Jakarta's Former Military Chief Blames Un for East Timor Poll Massacres

General Wiranto, Indonesia's former military chief, yesterday absolved his troops of responsibility for the violence in East Timor surrounding the territory's 1999 vote for independence. Instead he blamed the 1,000 deaths and wide spread destruction on the United Nations organisers of the ballot.

Testifying as a witness at the trial of Brigadier-General Timbul Silaen, the Indonesian police chief in East Timor at the time, who is charged with crimes against humanity, the retired general said his forces faced "mission impossible" in safeguarding the referendum.

"I believe my subordinates were good and, based on my judgment, they carried out their duties as I had instructed," Gen Wiranto said during three hours of testimony at the special human rights court. "The chaos hap pened because the losers were dissatisfied with irregularities in the vote."

He said the UN had told him the process was not perfect, although independent investigators only found a few minor wrongdoings. Dozens of people were killed in the run-up to the ballot but most of the violence, perpetrated by pro-Jakarta militias and elements of the Indonesian army, occurred after the result was declared.

After testifying, Gen Wiranto told reporters that he could not have done more to prevent the destruction: "I tried to reconcile the two conflicting parties. I imposed a state of emergency aimed at restoring peace and order in East Timor."

There is strong evidence to suggest that the carnage was far from a spontaneous reaction to defeat, as Gen Wiranto indicated, but a well-planned campaign coordinated by senior generals in Jakarta.

Three generals are among the 18 military and police officers, government officials and militia leaders accused of gross human rights violations, although none is considered to be the mastermind.

Gen Wiranto is not facing prosecution, despite Indonesia's human rights commission recommending in a report published in 2000 that he should. The court made no concerted effort to investigate what role the general played in the East Timor violence. Western diplomats in court said that such a lack of rigorousness was a further sign that the whole process is a charade designed to stave off an international tribunal.