INDONESIA: A truth commission set up by Indonesia and East Timor starts work this week documenting what happened during the tiny territory's bloody independence vote in 1999, as UN pressure grows on Jakarta to account for the violence.
Yuri Thamrin, an Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman, said the Commission of Truth and Friendship (CTF) would "try to heal the wounds" and unveil "the factual truth" about the violence.
"The CTF will issue a report that will straighten the historical record on both sides . . . over those reported human rights violations," Mr Thamrin told reporters, adding the commission would hold its first meeting on August 4th or 5th.
The UN estimates about 1,000 East Timorese were killed by pro-Jakarta militias, backed by elements in the Indonesian army, as the former Portuguese colony voted for independence. - (Reuters)
