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Open letter on legislation to implement CAVR and CTF recommendations
Watch Indonesia! - January 24, 2012
Berlin, 24. January 2012
Your Excellency
Over twenty years ago, it was human rights abuses in Timor-Leste that led to the establishment of Watch Indonesia! in Germany in reaction to the Santa Cruz massacre. Since then, we have actively followed the human rights situation in the country, campaigned together with our friends in Timor-Leste and lobbied for an end to abuses. We are acutely aware of the immense suffering and sacrifice of the people of Timor-Leste in your struggle for independence. We acknowledge the extraordinary efforts your country has undertaken and the progress it has made in terms of improving human rights situation in the past decade. We applaud you on these efforts and are confident that you will continue on this path.
The achievements of Timor-Leste in the area of human rights were rightly highlighted in the recent UPR report to the UN Human Rights Council in 2011. In the context of the UPR process, several governments raised the issue of dealing with past human rights violations and implementing the recommendations of the CAVR and CTF reports. The Timor-Leste government responded at the time that it is "committed to provide support to the victims of past human rights violations" and report on these efforts to the Human Rights Council by March 2012.
Mr. President, as an organisation strongly committed to working for justice for survivors of past human rights abuses, we ask you to take to heart the concerns of our partners in Timor-Leste working with the survivors. We urge you to prioritise finalising the debate on the laws regulating the implementation of the CAVR and CTF reports before the end of the current legislative period. We note with regret that the debate on these laws has been tied to the issue of recognising and compensating veterans, leading potentially to a situation where there is a competition between the interests of the veterans and those of the survivors. This should not be the case both groups should be duly recognised and compensated for their suffering and sacrifice. Neither group, especially those living in vulnerable conditions, should be asked to wait any longer.
Twenty years after Santa Cruz and ten years after achieving independence, a passing of the legislation on implementing the CAVR and CTF recommendations would be a powerful statement not only to the survivors of past human rights abuses but to the whole nation.
Yours respectfully,
Henri Myrttinen, Member of
Board
Monika Schlicher, Member
of Executive Board
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