Seven senior East Timor officials have been indicted by Indonesian prosecutors for gross human rights violations in the territory in 1999.
The alleged offences took place around East Timor's vote for independence from Indonesia in August 1999. Hundreds were killed as more than 250,000 villagers were forced into Indonesian-ruled West Timor by pro-Jakarta militias backed by the Indonesian military.
After coming under international pressure, Indonesia set up a special human rights court last month to bring East Timor offenders to justice.
Among those indicted are former governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares and former East Timor police chief Timbul Silaen. Eighteen people have been named by the court in total. Indictments in the other cases will be handed over within the coming week. They could face penalties ranging from ten years imprisonment to death if found guilty.
The United States has refused to resume full military ties with Jakarta until East Timor offenders are brought to justice.
International prosecutors in East Timor are separately trying to bring offenders to justice. The territory is under United Nations administration pending independence on 20 May.
They indicted nine pro-Jakarta militiamen and eight Indonesian soldiers on Monday for a massacre against independence supporters in Dili in April 1999 which cost 13 lives. All suspects are currently believed to be in Indonesia, but the Jakarta government has refused to hand them over in the absence of an extradition treaty.
