FIRST CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY INDICTMENT FILED

The first indictment containing charges of Crimes Against Humanity committed in East Timor in the wake of last year’s orchestrated campaign of violence was filed today, 11 December, by the Office of the Prosecutor General. The indictment was presented before the Dili District Court’s Special Panel for Serious Crimes.

The indictment accuses eleven persons of committing Crimes Against Humanity, including murder, torture, deportation and forcible transfer of civilian population in Los Palos, Lautem District, between 21 April and 25 September 1999.

The group is accused of committing at least 13 murders, in addition to severe victimization.

The accused, most of whom were members of pro-autonomy militia group Team Alfa, also known as Jati Merah Puti (Authentic Red and White), was involved in a number of killings, including the ambush and killing on 25 September 1999 of a group of clergy, church workers, a journalist and a youth near the village of Verokoko, Los Palos. They are also charged with the deportation and forcible transfer of the civilian population of Leuro village to the TNI Battalion 745 base, to the port of Com, and some to West Timor.

The indictment also contains the first accusation against an Indonesian Army Officer, Lt. Sayful Anwar, Deputy Commander of its Special Forces Command, KOPASSUS, stationed in Los Palos, for the mutilation, torture and murder of Averisto Lopes on 21 April 1999, at the Team Alfa base. A warrant for his arrest is to be immediately issued by Dili Court’s Special Panel for Serious Crimes.

Of the eleven accused, nine are detained at Becora and Gleno prisons in East Timor. Among them is Joni Marques, Team Alfa’s de facto Commander. One of the militia members, Mautersa Moniz, is still at large.

Pre-trial litigation before the Special Panel for Serious Crimes, composed of two international Judges and one Timorese Judge, is expected to commence early next year.

CABINET MEMBERS TO GET MORE AUTHORITY

The East Timor Transitional Cabinet agreed on Saturday, 9 December, to transfer more authority to the East Timorese Cabinet Members, after an extraordinary meeting called by SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello in Dili.

The meeting was held following a letter on 1 December, in which four of the five East Timorese Cabinet Members threatened to resign. On Saturday, all Cabinet Members affirmed their intention to remain serving in the Cabinet.

SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello will present specific proposals to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who then will make recommendations to the Security Council. On 31 January, UNTAET’s mandate will expire and a new mandate has to be approved by the body.

UNTAET’s Director of Administration, Johannes Wortel, will hold a meeting with the Cabinet on Friday, 15 December, to discuss how to improve the UNTAET Administration’s support to Cabinet and the East Timor Transitional Administration.