The investigators say the UN Security Council should consider the establishment of such a tribunal whether Indonesia gives its consent or not.
A team of United Nations human rights investigators have recommended that a war crimes tribunal for East Timor should be set up if Indonesia's own inquiries into its army's involvement in atrocities there do not produce results within months.
The investigators say the UN Security Council should consider the establishment of such a tribunal whether Indonesia gives its consent or not.
The three UN special rapporteurs - or investigators - travelled to East Timor in early November but their report to the UN's General Assembly has only just been released.
Human rights violations
They believe it is too early to assess the full extent of human-rights violations in East Timor, but they say it is clear that murder, torture and sexual violence were widespread.
If Indonesia's own efforts to investigate its soldiers' involvement in atrocities do not bear fruit within months, the rapporteurs believe the Security Council should consider action.
Indonesian opposition
The rapporteurs argue that an international criminal tribunal similar to the ones already set up to deal with the Balkans and Rwanda could be given jurisdiction over all war crimes committed in East Timor since Indonesia annexed the territory in the 1970s.
Such a move would undoubtedly be strenuously opposed by Indonesia and its allies, who argue that Jakarta's own national commission of inquiry is the proper forum for investigating any complaints against its armed forces.
In their report, the UN rapporteurs also call for full access to be provided to refugees still held in camps in Indonesian West Timor.
They say additional expert staff should be made available to deal with human-rights investigations on the ground in East Timor.