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AFAD: Timor needs to ratify convention on involuntary disappearances

Dili Weekly - January 22, 2014

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Paulina Quintao – The Asian Federation for Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) composed by Nepal, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, South Korea, El Salvador and Timor-Leste, urge the Timor-Leste State to urgently ratify the Convention on Involuntary Disappearances.

AFAD President Mugiyanto said ratifying the Convention is very important and constitutes a positive step for the Timorese State to prevent past human rights violations from taking place in future.

He added once Timor-Leste ratifies the Convention, and as a member, it will receive technical and financial support from other nations to search for those Timorese who disappeared during the war for independence from 1975 to 1999.

"If Timor-Leste ratifies [the Convention], it would get technical and financial support. For example health experts would help with the very expensive DNA testing," said AFAD President Mugiyanto in Dili.

He added apart from the technical and financial support from other member nations, ratifying the Convention will also ensure the implementation of the recommendations contained in the reports from the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR) and the Commission of Truth and Friendship (CVA).

Meanwhile Human Right Activist, Jose Luis Guterres, said he is disappointed the Timorese and Indonesian States have not progressed on the recommendations of the CAVR and CVA over the past five years to search for those who disappeared in between 1975-1999.

"It has been five years. How many people have we found so far and what type of commission was set," asked Activist Guterres. He added Timor-Leste's Constitution, Article 9, says the country will adopt human rights principles but its implementation is lackingin practice.

In meantime, Member of Parliament MP AraoNoe de Jesus Amaral said the government is obligated to look into these treaties and conventions and submit them to the National Parliament for ratification to prevent past human rights violations from taking place again in future.

"I think treaties about people who disappeared are very important and a priority. The government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should look into these treaties and submit them to the Parliament so their ratification is given priority. They are very important," said MP Amaral.