Contact: 
Sisto dos Santos: +670-726-6564 (Dili) 
Jose Pereira: +670-736-7518 (Dili) 
John M. Miller +1-718-596-7668 (New York)

February 9, 2011 - A coalition of groups in Timor-Leste is urging the United Nations Security Council "to take concrete, effective actions to end impunity for those who directed and committed crimes against humanity in Timor-Leste" during Indonesia's invasion and occupation.

"Accountability for crimes against humanity must not be further delayed" the Timor-Leste National Alliance for an International Tribunal (ANTI) told the UN Security Council in a letter delivered this week.

ANTI criticized UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon for failing "to mention the consequences of ongoing impunity for the serious international crimes committed during the Indonesian occupation" in his latest report to the Council.

The letter was endorsed by more than 30 other organizations from outside of Timor-Leste.

We are still not yet free of the shadow of serious crimes committed during the 24 years of Indonesian occupation. We have suffered a lot during that period; physically and psychologically, because of torture from various types of violations, including sexual violence against women, and the loss of 180,000 human lives because of the brutal, illegal Indonesian military occupation.

"We are still not yet free of the shadow of serious crimes committed during the 24 years of Indonesian occupation. We have suffered a lot during that period; physically and psychologically, because of torture from various types of violations, including sexual violence against women, and the loss of 180,000 human lives because of the brutal, illegal Indonesian military occupation," said ANTI.

ANTI added "If impunity continues to prevail in Timor-Leste, it will have a negative impact on the stability and security of our country; undercutting the efforts of the United Nations to establish rule of law and strength security institutions. In addition, the perpetrators are continuing to commit similar crimes in Indonesia."

The Security Council is scheduled to meet on February 22 to discuss the future of the UN Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT). The mission's current mandate expires February 26.

The Security Council should "discuss the recommendations of the [2005] Commission of Experts regarding the establishment of an International Criminal Tribunal when national mechanisms fail." They also urged the Council to enlarge the mandate of the Serious Crimes Investigation Team (SCIT) to allow the investigation and support the prosecution "of the principal perpetrators of serious crimes and crimes against humanity throughout the Indonesian occupation from 1975-1999." The SCIT current mandate only allows investigations of murders committed during 1999, when the UN sponsored the referendum which led to Timor-Leste's independence.

ANTI argues that such prosecutions are "the only solution to end impunity in Timor-Leste and Indonesia, so that democracy and human rights that we yearn for can be achieved in Timor-Leste and other countries."

Endorsing groups include the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (U.S.); KontraS, the Indonesian human rights organization; Japan East Timor Coalition; International Federation for East Timor; Australian Coalition for Justice for East Timor; and the regional Asia-Pacific Solidarity Coalition.

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see also Human Rights & Justice

A-N-T-I
TIMOR-LESTE NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR AN INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL
Secretariat : Fongtil-Caicoli, Dili Timor Leste
e-mail: lanarra.del@gmail.com

8 February 2011

Excellencies, Members of the United Nations Security Council
United Nations, New York, New York, 10017 USA

For more than eight years, we, the people of Timor-Leste, have been living as a free Nation and free people in a sovereign democratic State, but we are still not yet free of the shadow of serious crimes committed during the 24 years of Indonesian occupation. We have suffered a lot during that period; physically and psychologically, because of torture from various types of violations, including sexual violence against women, and the loss of 180,000 human lives because of the brutal, illegal Indonesian military occupation.

We place our hopes in the United Nations Security Council, which has the principal role in this fight to end impunity, based on the fundamental principles consecrated in the Charter of the United Nations. We urge you to take concrete, effective actions to end impunity for those who directed and committed crimes against humanity in Timor-Leste.

The UN has taken some positive actions to address the issue of justice for serious crimes during the past decade, including establishing the Serious Crimes Unit (SCU) to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the crimes committed in 1999, the Special Panels (SP) to try perpetrators of these serious crimes (S/2005/458, par. 5) and the Commission of Experts to report on the judicial effectiveness of their work and that of the Indonesian ad hoc court in Jakarta (S/2005/458, par. 1-2). These actions were inadequate to end impunity in Timor-Leste and Indonesia, because the Commission of Experts report has not been followed up and considered by the Security Council, and because the SCU and SP (as well as UNMIT’s Serious Crimes Investigation Team) only looked into crimes committed in 1999, which excludes the 99% of homicides which took place between 1975 and 1998.

We are disappointed with the latest report of the Secretary-General on UNMIT for September 2010 to January 2011 (S/2011/32) because it fails to mention the consequences of ongoing impunity for the serious international crimes committed during the Indonesian occupation. The report discusses only the 1999 crimes (S/2011/32; par. 38) and gives more attention to directing Timor-Leste’s government to achieve justice for domestic crimes committed in 2006 (S/2011/32; par. 35).

The principle of the United Nations to respect the sovereignty of every Member State does not mean that the United Nations must accept sovereignty as an excuse not to pursue the perpetrators of crimes against humanity committed against people in other countries. All Member States are obliged to respect the principles of United Nations and never to accept impunity for serious crimes. Therefore, the United Nations must pressure a Member State which does not cooperate with legal processes to try perpetrators, such as Indonesia in the case of crimes against humanity committed during its occupation of Timor-Leste. This is especially important because many of the crimes were acts directed by the Suharto dictatorship who no longer governs Indonesia.

If impunity continues to prevail in Timor-Leste, it will have a negative impact on the stability and security of our country; undercutting the efforts of the United Nations to establish rule of law and strength security institutions. In addition, the perpetrators are continuing to commit similar crimes in Indonesia, especially West Papua and Ambon, Maluku.

Some Timor-Leste leaders undermine the legal justice process by prioritizing cordial relations with Indonesian government. This also obstructs the way to justice (S/2011/32; par. 9) and is out of touch with our people. To end impunity, we must not sacrifice fundamental principles of human rights and justice in favor of diplomacy.

The legal justice processes for accountability for crimes against humanity must not be further delayed. We strongly encourage the Security Council of United Nations to take immediate effective actions to end impunity so that justice can be restored.

We recommend to the Security Council of United Nations to:

1. Discuss the recommendations of the Commission of Experts regarding the establishment of an International Criminal Tribunal when national mechanisms fail. (S/2005/458; par. 446 and 525)

2. Enlarge the mandate of the Serious Crimes Investigation Team (SCIT) so that it can investigate some of the highest profile massacres such as Kararas-Viqueque (1983), Muapitine-Lospalos (1983), Mausiga and Maununo-Ainaro (1982) and Santa Cruz-Dili (1991) and prosecute those who are responsible for these crimes.

3. Establish a delegation to approach both governments, Timor-Leste and Indonesia, to encourage them to respect legal processes initiated by the United Nations to prosecute the perpetrators of crimes against humanity committed as part of Indonesian occupation from 1975-1999.

4. Give mandate to SCIT to support formal indictment of the principal perpetrators who committed serious crimes and crimes against humanity during the Indonesian military occupation from 1975-1999. This is the only solution to end impunity in Timor-Leste and Indonesia, so that democracy and human rights that we yearn for can be achieved in Timor-Leste and other countries.

Sincerely yours, 

Sisto dos Santos
On behalf of ANTI

Members of ANTI (Timor-Leste organizations):

· Community Development Interest (CDI)

· Forum Tau Matan (FTM)

· Front Mahasiswa Timor-Leste (FMTL)

· HAK Association

· Judicial System Monitoring Program (JSMP)

· Kdalak Solimutu Institute (KSI)

· Knua Buka Hatene (KBH)

· Luta Hamutuk

· Mata Dalan Institute (MDI)

· Organizasaun Popular Vitima da Guerra (OPVG)

· Sekretariadu Timor-Leste NGO Forum (Fongtil)

· Timor-Leste Institute for Development Monitoring and Analysis (La’o Hamutuk)

This letter has been endorsed by the following international organizations:

· Asia-Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC)

· Association of Prison Ministries, Jakarta, Indonesia

· Australia East Timor Association, NSW

· Australian East Timor Friendship Association South Australia Inc

· Australian Coalition for Justice for East Timor

· Baltimore Nonviolence Center, USA

· Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners (KAPT/N) , Indonesia

· East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN), USA

· East Timor Religious Outreach, USA

· ETAN/Portland, Oregon, USA

· Fellowship of Reconciliation, USA

· Foundation Pro Papua, The Netherlands

· Hunter East Timor Sisters, Australia

· Institute of Struggle for the Rehabilitation of Victims of the New Order Regime (LPR KROB), Indonesia

· Institute on Religion and Public Policy, USA

· International Federation for East Timor (IFET)

· International League for Human Rights

· Japan East Timor Coalition

· Jews Against Genocide, USA

· KontraS, Indonesia

· Law Enforcement Watch, Jakarta, Indonesia

· Madison-Ainaro Sister City Alliance, Wisconsin, USA

· Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, USA

· Swedish East Timor Committee

· TAPOL, UK

· Watch Indonesia!, Germany

· WESPAC Foundation, White Plains, NY USA

· WestPAN (West Papua Action Network), Canada

· Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice, USA

· WPAT (West Papua Advocacy Team), USA

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8 Fevereiro 2011

Ezelénisa sira Membru Konsellu Seguransa Nasoins Unidas
New York, 10017 USA

Liu tinan ualu ona, ami, povu Timor-Leste moris nu’udar Nasaun no povu ida ne’ebé livre iha Estadu ida soberanu no demokrátiku, maibé ami seidauk livre hosi fantasma krime grave ne’ebé akontese durante tinan 24 okupasaun Indonézia nian. Ami terus barak iha periodu ne’e; terus fízika no psikolójika tanba tortura hosi tipu violasaun oin-oin, inklui violasaun seksuál hasoru feto sira, no lakon ema 180 nia moris tanba okupasaun illegál, brutál militár Indonézia nian.

Ami tau ami nia laran metin iha Konsellu Seguransa Nasoins Unidas nian, ne’ebé iha papél prinsipál iha luta hakotu impunidade ida ne’e, bazeia ba prinsípiu fundamentál hirak ne’ebé konsagra ona iha Karta Nasoins Unidas nian. Ami ezije ba ita boot sira hodi foti asaun konkretu ne’ebé efetivu hodi hapara impunidade ba sira ne’ebé dirije no komete krime hasoru umanidade iha Timor-Leste.

Nasoins Unidas foti ona asaun pozitivu no konkretu balun hodi trata asuntu justisa ba krime grave, hanesan estabelese Unidade Krime Sériu (SCU) hodi investiga krime sira no prosege sira ne’ebé responsavel ba krime hirak ne’ebé komete iha 1999 no Painel Espesiál (SP) hodi julga kriminozu sira hosi krime sériu hirak ne’e (S/2005/458, par. 5) no Komisaun Peritu hodi relata kona-ba prosesu judisiál hosi servisu SCU, SP no Tribunál ad hoc Diretu Umanu iha Jakarta- Indonézia (S/2005/458, par. 1-2). Asaun hirak ne’e la adekuadu hodi hapara impunidade iha Timor-Leste no Indonézia, tanba rekomendasaun sira hosi relatóriu sira ne’e Konsellu Seguransa la haree tuir no konsidera no servisu SCU no SP limita de’it ba kazu 1999, la inklui kazu oho ema (omosídiu) porsentu 99% hosi tinan 1975-1998.

Ami la satisfeitu ho relatóriu Sekretáriu Jerál nian foin lalais ne’e kona-ba UNMIT hosi Setembru 2010 to’o Janeiru 2011 ne’ebé la temi konsekuénsia hosi impunidade ne’ebé sei kontinua hela kona-ba krime sériu internasionál nian ne’ebé komete durante okupasaun Indonézia. Relatóriu ne’e diskute de’it krime 1999 nian (S/2011/32; par. 38) no fó atensaun liu ba dirije governu Timor-Leste ba hetan justisa ba krime doméstika ne’ebé komete iha 2006. (S/2011/32; par. 35).

Prinsípiu Karta Nasoins Unidas nian hodi respeita soberania Estadu Membru idak-idak nian la signifika katak Nasoins Unidas tenke simu soberania hanesan deskulpa ida hodi la kaer kriminozu sira ne’ebé halo krime hasoru umanidade ne’ebé halo hasoru povu seluk iha nasaun seluk. Estadu Membru sira hotu iha devér hodi respeitu prinsípiu sira Nasoins Unidas nian no nunka bele simu impunidade ba krime sériu sira. Liuhosi meiu ida ne’e, Nasoins Unidas tenke haka’as Estadu Membru ida ne’ebé la koopera ho prosesu legál hodi julga kriminozu sira, hanesan Indonézia iha kazu krime hasoru umanidade ne’ebé komete durante ninia okupasaun iha Timor-Leste. Ida ne’e importante tebes tanba barak hosi krime hirak ne’e nu’udar hahalok sira ne’ebé dirije hosi ditadura Suharto nian ne’ebé oras ne’e la ukun ona Indonézia.

Bainhira sei iha nafatin impunidade iha Timor-Leste, nia sei lori impaktu negativu ba estabilidade no seguransa nasaun nian; hafraku esforsu hirak Nasoins Unidas nian hodi estabelese estadu diretu no haforsa instituisaun seguransa. Nune’e mós, kriminozu sira kontinua halo krime iha Indonézia, liu-liu iha Papua Loromonu no Ambon-Maluku.

Na’i ulun sira Timor-Leste nian balun hafraku prosesu justisa legál liuhosi fó prioriadade ba relasaun di’ak ho governu Indonézia. Ida ne’e mós halo kloot dalan ba jusitsa (S/2011/32; par. 9). Atu hakotu impunidade, ita la bele sakrifika prinsípiu fundamentál direitu umanu no justisa hodi favor ba diplomasia.

Prosesu justisa legál ba responsabilidade kona-ba krime hasoru umanidade tenke la bele dada naruk liu tan. Ami ho maka’as tebes ezije ba Konsellu Seguransa Nasoins Unidas nian hodi foti asaun imediatu ne’ebé efetivu hodi hakotu impunidade atu nune’e bele restora fali justisa.

Ami rekomenda ba Konsellu Seguransa Nasoins Unidas atu:

1.       Diskute rekomendasaun sira Komisaun Peritu nian kona-ba estabelesimentu Tribunál Kriminál Internasionál ida bainhira mekanizmu nasionál sira falla (la konsege) (S/2005/458; par. 446 no 525).

2.       Hodi fó mandatu ne’ebé luan tan ba Ekipa Investigasaun Krime Sériu (SCIT) nian hodi investiga kazu masakre sira ne’ebé boot liu hanesan masakre Kraras-Viqueque 1983, Muapitine-Lospalos (1983), Mausiga-Ainaro (1982) no Santa Cruz-Dili (1991), durante okupasaun militár Indonézia.

3.       Estabele delegasaun ida hodi halo aproximasaun ba governu rua, Timor-Leste no Indonézia hodi enkoraja sira atu bele respeita prosesu legál justisa nian ne’ebé inisia ona hosi Nasoins Unidas hodi prosege kriminozu sira ne’ebé halo krime hasoru umanidade ne’ebé sai nu’udar parte okupasaun Indonézia nian hosi tinan 1975-1999.

4.       SCIT bele halo akuzasaun formál ba autór prinsipál sira ne’ebé komete krime grave no krime kontra umanidade ne’ebé mosu duranti okupasaun militár Indonesia hosi tinan 1975-1999. So úniku dalan ida ne’e de’it mak hodi hakotu impunidade iha Timor-Leste, atu nune’e demokrasia no direitu umanu ne’ebé ita hakarak tebes atu hetan bele alkansa iha Timor-Leste no rai seluk.

Ho respeitu kordiál,