East Timor's Serious Crimes Unit today indicted former Indonesian defense chief General Wiranto and seven other senior Indonesian military and civilian officials, accusing them of committing crimes against humanity in the wake of East Timor's 1999 vote for independence.

"The accused have all been charged with crimes against humanity for murder, deportation and persecution," the United Nations said in a statement released today in the East Timorese capital, Dili.  According to the statement, the alleged crimes "were all undertaken as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against the civilian population of East Timor and specifically targeted those who were believed to be supporters of independence for East Timor."

In addition to Wiranto, the indictees include military officials Zacky Anwar Makarim, Kiki Syahnakri, Adam Rachmat Damiri, Suhartono Suratman, Noer Muis and Yayat Sudrajat and a former governor of East Timor, Abilio Soares.  Several of the accused are also being tried by a special ad hoc tribunal that has already sentenced Soares to three years in prison (Associated Press/Jakarta Post, Feb. 25).

The charges include 280 counts of murder, most of which involve 10 large-scale attacks.  The indictees are also accused of systematic attacks against civilians, especially pro-independence supporters, and are being held responsible for persecution and forcible deportations that led 200,000 East Timorese to flee into the Indonesian region of West Timor.

Soares, Makarim, Syahnakri, Damiri, Suratman and Sudrajat "allegedly cooperated in a policy of financing, arming, training and commanding the militias," the indictment reads.  "The militia groups jointly acted with the Indonesian military in a systematic and planned campaign that resulted in the crimes of humanity taking place."

"It is also alleged," the indictment continues, "that given the relationship between Indonesian military officials and the militias, Indonesian commanders who are accused had effective control over militia groups that were operating in East Timor and are responsible for the crimes they committed" (LUSA Agencia de Noticias, Feb. 25, UN Wire translation).

Stuart Alford, a prosecutor who helped prepare the indictment, said the charges reflect years of work.

"I think it's the most significant indictment we've issued during the 2½ years we've been conducting investigations in the Serious Crimes Unit," Alford said.  "It represents for us the conclusions we've reached of those 2½ years of investigations.  It's an indictment based on over 1,500 witness statements and represents what we believe to have been the pattern, the widespread pattern of violence that occurred in East Timor and, in particular, the fact that the Indonesian armed forces established violent militia groups in East Timor and supported those groups."

Alford said the indictment has been forwarded to Indonesia and Interpol (Julian Keane, BBC World Update, Feb. 25, Note: You may have to download free software to access this audio link). 

Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda today said his country will "simply ignore" the indictments.  "He is a free man," Hassan said of Wiranto.  "Why take action?"

"Who gave the mandate to indict Indonesians, under what basis, what authority?" Hassan asked (Associated Press/Jakarta Post, Feb. 25).  "This is an East Timorese tribunal, not an international tribunal," he said.  "This is a national process which has limited jurisdiction, only within the territory of its jurisdiction."

Citing Indonesia's past failures to cooperate with Timorese warrants, LUSA reports it is unlikely the accused will face trial in East Timor.  "Everything depends on the international community," Alford said (LUSA II, Feb. 25, UN Wire translation).

Alford added that Indonesia is required to cooperate with East Timor under a memorandum of understanding, but he said such cooperation is unlikely.  The prosecutor said Indonesia possesses information that is crucial to the case but that East Timor has enough material to go ahead with the judicial process (LUSA III, Feb. 25, UN Wire translation).

Following an emergency meeting yesterday with his Cabinet and U.N. officials, East Timorese Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri accused anti-independence militias of being behind two ambushes on civilians southwest of Dili earlier in the day.

The prime minister alleged an effort to foster instability in the country.  "The militiamen have found internal allies, namely elements of Colimau 2000," he said, referring to a radical group blamed for other recent violence in the same region.

U.N. officials have warned of militia activity in East Timor, and East Timorese defense chief Taur Matan Ruak has called for more cooperation between East Timorese and U.N. forces (LUSA, Feb. 24).