Rights Group Says Wiranto Must Stand Trial Not Stand for Office

April 21, 2004 - In a statement, John M. Miller, spokesperson for the East
Timor Action Network said:

We are dismayed at the Golkar Party's nomination of General Wiranto for
President of Indonesia. The people of Indonesia and East Timor deserve
better. Wiranto must stand trial not stand for office.

We join the people of East Timor in extreme discouragement at the prospects
for justice and the future security of the new nation.

Wiranto is responsible through acts of omission and commission for the
gravest violations of human right in East Timor and Indonesia.

Wiranto's rise in Indonesian politics speaks volumes about the failure of
the United Nations, the U.S. and other countries to act quickly and
forcefully for justice. The cycle of impunity continues; those responsible
for the devastation in East Timor are now directing similar campaigns in
Aceh and Papua.

We urge the United Nations to revisit the recommendation to establish an
international tribunal for East Timor made by the UN's Commission of
Inquiry in January 2000. We urge the U.S. Congress and Bush administration
to withhold all military assistance for Indonesia until Wiranto and others
responsible for crimes against humanity in East Timor and Indonesia are
brought to justice in judicial processes consistent with international
standards.

Further, the United States should keep Wiranto on its visa watch list and
bar his travel to the US. All nations should actively work to bring him to
justice. If he does travel outside Indonesia, Wiranto should be arrested
and transferred to East Timor, where he has been indicted for crimes
against humanity. Regardless of the outcome of the coming Indonesian
election, his indictment will remain in force until he is arrested and
brought to trial.

Justice for East Timor must not take second place to the so-called "war on
terrorism" in Indonesia. Indeed, prosecution of Wiranto and others
responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity from the 1975
through 1999 in East Timor is necessary to ending the state-sanctioned
terror of Indonesia's security forces throughout the archipelago.

Background

Wiranto was Armed Forces Commander and Defense Minister in 1999. Prior to
and after East Timor's overwhelming vote for independence, his troops and
their militia proxies conducted a campaign of terror resulting in more than
1400 deaths, displacement of three-quarters of the population and
destruction of more than 75% of East Timor's infrastructure.

On February 24, 2003, Wiranto was indicted in East Timor for crimes against
humanity before the Dili Special Panel, a joint UN-East Timorese court.
Soon after, the U.S. State Department placed Wiranto on its visa watch
list. Last month, prosecutors in East Timor issued an extensivebrief
summarizing their evidence against the general.

Indonesia's presidential election takes place July 5. A runoff will take
place September 20 if no candidate get more than 50%

ETAN works with civil society in East Timor and Indonesia in calling for an
international tribunal to prosecute crimes against humanity that took place
in East Timor since 1975 (see http://www.etan.org).

-30-


etanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetan

ETAN needs your financial support: Make a secure contribution:
http://etan.org/etan/donate.htm

John M. Miller Internet: fbp [at] igc.org

Media & Outreach Coordinator
East Timor Action Network: 12 Years for Self-Determination & Justice

48 Duffield St., Brooklyn, NY 11201 USA
Phone: (718)596-7668 Fax: (718)222-4097
Mobile phone: (917)690-4391
Web site: http://www.etan.org

Send a blank e-mail message to info [at] etan.org to find out
how to learn more about East Timor on the Internet

etanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetanetan