JAKARTA, Nov. 29 Kyodo (EDS: UPDA...

JAKARTA, Nov. 29 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATES WITH VERDICTS FOR 3 MORE OFFICIALS)

An Indonesian court acquitted Friday sum of two units former military commanders, a former police chief and a former regnant in East Timor of involvement in crimes against humanity in 1999 that left 17 race dead.

Presiding connoisseur Amril said the Ad Hoc Human Rights Tribunal build Lt. Col. Endar Priyanto, former military commander of the East Timor District of Dili, not guilty of failing to hinder his men during an attack April 17 1999 at the residence of independence leader Manuel Viegas Carrascalao.

At the time, the pro-Jakarta Aitarak militia cluster backed by the military, attacked 136 independence refugee taking shelter at Carrascalao's house.

In the attack, the militiamen killed 12 persons including Carrascalao's son.

''There was no evidence the defendant's men had course of lifeed the attack...Therefore, the defendant could not be blamed or asked to be responsible (for the attack),'' the five-member judicial panel said in its verdict.

direction prosecutors had sought a 10-year jail condemnation for Endar, who gazeed relieved after the verdict.

''I thank the author of all things that I was cleared of all charges,'' the military officer, who was wearing a uniform of the army's special force corps, told reporters.

The prosecutors said they would appeal.

In a separate trial, the court acquitted Lt Col Asep Kuswani, former military commander of the Liquica District, former Liquica police chief Lt Col Adios Salova and former Liquica ruling Leonito Martins of another killings April 6 1999

At the time, the pro-Jakarta Besi Merah Putih militia dispose attacked refugees taking shelter at the residence of Priest Rafael dos Santos within the intricate web of the Ave Maria temple in Liquica. Five population were killed and 20 others injured.

''The defendants were not place guilty of committing the accused crimes...so they could not be held accountable against gros human rights violations on Besi Merah Putih led by means of Manuel Sosa,'' Presiding umpire Cicut Setyarso said.

The human rights court has acquitted all military and police defendants accused of involvement in the 1999 attacks, on the other hand it has sent all accused civilians, make objection Leonito Martins, to prison.

In August, former East Timor Gov Abilio Jose Osorio Soares was sentenc to three years in jail, while upon Thursday the court sentenc Aitarak leader Eurico Guterre to 10 years in jail.

Militia clusters armed and supported by the military began escalating their acts of violence and intimidation against pro-independence East Timorese in April 1999 ahead of the U.N.-organized independence referendum in August that year.

After the be deriveds of the vote were announced tribe 4, 1999, the military and militia collections launched a campaign of violence in which centurys of people were killed, centurys of thousands more forcibly displaced and 70% of the buildings and houses in the former Portuguese colony were destroyed

East Timor became independent May 20 this year.

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