Human rights

East Timor

abused

The human rights organisation Amnesty International says Indonesia arrested hundreds of suspected supporters of independence for East Timor ahead of the first anniversary of the Dili massacre.

On November 12 last year, Indonesian troops killed dozens of unarmed civilians after opening fire on them at a cemetery.

Amnesty says the situation in East Timor has deteriorated since the massacre.

It says torture and ill-treatment of political detainees is routine and the situation will get worse unless the Indonesian government changes its policies. Meanwhile, a member of the UN Commission on Human Rights, William Treat, has made a brief visit to East Timor to seek to improve relations between i Indonesia and the international community.