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

292 RiJa B"tthil
contribure ro the prevertion of such criner ' bi removing iÉpunitl ald cn|agnrg
nr prose.utior. Schrbis exphirs dre cÍeation ofthe ICC nrrked a nilcstonc in
inlernrtio.,rlatràirs eminaftrgi.om a'hesitrnt conmitmert'to human rights in thc
r94os to'a poirt rvhere iidnidunl critdnal liabilio is cstablishcd for thosc rcsponsi
ble for sefious vjol,nions othunin rights'. !'
B.rsed on the trends co.sjdered àbove Cryer belicvcs thcrc is a faltcring, bui
.otrble fro\€ ro |Íimindisatior.' 'I}le wày in $4rich thc cvcnts tliet occurrcd in
Elst ljnoÍ;n r999 hrve beer dedtNith it is possiblc to say thcrc hes been a notxble
trltcr in thc movc tovrrds criminl isation. Às dc Benodano has noted, the TimoÍ
situation shorvs that ''Ihc nrlc appears to be thet tri.ls of Àrro.ities cÀn onlï t,!ke
place pror-ided thel do not rock the politicd boat."
'Itre UN: dealing wlth the situation ni Tnnor l,este demonstfatcs thc rcrr rcal
obÍr.les thrl Íemain in phce in the pursuit of intern.rional crinilrl iusticc asimpuiitv
rdll .ontirNe to piet?il dependirg on the prerailing politi$] ciromstanccs at
an) gi{en ti.re. While it is possible t., identill r nge ofdertlopmcnts that havc
sh;fted the focus ofhtenrational l.rv .r$.àr. fron presen'ing thc intcrcsts ofsrates ro
a bocb oflaw thrt rtternpts to rddress thc Dccds and dcsircs otindniduals based on
cotrsidcrations ofjlsticc, intc.rution,l laiy rcmains hea\'lh circurnscribed br stàtes
xnd iis use (or not) ril reflect those intereÍs.-llis wil] hold tn,e elen lvhcn thc U\
is in\olved às ir is limited to e lrrge degree by the politicàl lvitl ofits mcmbers, and
in Prliculàr .n.umstances the views ofceítrin stncs rill prcvail.
Perhàps the host diltuÍbing àspcct ofthc hckofaction trke! toprosecute those
rcsponsible fir scrious violrtions is thrt, rith rcgdd to Easi Tinor/Tinoi l-este,
wc hart hcard rhis story a numbcr oftimcs beforc.'I|e rea.tio! ofthe LIt\ à1d the
iit.rnailonal $stcm io thc i]lega1iivàsion and occuprtior in r9i5 1'.]s murcd duc to
rhe posidon Indonesia held wlth reg,rrd to se.uÍiq in the region.fhc 1995 Dccisbn
of the ICI on the'I i'nor Gap dopted à strict stàtist irtcrpretation ofprcccdural
lnreÍnationxl l.r' pÍecluding iv discussion of srpposcd principlcs of nitcrnational
lat th,tt àÍe n,fposedl_r rpplicàble to à11strtes.
In dcàling \ith thc crcnts in 1999 thc Lll\ and lcading Íetes in the internr
tional sr-stcn madc i good dcal ofnoise about the need to rlPhold internàtion,rl Lcgnl
principles related to internrtiondl crimin.rljustice but àt thc same timc havc sho$n a
greit ded ofdeterence to the irteÍests oflndonesia. l|c dcvclopncnt ofa ïsren for
internationàl cÍiminrliustice rvill have to cortinuallv facc thc challcngc poscd by Ée
pr;n,rÍv role pla!€d bltle state ànd the influerce strte intc.csts havc ovcr thc adher
ence to legal prin.ides.Ïis unfoÍtunne corchsion neans that impudq will continue
to prevaiLNhen the pursuit ofinternrtional la$.vil1upsct political iiterests.
Evcn though dodopments in intcrnatioml law are determined bv strtes I good
dcal ofrsponsibilíg for the lack ofattlicario. ofinternrtion legd principlcs rith
regxÍd to Exst ]-imor/l imor Lesie fills with thc LlN. 'ILc UN .dministration of
East'l-inror wàs às à sobiidi.r) oÍgln of thc LrN ivhich mcans that the lis.thet lvas
ï9 Rome Srxtute, |Ierlrhle nrdert !.
r$o lviuixn Schlbas,,rr t,lradLttian íathelní(ttdtírnnl(in,,,/C',,,7,:!d ed. (Cmbidge:
Chmb.i4e Unircsiq Pr$,:oo4) Ir. a.
r8r CNd, 1'ost conl'lici r(ounrlbjliw !. *9,
rEz dc Bc'rodrno, 'E.si Tlrrcr iuÍicc dcnied', p. 9ir.