ETAN calls for Indonesia to address abuses

Transcript

A human rights advocacy group is calling for a new Indonesian government to end human rights abuses by previous governments, and bring those responsible to account.

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network says the government in power following next week's election in Indonesia should rein in military activity in West Papua.

ETAN's American co-ordinator John Miller told Christopher Gilbert the timing is right for Indonesia to address its human rights record.

JOHN MILLER: It's time that Indonesia continue on path we see has stalled for respect for human rights, and justice and accountability for past human right violations: such as those that have taken place in Timor-Leste, the May events in Jakarta in 1998 which are being debated in the presidential campaign, and violations both past and ongoing in West Papua.

CHRISTOPHER GILBERT: You're asking for the Indonesian government, or a new Indonesian government, to provide meaningful reparations for victims, survivors, and families of human rights crimes. What would you expect those reparations to be?

JM: Well, I think some of it needs to be monetary. Many families of those who were killed and many survivors torture and other human rights crimes have suffered and deserve some compensation for that. We also think it's important to give those people some closure and make clear that kind of behaviour is no longer acceptable in Indonesia. Some of those that were responsible for ordering or carrying out those violations be brought to justice. That they be tried either by Indonesia, and by that we mean credibly tried. Indonesia has some trials but they've certainly not been credible. Or, particularly in the case of Timor-Leste where it was an international invasion and occupation, an international tribunal is needed.

CG: You've mentioned Timor-Leste a couple of times but we're also talking about Papua aren't we, because you'd like to see the [Indonesian] military brought under civilian control, and the rule of law. Do you think if that was to happen it would improve circumstances in Papua?

JM: Uh, yes. It's been on the Indonesian various government agendas to put the Indonesian military, when it commits crimes against civilians, be brought into civilian courts, rather than just be tried within the military system. That has yet to happen. If Indonesian leaders are serious about that, they have to deliver. They can't just say 'we'll get to it eventually' and that certainly would have an immediate affect I think in West Papua.

CG: So, pretty much this is a call for full accountability, in retrospect as well.

JM: Yes, and if you look at what's going on with the current presidential campaign in Indonesia, one presidential candidate has bragged about willing to carry out a coup. And the other candidate, whose personal record may be untainted, has a number of former generals as his leading advisors, who are also quite credibly accused of serious human rights violations. In the case of one, General Wiranto, was actually indicted  in East Timor for his role as a commander.