united nations - The UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, expressed shock yesterday at the light sentences handed down by an Indonesian court for the brutal slaying of three UN staff in West Timor, calling the ruling an unacceptable response to a "despicable" act.
A court in Jakarta on Friday jailed six men for 20 months. The 15-member UN Security Council, at the suggestion of Ireland, attempted to issue a similar statement. But diplomats said Russia blocked it, saying that would interfere in domestic judicial affairs. "We needed a strong signal," an Irish diplomat, Mr Paul Kavanagh, said.