News and Analysis - Indonesia: Indonesia – General Wiranto Sits Before East Timor Commission On Truth And Friendship (06 May 2007)

Gen Wiranto appeared before the Indonesia’s 10-member Commission on Truth and Friendship in Jakarta investigating human rights violations before and after East Timor’s historic 1999 vote for independence. Though admitting “one or two” of his men may have been involved in the carnage, Wiranto denied any links to militia involved in violence that left more than 1,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced in 1999.  The commission was set up two years ago to heal, establish the truth and, more importantly, show the international community that Indonesia has adequately addressed the allegations of gross human rights violations by the TNI, Indonesia’s Armed Forces.  Wiranto insisted that he should not be held responsible for crimes committed by those under his command, saying that individual soldiers should be held accountable for his or her actions.  Gen Wiranto said of the militias that sparked much of the violence, "They were not formed, nor funded, nor equipped by the military and there was no structural control of these groups."   Wiranto has indicated he wants to be Indonesia's next president.

(Comment -- Whether Indonesia’s Commission on Truth and Friendship will be viewed by Indonesians and the International Human Rights Commission as a legitimate alternative to the judicial process or as another government-orchestrated charade has not yet fully been determined, but after this week’s hearings with former-General Wiranto the decision may be turning less in Jakarta’s favor.  The focus of many Indonesian and international critics of Jakarta’s handling of East Timor has been on Wiranto.  In spite of his fervent denials, allegations of gross violations by TNI, led by General Wiranto, remain suspect and will be a burden for him in his stated bid to run for President.  Wiranto’s denials and assertions that other people in TNI were to blame only fueled the flames of indignation against TNI and, ultimately, the central government.  The Commission was put together nearly six years after the carnage on East Timor which ended with a UN-backed international force deployed to restore peace and protect East Timor’s independence.  President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has made no secret of his desire to put the controversy and shame associated with TNI’s actions in East Timor in 1999 to rest in order get on with pressing current issues.  However, it is apparent that General Wiranto’s performance on Friday before the Commission did not satisfy either President Yudhoyono or Wiranto.  But as is the case in Indonesian politics, Wiranto should not be counted out in upcoming Presidential elections.)  [scb]