Chapter 12 - Secretaria de Estado da Cultura - Timor-Leste

256 RitÀdrd ButÀil
ticc. I! particuiar indiliduals locatcd in hdoncsia, in.ludins politicd ind miiitan
lerden, rvho havc bccn idcntific.t as bcarnig rcsponsibiliq for thc dcrth and dcstructio.
drai !?s broueht ullon thc tcritd] in 1999 rcmÀin at libcrt\:Thc intcrnaiional
re$orse to rhe viole.ce in 1999 brought about internrilonaiizcd or h]órid crlminil
Íibunalu'hich can be see! as ar lnnomtiv€ tool i! th. Êght agelnst im|unihri\i ihe
sllme tiJne the context Nithln \rhich thc intcrnitionalized iribunel operàted mxde
cled rh!r, dependlnguton ihe cír.umstarces at the time,ímpunih stillprevrils.
'lhe 6ght,giinst inpunl$ for rhose responsible ràr internationd .Íimes is !
complcx process ànd deslite the rh€tóÍi. on the imfortance of ensuÍj.g jl1stice. it
is far from an absolutc proccss. lhc purnit ofjLrsticc jn intcrn.ltiond crimhxl he',
undcrstood manrlv as tirc rcmoial of nnpuih fo. thosc rcsponsiblc,lus to compctc
s'ith a rangc of othcr paths h rhc rcsolutior of conflicts.'Ihc usc ollarv andjudicirl
frocesses is not Jxays fic most cíIcctivc wav of dc.lins vith posÈcooflicr situations.
SoDeiimcs it is dccmcd ncccsary to blpas thc usc of1cgal prcsccuiions às lt
is felt the tursuit of frosccution 1vil1 potcntiallï crcatc morc conflict and prevent anv
tnte long teín resolution. Á lso the fllrsuit ofjustice does not occur in a vacuum and
the rcàlities ofthe suÍÍou. ding .ircumsran.es and frevxiling i.ieÍest in the internr
tional rystcmÍilhavc x m.rjor influerrce. lt is eàsv to sry thàt prosecutions rhouid be
pursued*hcn therc ue scrious liolations of intcrnatjonal hlman rights and hunin
itxrian 1ai{ But the pursuit ofiusti.c involv.s a rangc ofoften competing priorities
thÀt miv reslilt in tÍoseNdon beíng sidehred in favour ofother neans of dealing
qith the pÀst and prving rhe wal tàr dre tumre.
As Nith most áre.rs olinternationÀl1arv there erist r rumber ofpotentially con
tradictdv 6rccs at Íork in the pursuit ofjustice.ln the 6eld of internàtioD.] crininaljusticc
formcrUnitcd Státcs Presidcnt Bill Clinton dticulatcd thc contradictions
rrel] r-hen he stated ''Iherc must bc pcacc forjusticc to prcrail but thcrc must beju*
tice vher texce tieYalls ', 'Ihe problcm ls horv can rou achíevc p€ace rnd o\€rlook
the denxnds ofjusticel Oi itpexce is xchieved lvhat is the point ofpursuingjustice
if th.u Í only going to upset ihe Uere?'Ihe events surrolLndiig East Timoi derl
onst te the interphy ofthese cortÍ.]dictions xnd fuÍtheimore show thlt the íin|l
outcomc is likclv to bc dictàted more about eDsuring pelcetul rclations among statcs
o\er rhe d€mrnds oijusdcc for individuals. thc ocnts and thc intcrnational rcac
tion shows clearlï rhrt impunitl has ver to bc dcfcatcd in thc internatioral svstem,
solnethi.g any proponert otinternàtlonal criminÍiuÍicc should pause and ielleci
on belore ,rÍticulallng anÍ claims ofthc dcvclopmcnt of intcrnarional 1xv in frvour
At the silJJre tim e, one co!]d perhaps arpe that East Tinr or/Timor Leste is ao
rnomàh:, àn €xception to rhe gereÍ,i trend. Bur then thls rvould le,td to Írore worwing
conclusions about thc abiliti oi intcrnrtional lxi{ to bc a forcc for jLrsticc .s
its xpflicxtion ro the teÍitol Timor alvrys secms to inrolve erccptions to rvhat are
peÍceived to be donimnt piin.iples gliding internatioral behaviour'IIe pist xnd
present historr ofErst Timo/Tinor Leste tells us i lot abou! dre histot ofinter
nnionàl hs ànd ÍeLàtions and the lvavs h \4rich rhe inteÍests ofthe porverful pre
vdl. evei h the face ofgrave nijustnres. Pet€r CaÍe) has connented thàt with lir.t
QlLoÈd n, Dlvid Sdrfd, Irtdn.ti.nil lldi.id intrvcntion. -Falc'lr /r'li.r, Sfrnig
Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1343420