The UN chief administrator in East Timor yesterday defended the omission of one of the worst massacres in last year's violence in the territory from crimes being investigated by the world body.
Up to 200 refugees, human rights groups estimate, were killed in the grounds of a cathedral in the southern border town of Suai during a pro-Jakarta militia attack on September 6th, 1999.
Catholic priests in Suai say at least 94 bodies have been found, and more than 100 are missing.
The Suai massacre is one of five crimes under investigation by Indonesian authorities, but it is not included in five crimes put forward for trial by the UN's Serious Crimes Unit in East Timor.
The unit and its appendage, the Serious Crimes Panel, which is made up of international and East Timorese judges, are looking into some 300 crimes committed between January 1st and October 25th, 1999, UN spokeswoman, Ms Barbara Reis said.
"They have advanced five of those crimes for preparation for trial," Ms Reis said.
The crimes for trial by Dili-based prosecutors include attacks on a church and the home of an independence leader in April 1999, a rape by Indonesian soldiers in Maliana, an attack in the border district of Bobinaro and the killing of nuns and an Indonesian journalist in Los Palos.
Before leaving East Timor yesterday, the head of a visiting UN Security Council delegation revealed that the team had set out its position on the Suai omission to UN administrators in Dili.
"We have made our point known to them on that and they are going to look into it," delegation chief Ambassador Martin Andjaba told a news conference.
However, he declined to spell out the delegation's views. "We have our own views about it, and we will make final recommendations for future action," he said.