A court seeks arrest of Indonesia presidential candidate
Dili (AsiaNews) A court in East Timor issued an arrest warrant for crimes against humanity against Wiranto, former of Indonesia's armed forces, now leading Indonesian presidential candidate in the July 5 polls.
Judge Phillip Rapoza, an American serving on a special UN-backed panel (Serious Crimes Unit), found there were "reasonable grounds" to believe Gen Wiranto had "command authority" over the security forces and pro-Jakarta militias during "a widespread and systematic attack" against civilian victims in East Timor. The judge also documented repeated meetings between Gen Wiranto and pro-Jakarta militia leaders, to whom he had promised to supply with machine guns: "Wiranto urged visiting leaders of various militia groups to unite in a common front and gave each of the Timorese large sums of cash."
Wiranto has long denied any wrongdoing and repeated a claim that the group prosecutors who indicted him in February 2003 were politically motivated. A spokesman for the Indonesian government also said Jakarta did not recognise the jurisdiction of the court that issued the warrant.
Gen Wiranto was defence minister and chief of the Indonesian military (TNY), during a 1999 referendum for independence in East Timor, when more than 1,400 people were killed after a bloody rampage led by the military and pro-Jakarta militias.
Timor Leste President Xanana Gusmao, a former anti-Indonesian guerilla, has said good relations with Indonesia should take priority over court proceedings."We will support anyone who is elected democratically in the July presidential election, including Wiranto," Gusmao said this month.
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