A grieving East Timorese woman slumps over the grave of an independence fighter during a burial ceremony. Amnesty has called for a legal loophole to be closed so war criminals can't be granted a pardon. [ABC News] Australia Network News-Sara Everingham
A human rights group, Amnesty International is calling on East Timor to close a legal loophole so war criminals can't be granted a pardon.
In a new report Amnesty says East Timor's latest penal code law allows for pardons and amnesties for people suspected of war crimes during the Indonesian occupation of East Timor.
The report calls for such pardons to be banned.
Amnesty International argues that survivors of human rights violations in East Timor are demanding justice and that the authorities' use of pardons and amnesties is creating a culture of impunity.
The report calls for the establishment of an international tribunal to investigate and prosecute crimes committed during the Indonesian occupation.
East Timor's President has previously said he's not convinced that victims' interests and the causes of peace and democracy would be best served by an international tribunal.
Meanwhile, former Australian consul to East Timor, James Dunn has backed Amnesty's calls for the legal loophole to be closed.
He says a tribunal must also be established to investigate war crimes in the country.
Mr Dunn says the crimes committed during Indonesian rule were among the worst in recent history.
"If you consider what happened in Timor, in relation to events in Serbia, Rwanda and Cambodia for example, this is extraordinary," he said.
"Many serious crimes against humanity were committed, and the perpetrators have never been brought to court. And at some stage, something about it really needs to be done."
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