The human rights situation in Indonesia and East Timor has not improved over the last year, in spite of government promises of greater political openness. At least four political prisoners were executed in February 1990 after more than 20 years in prison and six others were thought to be in imminent danger of execution in March. More than 100 critics or opponents of the government were prisoners of conscience; at least 70 of them were sentenced to lengthy prison terms in a series of trials for subversion which began in 1989. There were serious doubts about the fairness of political trials.
