International

Wiranto defends troops' actions in E. Timor

By Amit Baruah

SINGAPORE April 4. The former Indonesian military (TNI) chief, Gen. Wiranto, has put up a robust defence of the troops under his command at the time of the referendum in East Timor in 1999.

Testifying before an ad hoc human rights court for East Timor, Gen. Wiranto (Retd) said in Jakarta today: "Indonesian security forces had an extraordinarily difficult mission _ I call it mission impossible. After 23 years of conflict between pro-integration groups (with Indonesia) and those against integration, in one month we had to unite them and to consider pro-independence groups as brothers and sisters''.

The former General, who demitted office at the instance of the former President, Abdurrahman Wahid, defended his men against charges of human rights abuse.

The then President, B.J. Habibie, had authorised the United Nations to hold a referendum on the future of East Timor on August 30, 1999, in which the East Timorese overwhelmingly voted for independence.

He said his soldiers and the police deserved a pat on the back for facilitating the vote "without a major war''.

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