Is there Justification for an International Criminal Tribunal for East Timor?
AbstractEast Timor has a long history of atrocities perpetrated on their citizens since the Indonesian invasion and annexation on 17 July 1976. These violations of human rights were confirmed by the United Nations International Forces in East Timor (INTERFET) who went to restore law and order in the country. The author makes a comparison with the creation of International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, which looked into the effects of the war and humanitarian crimes, particularly genocidal atrocities and ethnic cleansing. The subsequent development of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda mirrors that in Yugoslavia whereby there was to be investigation of the violation human rights. The genocidal acts in these two countries are similar to that which occurred in East Timor. The author suggests that a similar tribunal be set up for East Timor. |