UN STAFF UNION OUTRAGED BY MINIMUM SENTENCES GIVEN IN JAKARTA FOR BRUTAL MURDERS OF UN WORKERS

UN STAFF UNION OUTRAGED BY MINIMUM SENTENCES GIVEN IN JAKARTA

FOR BRUTAL MURDERS OF UN WORKERS

The United Nations Staff Union and its Standing Committee on the Security and Independence of the International Civil Service are outraged by the minimum sentences passed in connection with the slaughter of three workers of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

In a Jakarta Court, the six men involved in these heinous crimes were given sentences ranging from 10 to 20 months, for the brutal murders on 6 September 2000 of Pero Simundza, Samson Aregahegn and Carlos Caceres in Atembau, West Timor.  It was their murders that led to staff demonstrations in Geneva, Vienna and New York, protesting at the increased violence against humanitarian staff.  Five UNHCR staff members have been murdered in the last eight months.

The staff bodies call on Member States to consider immediately the report of the Secretary-General on the "Scope of Legal Protection under the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel" (A/55/637), and appeal to the General Assembly to give full attention to drawing up a protocol extending the application of the Convention to all United Nations operations, associated personnel and humanitarian personnel not presently covered. 

The staff bodies take note of the Secretary-General's statement and call on him, on behalf of all Members of the United Nations family, to demand justice.

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