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HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS SAYS INDONESIAN ARMY AND MILITIAS MUST STOP "POLICY OF TERROR AND DISPLACEMENT" IN EAST TIMOR
06 September 1999
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The Indonesian security forces and the militias they created must stop immediately their deliberate policy of terror and displacement of the population of East Timor, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson said today.
Speaking as thousands of East Timorese fled the territory following attacks by regular and irregular armed elements, the High Commissioner said, "as our UN colleagues have reported from Dili, there is very clear evidence of collusion between elements of the security forces and the militias to deport East Timorese forcibly to West Timor and elsewhere. An integral part of this campaign is to terrorize the population with the most gruesome abuses of their fundamental rights. Not surprisingly, human rights defenders are being specifically targeted".
In her remarks Mrs. Robinson referred to the Security Council's decision to send a delegation to Jakarta to discuss with the Indonesian Government concrete steps to allow the peaceful implementation of the result of last Monday's ballot. She said she would communicate her concerns to the delegation before it arrived in Indonesia.
"We cannot stand idly by and watch the East Timorese massacred, burned out of their houses and removed forcibly from the territory for having exercised their fundamental right to self determination", she said. "The international community must act now or regret yet another tragedy it could have prevented".
Mrs. Robinson, who last Friday called for increased international action to protect the people of the territory, expressed grave concern about the fate of the thousands of East Timorese whose whereabouts are unknown after they were attacked by militiamen and soldiers while seeking refuge in United Nations Mission in East Timor headquarters, the compound of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the home of Bishop Carlos Belo. A large number were reportedly put on trucks and taken to West Timor, while many others were said to have been killed. The number of people killed since last week is put at over 100.
The High Commissioner said Indonesia must take the necessary steps to implement its pledges to stop the violence in East Timor and abide by the commitments it undertook on 5 May to respect the will of the East Timorese as expressed in the 30 August ballot.
Speaking as thousands of East Timorese fled the territory following attacks by regular and irregular armed elements, the High Commissioner said, "as our UN colleagues have reported from Dili, there is very clear evidence of collusion between elements of the security forces and the militias to deport East Timorese forcibly to West Timor and elsewhere. An integral part of this campaign is to terrorize the population with the most gruesome abuses of their fundamental rights. Not surprisingly, human rights defenders are being specifically targeted".
In her remarks Mrs. Robinson referred to the Security Council's decision to send a delegation to Jakarta to discuss with the Indonesian Government concrete steps to allow the peaceful implementation of the result of last Monday's ballot. She said she would communicate her concerns to the delegation before it arrived in Indonesia.
"We cannot stand idly by and watch the East Timorese massacred, burned out of their houses and removed forcibly from the territory for having exercised their fundamental right to self determination", she said. "The international community must act now or regret yet another tragedy it could have prevented".
Mrs. Robinson, who last Friday called for increased international action to protect the people of the territory, expressed grave concern about the fate of the thousands of East Timorese whose whereabouts are unknown after they were attacked by militiamen and soldiers while seeking refuge in United Nations Mission in East Timor headquarters, the compound of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the home of Bishop Carlos Belo. A large number were reportedly put on trucks and taken to West Timor, while many others were said to have been killed. The number of people killed since last week is put at over 100.
The High Commissioner said Indonesia must take the necessary steps to implement its pledges to stop the violence in East Timor and abide by the commitments it undertook on 5 May to respect the will of the East Timorese as expressed in the 30 August ballot.
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