The Human Rights and Justice Ombudsman (PDHJ), Silverio Pinto, said the government had made no effort to look at the issue of serious past crimes since several international judges were expelled from the country.
Although the state often talked about reconciliation, he said many victims of atrocities associated with the 1999 vote for independence were still waiting for justice.
“The victims have the right to know how the court process and the background of these cases has gone so far, particularly those from 1999,” said Pinto.
The serious past crimes that occurred in 1999 were supposed to be resolved through the international court, but this has not happened due to the political interests between Indonesia and Timor-Leste.
“Now we see there is no visa [needed] on arrival, there is a free visa when we cross the border, border pass, market border and student visa and it is politics for forgetting past crimes,” he said.
However, whether the government likes it or not, he said they should call the international judges back to Timor-Leste so that the trials for past crimes can continue.
The international tribunal was set up to try cases of murder, destruction and sexual violence committed by the Indonesian army after the Timorese people voted in favor of independence in a UN-sponsored referendum in 1999.
Executive Director of the Judicial System Monitoring Program (JSMP) Luis Oliveira Sampaio said according to the law the cases should be be presided over by two international judges and one Timorese judge, but the process had stopped because the judges were sent back to their countries.
Alternatively, the National Parliament could delegate authority to Timorese judges to lead the process going forward, he said.
“There is no way for the international court [to continue] because members of the international tribunal also have an interest in Indonesia, so the National Parliament needs to modify the law,” Sampaio said.
He said the government’s focus appeared to be on reconciliation rather than redress for crimes committed in the past.
National MP Jorge Teme said while the parliament was committed to the process, it had a range of important issues that also needed attention, including anti-corruption, pension and land and property laws.
However, he said the government would continue to look for appropriate ways to resolve cases involving past serious crimes.
