31 October 2012

Leading human rights group call on UN to end impunity for human rights violations during Indonesian occupation

ETLJB 31 October 2012 - A leading human rights organisation in East Timor the HAK Foundation has appealed to the United Nations and the international community to give priority to ending impunity for human rights violations in East Timor.

Diario Nacaional reported remarks by the Executive Director of HAK Foundation (HAK), Rogeiro Viegas Vicente, on Saturday, 27 October 2012 at his Office Farol, Dili, saying that “the United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted many recommendations about accountability processes of serious crimes cases in the past.”

Vicente said that HAK Foundation agrees with reconciliation but HAK also insisted that the reconciliation process should not make the judicial system feeble and that there are efforts to develop and strengthen it in future.

“When we put a high priority on reconciliation and ignore of justice, it will have a negative impact on the judicial system and the development of democracy in country,” said Vicente.

Vicente said that the principal responsibility of the Timor-Leste State is to provide protections for its citizens in order to access justice and fairness for human rights violations.

HAK recognized that Timor-Leste has faced many challenges; therefore they called on international community and the UN Security Council in order to help Timor-Leste’s State to end the impunity for serious crimes that occurred during the Indonesian occupation, through the development of a resolution that will  guarantee appropriate mechanisms to bring serious crime perpetrators to justice.

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