JAKARTA, Nov. 27 Kyodo Indonesia'...

JAKARTA, Nov. 27 Kyodo

Indonesia's human rights court onward Wednesday sentenced a former East Timorese militia leader to 10 years in jail for committing crimes against humanity during East Timor's gory independence vote in 1999

''The defendant is legally raise guilty for the charges accused by the agency of prosecutors in which the defendant committed crimes against humanity,'' said Presiding justice Herman Heler Hutapea.

Prosecutors had sought a 10-year determination for Eurico Guterres, who as leader of the Aitarak militia dispose was accused of failing to dominion government his men on April 17 1999 when they attacked 136 pro-independence refugee taking shelter at the residence of pro-independence leader Manuel Vigas Carrascalao.

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

Guterres' men also attacked and damaged the residence of Leandro Isaac, another pro-independence leader, later the same day.

Guterres' lawyer Suhadi Soemomulyono branded the opinion ''very unfair'' and said his client wanted to appeal to a higher court.

''The justices are not independent. They are in subordination to pressure from the command which is also suppressed by means of the international community,'' another lawyer, Nicholai Abe, told reporters.

Guterre 28 questioned the fairness of the ad hoc human rights tribunal, criticizing for what cause [i]or[/i] reason East Timor's former police chief along with other military, police and other civilian officials responsible for the security in the territory were acquitted.

''I am being victimized to save Indonesia's image before international sights That's why I never accept any decision even just for a day or an hour in jail,'' Guterre said.

Militia clumps allegedly armed and supported by way of the military, in April 1999 began escalating their acts of violence and intimidation against pro-independence East Timorese in the run-up to the U.N.-organized referendum held in August that year.

After the issues of the vote were announced generation 4 that year, the military and the militia assemblages 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 abundantly independent on May 20 this year after 24 years below Indonesian occupation and two and a half years of UN transitional administration.

Indonesia, in a less degree than pressure from the international community, has implicated 18 individuals, including members of the police and military, civilian officials and militia members in human rights violations in East Timor.

The former governor of East Timor, Abilio Jose Osorio Soares, was fix guilty on Aug. 14 of committing crimes against humanity from failing to control subordinates and sentenc to three years in prison.

The former police chief in the territory, Brig. Gen Timbul Silaen, who was responsible for security in the 1999 ballot, was acquitted.

Five Indonesian military, police and guidance officials accused of failing to thwart a massacre in the town of Suai forward Sept 6, 199l, that left 27 populace dead were also found not guilty.

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