La’o Hamutuk
Timor-Leste Institute for Development Monitoring and
Analysis
Rua Martires da Patria, Bebora, Dili, Timor-Leste
Tel: +670 332 1040
email:
info@laohamutuk.org
Website:
www.laohamutuk.org
5 September
2012
Ms. Hillary
Rodman Clinton
United States Secretary of State
Your
Excellency,
La'o Hamutuk is a
civil society organization which for more than a decade
has been analyzing, monitoring the development process
in Timor-Leste and also conducting advocacy and
campaigns to stop impunity in Timor-Leste.
Thirteen years ago, as you know, we
Timor-Leste people voted for independence in a
referendum for self-determination. We are aware that
many countries around the world, including the United
States contributed in the realization of our dream of
independence.
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We express our hope for you to help break the
chain of impunity that still prevails in
Timor-Leste. Impunity exists because the
international community has forgotten its
responsibility to establish an International
Tribunal to prosecute the actors involved in
crimes against humanity during the Indonesian
occupation. Many of these actors are still free
and occupy powerful political positions in
Jakarta.
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Today, your visit to our country;
coincides with the day, when thirteen years ago we were
living in situations of anguish, tears and bloodshed. We
hope your visit will give us hope for our wounds, wipe
our tears and also relieve our thirst for justice.
Therefore, through this letter we would
like to express our hope for you to help break the chain
of impunity that still prevails in Timor-Leste. Impunity
exists because the international community has forgotten
its responsibility to establish an International
Tribunal
[1]
to prosecute the actors involved
in crimes against humanity during the Indonesian
occupation. Many of these actors are still free and
occupy powerful political positions in Jakarta.
We are aware that the United States has
a great power in the UN Security Council to lobby and
push for the establishment of an international tribunal
on Timor-Leste. We and you also believe that justice for
Timor-Leste will be an opportunity to stop the violence
and other war crimes in other countries.
Today, crimes against humanity are still
happening in West Papua, where civilians continues being
victims of Indonesian police and military’s oppression,
a situation that reminiscent of what happened in
Timor-Leste. We think that impunity in Timor-Leste
provides opportunity and chance for Indonesian police
and military to continue their crimes and violate the
rights of the Papuan. Therefore, once again we would
like to encourage you to use your country’s voice and
veto to encourage the establishment of an International
Tribunal on the crimes against humanity committed in
Timor-Leste from 1975 to 1999. Chega! Recommendations
1.6 and 1.7
[2]
require the United States to take
their responsibility for crimes against humanity which
resulted in many casualties among Timor-Leste peoples.
We sincerely hope that you can use your ability and
authority as a country to assist the Government of
Timor-Leste to help the victims of Indonesian occupation
to find justice.
Thank you for your collaboration and
your spirit of justice and humanity
Sincerely,
Mariano Fereira
Alexandra Arnassalon
Coordinators Team of La’o Hamutuk
[2]
1.6. The states that had military cooperation
programmes with the Indonesian Government during
the Commission’s mandate period, whether or not
this assistance was used directly in
Timor-Leste, apologise to the people of
Timor-Leste for failing to adequately uphold
internationally agreed fundamental rights and
freedoms in Timor-Leste during the Indonesian
occupation.
1.7. The Permanent Members of
the Security Council, particularly the US but
also Britain and France, who gave military
backing to the Indonesian Government between
1974 and 1999 and who are duty bound to uphold
the highest principles of world order and peace
and to protect the weak and vulnerable, assist
the Government of Timor-Leste in the provision
of reparations to victims of human rights
violations suffered during the Indonesian
occupation.