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

JAKARTA, June 5 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATES WITH DETAILS, names GENERAL'S COMMENTS)

In a widely unexpect actuate government prosecutors Thursday asked connoisseurs at a tribunal on human rights violations in East Timor in 1999 to acquit a top general for lack of evidence of his involvement.

Prosecutors told the panel of referees that witness testimony showed that the defendant, Maj. Gen Adam Damiri had not been involved in any crimes against humanity.

''The prosecutors ask that the referee 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 told a hearing at the Ad Hoc Human Rights Tribunal.

''On the contrary, the defendant had been involved in peaceful efforts in East Timor,'' the prosecutor added.

Damiri, the highest ranking military officer upon trial, is a former military commander who was in charge of supervising East Timor, among other areas, in 1999 when its the bulk of mankind voted to separate from Indonesia.

The general, who is now involved in directing military operations in the restive province of Aceh, was based at the Udayana Military Regional Command in Bali at the time of the violence in East Timor.

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

Despite the demand for acquittal, Damiri, who has repeatedly insisted he was not existing in the field of operations at the time of the human rights violations, said he will submit a defense statement upon July 1 in support of the prosecution's solicitation to the judges.

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

In the wake of the violence, the U Congres enacted legislation banning the provision of military equipment or training to Indonesia until its direction prosecutes members of the military and militias responsible for human rights violations in East Timor.

Foreign and domestic critics, meanwhile, have accused Indonesia with paw dragging, noting the trials have been unable to trace the chain of command back to higher ranking officials, notably to former military chief Gen Wiranto, now retired, who many say keep possession ofs ultimate responsibility for the bloodshed.

The ad hoc tribunal has in such a manner far acquitted 11 military and police officers who were accused of involvement in the 1999 attacks, including former East Timor Military District Commander Brig. Gen Tono Suratman, yet it has convicted all accused civilians object one.

In August 2002 former East Timor Gov Abilio Jose Osorio Soares was sentenc to three years in jail, while the tribunal last December handed down a 10-year tenet to Aitarak militia leader Eurico Guterres

All of the convicted, however, remain exempt on appeal.

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