*EPF103 08/19/2002
Text: U.S. Disappointed in Indonesia's Human Rights Tribunal
(State Department statement released August 19) (420)

The State Department expressed disappointment with the acquittal of six of seven defendants accused of human right violations in East Timor by Indonesia's Ad Hoc Human Rights Tribunal for East Timor.

Philip Reeker, the State Department's deputy spokesman, said in a statement that although Indonesia's creation of the ad hoc tribunal to deal with gross human rights violations in East Timor was a step in the right direction, the prosecutors for the recent acquittals "did not fully use the resources and evidence available to them from the United Nations and elsewhere...."

Following is the text:

(begin text)

. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
August 19, 2002

STATEMENT BY PHILIP T. REEKER, DEPUTY SPOKESMAN

Indonesia - Human Rights Tribunal for East Timor

Indonesia's Ad Hoc Human Rights Tribunal for East Timor handed down its first verdicts on August 14 and 15, acquitting six of seven defendants of committing gross human rights violations. Without commenting on the specific verdicts, which are subject to appeal, the United States is nevertheless disappointed that prosecutors in these cases did not fully use the resources and evidence available to them from the United Nations and elsewhere in documenting the atrocities that occurred in East Timor.

As the Secretary indicated during his recent visit to East Timor, the United States is committed to building a closer relationship with Indonesia, including its military, on the foundations of our common interests as democracies that respect the rule of law and account for human rights. Indonesia's establishment of the Ad Hoc Tribunal represented a bold step towards punishing the perpetrators of past atrocities, as well as warning those who might consider new violations of human rights in Aceh and elsewhere. We strongly encourage the Indonesian government to build on that positive step by mounting effective and credible prosecutions of the remaining cases that meet international standards of justice and utilize the wealth of available evidence to bring to justice perpetrators of atrocities in East Timor. The United States has supported the Tribunal's establishment, and also stands ready to do what it can to assist further.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

Return to Public File Main Page

Return to Public Table of Contents