DATE=9/24/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=EAST TIMOR / HUMAN RIGHTS (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-254296
BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN
DATELINE=GENEVA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Two Nobel Peace Prize winners from East Timor
have accused the Indonesian army of genocide and war
crimes against the territory's people. They are urging
the United Nations to investigate what they called
atrocities against innocent men, women, and children.
Lisa Schlein in Geneva reports the two Nobel laureates
-- Carlos Belo and Jose Ramos-Horta -- made their
appeals to a special meeting of the U-N Human Rights
Commission.
TEXT: Roman Catholic Bishop Carlos Belo told the U-N
Human Rights Commission about events in East Timor
after people in the territory overwhelmingly voted for
independence from Indonesia (in August).
Bishop Belo said militias and Indonesian military
forces carried out revenge attacks. He told how his
official church residence was destroyed and 25 people
who had taken refuge there were killed.
/// BELO ACT ///
My residence, Episcopal residence, in Dili, in
the morning was attacked by militias and the
military when I was there with four-thousand
refugees and I was obliged to get out. And I was
a witness that my house, that my residence was
destroyed.
/// END ACT ///
Bishop Belo said the U-N Human Rights Commission must
establish an international commission of inquiry to
get to the truth of the crimes.
Another Nobel Peace Prize winner -- East Timorese
resistance leader Jose Ramos-Horta -- accused the
Indonesian army of orchestrating the violence. He
said the events in East Timor reminded him of the
Jewish holocaust, which he called probably the worst
tragedy in human history.
/// RAMOS-HORTA ACT ONE ///
The Jewish Holocaust took place for the same
reasons that the East Timorese tragedy took for
the past 23 years. And, what was that? The
powers-that-be in Europe and elsewhere in the
30's which could have taken preventive measures
to save the Jews, were in fact guided by
realpolitik and pragmatism.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Ramos-Horta said other nations' relations with
Nazi Germany prevailed over justice. He said he fears
similar concerns about relations with Indonesia would
prevail over justice for East Timor.
/// RAMOS-HORTA ACT TWO ///
If the Commission of Human Rights fails to adopt
a strong resolution calling at least for an
international commission of investigation into
the alleged war crimes and crimes against
humanity in East Timor, it would do a disservice
to the democracy movement in Indonesia, to the
struggle for rule of law, human rights in
Indonesia.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Ramos-Horta said the U-N Human Rights Commission
risks becoming a mockery of the international
community if it backs away from an investigation and
adopts a watered-down statement on the events in East
Timor. (Signed)
NEB/LS/JWH/ENE/JO
24-Sep-1999 12:59 PM EDT (24-Sep-1999 1659 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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