---------------------------------------------------------- Visit Indonesia Daily News Online HomePage: http://www.indo-news.com/ Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- Sydney Morning Herald 12/08/99 Letters: East Timor: hard decisions must be faced The Howard Government denies the military power play in Indonesia. Military chains hold together the islands that constitute Indonesia. This denial of the role of the Indonesian military led to the appointment of Dick Woolcott, former diplomat and key player for Australia in the Indonesian takeover of East Timor, to produce a report for the Government on the state of the bilateral relationship. He has been quoted as saying: "Australia may be too intrusive in seeking to shape Indonesian politics." Woolcott argues appeasement, which apparently the Government accepts. It remains morally repugnant. Over the past few months, the United States has looked to Australia to provide a lead with respect to a peacekeeping force in East Timor. Australia has prevaricated, shifting from one foot to the other, trying not to cause offence to the Indonesian regime. And it has done nothing to correct Wiranto's claims that the army is not backing the militia. Until the Howard Government can make a break with past policies and past advisers, it is not going to be able to undertake the urgent strategic analysis necessary to meet the challenges developing to our north and deal with the shortcomings of a run-down and mismanaged defence organisation. The problems won't go away and the decisions can't be avoided. - Bruce Haigh, Mudgee Your editorial "Deathwatch on Timor" and articles by Hamish McDonald and Mark Riley (Herald, August 7) restore my faith in the absolute commitment of some journalists to the truth. John Howard and Alexander Downer, who claim they support human rights, must finally admit the truth on East Timor and take a strong leading role in ensuring a peaceful transition to independence for our heroic and long-suffering neighbours, by whatever means necessary. Nothing less is acceptable. - Brendan Doyle, Paddington The Democratic Republic of East Timor was declared almost 24 years ago and its surviving citizens are gearing up for their one chance to rid themselves of the Javanese colonial cancer that has gripped them all these years. Our Foreign Minister and his tunnel-visioned master pirouette around the issue, snubbing the US military here, telling a few porkies there, pretending to be neutral, and always desperately trying to resuscitate the corpse of the "civil war" and "warring factions" deceit, so dear to the heart of the Javanese, despite incontrovertible evidence to the contrary. As we approach a fundamental decision on our identity, we can ill-afford to ignore the serious comment on our national character produced by our historical response to East Timor. Is it not remarkable that while hundreds have died this year alone in East Timor on their road to nationhood, we have all this trouble even framing the question necessary to elicit the will of the people? - Sister Susan Connelly, Mary MacKillop Institute of East Timorese Studies, St Marys ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 11 Aug 1999 jam 19:20:44 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
