«PPDi» Raised eyebrows over leaked Dutch memo

 

11 October 2011 - 3:54pm Raised eyebrows over leaked Dutch memo Published on : 11 October 2011 - 3:54pm | By Geraldine Coughlan(Photo:RNW)  The development of a strategy by the government to prevent officials who are guilty or suspected of infringing human rights, from being prosecuted, has raised eyebrows in the Netherlands. A leaked document from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs obtained by Radio NetherlandsWorldwide, lists ways of accommodating visits by leaders and heads of state against whom complaints have been made. Under the Dutch International Crimes Act, visiting leaders and officials are granted immunity from prosecution as long as they are in office. But the use of legal tools to deter people and organisations from prosecuting them could damage the Netherlands' public image as the world's seat of international justice, the memo warns. It goes on to say this could spark negative publicity worldwide with headlines such as, "The Netherlands protects war criminal." Click here to see the leaked memo Methods of prevention The government is looking into methods of preventing court cases against visiting officials such as making a temporary treaty with a state, or 'lending' short-term immunity to an individual for the duration of his or her official visit to the Netherlands, the memo indicates. Also considered is the introduction of a new law that would allow the Netherlands to grant immunity within the limits of international law. An official invitation by the Dutch state could make it clear how important an official visit to the Netherlands would be, for international affairs, suggests the memo. Separatist or silent? A Moluccan separatist group believes the leaked memo indicates the Netherlands is out to silence it and "put it out of action forever." The legitimacy of the Republic of the South Moluccas (RMS) is currently being challenged in a landmark case brought to court by the Netherlands on Monday. The RMS is an Unrecognised State and a member of the Unrepresented Nations and People's Organisation (UNPO), based in The Hague. The RMS movement was crushed by the Indonesian authorities after it declared independence in 1950. It was revived following the fall of President Suharto in 1998, and is currently based in the Netherlands, Indonesia's former colonial power. The group claims to be the "Republic of the South Moluccas" government-in-exile and has declared a fully independent Republic of the South Moluccas, hoping to achieve an autonomous state. Legal limits The Dutch state wants the judge to declare the RMS's claim to independence to be inadmissible. The group fears this would limit its possibilities to bring cases to court in the future. The Dutch move follows the rejection by The Hague District Court last year of a demand by the RMS for the arrest of the Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and former minister of foreign affairs, Nur Hassan Wirajuda, who were to visit the Netherlands. The RMS holds President Yudhoyono responsible for the alleged mistreatment and torture of detained Moluccan separatist activists. Yudhoyono cancelled the state visit because of the case. A step too far? The RMS says that by taking this case a step further, the Netherlands is challenging the legitimacy of the Republic of the South Moluccas and its government-in-exile. The group says the Netherlands may be eager to make it clear that visiting heads of state and leaders will be guaranteed immunity on state visits, which promote much-needed business. But challenging the legitimacy of the RMS could raise some eyebrows in the international community. Human rights groups have criticised the Indonesian authorities for restricting freedom of expression. Lengthy prison terms have been dealt out to activists for as little as raising a separatist flag. http://www.rnw.nl/international-justice/article/raised-eyebrows-over-leaked-dutch-memo Copyright © 2011 Radio Netherlands Worldwide. All rights reserved.

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