Indonesia leaders reject truth commission report on East Timor deaths News
Indonesia leaders reject truth commission report on East Timor deaths

[JURIST] Indonesian leaders have rejected conclusions of an independent report that faults the Indonesian military for up to 185,000 civilian deaths in East Timor [JURIST news archive] during its 24-year rule. Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla said Tuesday that the report's claims were "exaggerated" and that the country's forces were not guilty of gross human rights violations. Indonesian General Endriartono Sutarto has said that he does not believe [BBC report] many of the deaths cited in the report were caused by a deliberate policy of starvation by the military. The report compiled by the independent Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation [official website] was presented Friday [JURIST report] to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan by East Timor President Xanana Gusmao [BBC profile]; its text has not yet been made public. Leaders on both sides have appeared hesitant to push for any punishment for parties involved in the alleged atrocities. AP has more.