerely,
/s/
John M. Miller, National
Coordinator
for the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN)
cc: Amnesty
International
UN Human Rights Council Members
see also
23 Marsu 2010
Sua Exelénsia Prezidente José
Ramos-Horta
Prezidente da Republika, RDTL
Dili, Timor-Leste
Sua Exelénsia:
Ami hakerek surat ida ne’e hodi hato’o
ami nia triste no hakfodak bainhira ami le’e Ita-Boot nia diskursu ba
Nasoins Unidas nia Konsellu Direitus Umanus nian iha Geneva iha loron 11
Marsu 2010. Iha diskursu ida ne’e, Ita-Boot koalia kona-ba “kritika ne’ebe
la justu husi grupus ne’ebe iha ninin iha komunidade international”. Kritika
ne’e kona-ba desizaun sira ne’ebe Ita-Boot no Governu Timor-Leste halo
kona-ba justisa no akontabilidade.
Maske ita la uza sira nia naran, klaru
katak Amnesty Internasional mak tarjeitu ita nia hirus tamba foin iha
argumenta publika ho sira kona-ba ita nia posizaun ba tribunal internasional.
Parese ironiku katak Ita-Boot ne’ebe iha fuan boot atu fo perdua bele mos
hatete liafuan todan hasoru organizasaun ne’ebe hetan Prémiu Nobel ba Paz
hanesan Ita-Boot. Amnesty Internasional servisu makaas ba dame, no servisu
hamutuk no besik Ita-Boot durante okupasaun Indonesia nian durante kampaña
ba direitus umanus iha Timor-Leste. Hanaran sira “iha ninin” no akusa sira
“repete koalia ne’ebe fasil no la iha sentidu ka sai nudar koalia akademiku
deit kona-ba justisa” la fo respeitu ba sira no halo buat ne’ebe ita du’un
sala.
ETAN iha posizaun hirak ne’ebe hanesan
ho Amnesty Internasional kona-ba justisa no akontabilidade ba krime sira
ne’ebe mosu iha Timor-Leste durante okupasaun Indonesia nian no mos
situasaun justisa nian iha Timor-Leste ne’ebe independente. Tinan barak ona
ita halo diskusaun kona-ba posizaun sira ho Ita-Boot, iha manera publiku no
mos privadu, no ho respeitu boot. Ami mos iha frustrasaun hanesan Ita-Boot
tamba membru Konsellu Seguransa ONU nian la implementa promesa ONU nian
katak impunidade la bele iha. Ita hamutuk konkorda katak la justu se
Timor-Leste tenke buka justisa mesak deit.
Ami sente orgullu hamriik hamutuk ho
Amnesty Internasional no organizasaun sira barak iha Timor-Leste, Indonesia
no rai seluk hodi kontinua ami nia suporta ba tribunal internasional ba
Timor-Leste. Hamutuk, ami sente tribunal internasional mak manera di’ak liu
hodi hetan justisa no akontabilidade ba krime sira husi 1975 to’o 1999.
Maske ami hatene iha susar no obstakulu sira, ami fiar katak foti prosesu
hasoru sira ne’ebe responsavel ba krime funu no violasaun direitus umanus
sira bele fo apoiu boot lahalimar ba demokrasia no direitus umanus iha
Timor-Leste no Indonesia. Ida ne’e bele ajuda povo sira iha rai rua ne’e
hodi la’o ba oin husi sira nia trauma ba moris ho dame iha lei nia okos.
Dala barak Ita-Boot dehan katak povo
Timor-Leste lakohi tribunal internasional. Ami la konkorda. Bainhira ami
husu ema Timor-Leste saida mak ETAN tenke halo, besik hotu mak dehan ami
persisa kontinua halo luta ba justisa no akontabilidade. Hanesan ita hatene,
iha koalisaun ANTI (Aliansa Nasional ba Tribunal Internasional) ne’ebe ami
servisu hamutuk ho besik. Iha 2005, CAVR halo rekomendasaun ba tribunal,
hanesan komisaun sira husi Timor-Leste, Indonesia no ONU desde 2000.
Iha Agostu 2009, Ita-Boot haloke
konferensia solidariedade iha Dili ne’ebe iha naran “Luta Nafatin ba Justisa”
no ne’ebe ETAN sae ko-organizador. Ema nain atus rua resin tuir no pelumenos
¾ mak husi Timor-Leste. Deklarasaun konferensia, ne’ebe sai husi diskusaun
sira no hetan konkorda husi partisipante, “ezije ba governo Timor-Leste,
komunidade internasional, no ONU atu halo asaun ne’ebe bazeia ba prinsipiu
kontra impunidade, no ezije harii tribunal internasional ba Timor-Leste,
hodi dehan katak la bele iha impunidade ba krime graves ne’ebe akontese
durante 1975 to’o 1999.”
Ita-boot dehan ba Konsellu Direitus
Umanus ONU nian katak “Vitima sira ezije rekonhesimentu ba lia loos,
rekonhesimentu ba sira nia terus no asistensia balun nudar individual ka
kolektivu.” Maibe vitima sira nia ezijensia sira klean liu. Iha Setembru
2009, vitima sira no familia vitima sira husi 13 distritu hotu iha
Timor-Leste hasoru malu iha Dili hodi forma asosiasaun vitima iha nivel
nasional. Partisipante sira hakilar ba justisa, inklui nesesidade ba
tribunal internasional.
Ami mos hamutuk ho Amnesty Internasional,
ONU, Prezidente Tribunal Rekursu TL nian, no cidadaun Timor-Leste nian,
advogadu sira, no organizasaun sira iha sociedade sivil, no sira seluk
ne’ebe kritika libertasaun Maternus Bere nian ne’ebe la tuir Konstituisaun
RDTL. Ami fiar katak desizaun ida ne’e kontra lei Timor-Leste nian no mos
lei internasional. Bainhira lider sira deside atu halo violasaun ho fahe
kbiit no regra legal tamba “interese nasional” persiza tuir governu rai
seluk nia hakarak, sira halo perigu ho Timor-Leste nia soberania no
demokrasia iha Konstituisaun nia okos.
Ita-boot dehan ba Konsellu Direitus
Umanus nian katak “la iha ema ida ne’ebe sunu lilin nudar protesta iha
embaisada ne’ebe fo mahon/fatin seguru ba ema ne’ebe karik asasinu ema lubun-boot
enkuantu hein evakuasaun médiku.” Ida ne’e la lo’os duni. Ami nia membru
sira balun haree rasik ema Timor nain atus resin, feto sira barak hatais
metan, ne’ebe partisipa iha vijilia ho lilin iha Embaisada Indonesia nia oin,
fatin ne’ebe Bere hela no kontinua hela fulan rua depois. (Bele haree foto
sira iha
http://www.laohamutuk.org/Justice/99/bere/09MaternusBere.htm)
Atu taka, ho respeitu ami husu katak ita
rekonhese no rona organizasaun barak no individual sira, Timor-oan no mos
sira husi liu, ne’ebe fiar katak tribunal internasional mak manera ne’ebe
di’ak liu iha aspeitu legal, moral no mos pratikal hodi povo Timor-Leste
bele sai husi konflitu, trauma no injustisa ba futuru ne’ebe dame.
Ami hakarak kontinua dialogu ho Ita-Boot.
La importa se ita hetan konkluizaun hanesan ka la’e, ami fiar katak ita bele
halo debate la ho lian ne’ebe buka halo foer parte ida nia reputasaun, dudu
parte ida nia intensaun, ka koalia insulta ka a’at iha nivel personal. Iha
Timor-Leste, ema barak hatene kona-ba Ita-Boot nia apoiu ba dialogu ne’ebe
honesta no ho respeita malu nudar dalan hodi resolve diferensia sira.
Importante tebes uza prinsipiu sira mos iha nivel internasional, no ami hein
katak ita boot fila fali ba prinsipiu sira ne’e.
Sinseramente,
/s/
John M. Miller, Kordinator Nasional
East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN)
cc. Amnesty International
Membru sira iha Konsellu Direitus Umanus ONU nian.
