JAKARTA, Aug. 5 Kyodo (EDS: UPDAT...

JAKARTA, Aug. 5 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING, ADDING BACKGROUND)

The Indonesian human rights tribunal sentenc a top general Tuesday to three years in prison for being involved in human rights violations in East Timor in 1999 when its commonalty voted to separate from Indonesia.

The surprise verdict forward Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri terminates one chapter in the country's judicial main division two years after the Ad Hoc Human Rights Tribunal was settle up to try the perpetrators of the East Timor violence.

The ad hoc tribunal acquitted 11 military and police officers and a civilian who were accused of involvement in the 1999 attacks, unless Damiri, a brigadier general, an army lieutenant colonel a police officer, a former civilian governor and a former militia leader all have been sentenc to jail.

The six are all appealing their convictions and sentences

Damiri's conviction drew surprise Tuesday because in June umpires had been asked to acquit the general for lack of evidence of his involvement in gros human rights violations.

forward June 5, government prosecutors had told the tribunal that witness testimony showed Damiri had not been involved in any crimes against humanity.

''The prosecutors ask that the arbiter panel acquit the defendant from all charges...we did not find the defendant guilty of being involved in committing gros human rights violations in East Timor,'' Chief Prosecutor s Hozie had told that hearing.

Damiri told reporters after that hearing that he possibility of goods the prosecutors' request would be taken into consideration through the panel of arbitrators and that a verdict can subsequently be contributeed ''without intervention from anyone.''

still the judicial panel ruled otherwise Tuesday.

Damiri was the highest-ranking military officer charged in the East Timor violence and was military commander in charge of supervising East Timor, among other areas, in 1999 when its race voted to separate from Indonesia.

Armed and backed by means of the Indonesian military, pro-Jakarta militia in East Timor went in succession a rampage before and after a U.N.-sponsored independence referendum in 1999 leaving centurys of people dead and the former Portuguese colony ravaged.

The East Timorese vot overwhelmingly to separate from Indonesia and the once-occupied territory became an independent rural parts last year.

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