---------------------------------------------------------- FREE for JOIN Indonesia Daily News Online via EMAIL: go to: http://www.indo-news.com/subscribe.html - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- also: Timor: `We need to mobilise people's power' Green Left Weekly [Australia] Issue #372 August 18, 1999 A night with Falintil By Doris=20 On the third attempt we made it -- a meeting with some of the women guerrill= a=20 fighters in East Timor. These women are part of Falintil, the resistance arm= y=20 that has been fighting for freedom in Timor Loro Sae (East Timor) since the=20 Indonesian invasion in 1975. In the years that followed the invasion, the Indonesian army and government=20 carried out genocide in East Timor. An estimated one-third of the population=20 died. Many people fled to the mountains for safety, some of whom took up arm= s=20 and formed Falintil.=20 To the East Timorese, Falintil has become more than just a group of soldiers= .=20 It is a word whispered amongst the people, a symbol of hope and struggle.=20 According to the Indonesian government, there are 200 Falintil fighters, but=20 the real number is in the thousands. Some of the people we met on our trip t= o=20 ``the mountains'' had been fighting for 24 years.=20 It was a complicated mission, practically and spiritually. Contacts had to b= e=20 made and security confirmed. The previous evening we were asked to cover=20 ourselves with a protective Falintil potion so that ``the military and=20 militia won't see us''. We were also asked to prepare ourselves mentally, an= d=20 to respect the powers of the potion and the gravity of the journey.=20 We loaded up the inconspicuous rental car with sacks of rice, tinned=20 sardines, milk powder and medicine. Cigarettes and alcohol were not=20 forgotten. Five eager Timorese climbed on board and we drove for what seemed=20 like ages to our meeting spot. Near the end of our journey the car lights=20 were turned off and we crawled though the moonlit fields and thick forest.=20 On the way we were told stories of how, in the late 1970s, when things were=20 really bad, it was much harder to get supplies to Falintil, which depends on=20 its wide network of supporters for sustenance. Couriers had to crawl for=20 hours in the dark, their backs laden with supplies, to reach the mountains.=20 Now things are easier and Falintil fighters can usually count on eating one=20 meal a day.=20 When the track was almost impassable, two shadowy figures in army fatigues=20 with big guns stepped out of the bushes. I thought the military had=20 discovered us until the little boy squashed in next to me whispered, ``=20 Falintil!''.=20 After the car was checked we were escorted to the camp by men in army clothe= s=20 with long hair and big smiles. Three hundred Falintil fighters and friends=20 were waiting for us.=20 They greeted us with loud applause (I thought we should be applauding them),=20 then we were formally welcomed by the acting commander and his brother. The=20 dark brown faces of these men were solemn and battle hardened, and their=20 perfect spoken Portuguese a sign of 25 years of hiding.=20 We discovered that they had gathered for a festa (party). Some were still in=20 their khakis and carried guns, ready for their three-hour shift in the guard=20 posted around the gathering, but most had put on their party clothes.=20 They led us to a specially reserved table, a temporary fixture made of bambo= o=20 next to the commanders. I felt overwhelmed; this special treatment was the=20 last thing I expected.=20 Cameras appeared and everyone had their photos taken with everyone else. Nex= t=20 they ceremonially gave us each a piece of tais, a traditional fabric woven b= y=20 East Timorese women. The Portuguese words for =93Respect from OMT of Falinti= l=94=20 were woven into the tais. The OMT, Timorese Women's Organisation, has worked=20 underground with Falintil since 1975.=20 Then it was time to line up at the communal table laden with bowls of rice=20 and other food. After eating, a battery-run stereo appeared playing Falintil=20 favourites, and the commanders asked us to dance.=20 We had come, not only to bring supplies, but also to speak with the three=20 women fighters who are a part of the Falintil force in this region. Late int= o=20 the evening we were told we could interview them the next morning. We=20 retired, but the East Timorese danced and held meetings until dawn.=20 At 5am we were led to a small clearing and soon three women came to us. It=20 was not an easy conversation. As well as trying to respect local customs, we=20 also had to use one translator from English to Portuguese, then another from=20 Portuguese to an East Timorese dialect, then again back through all three=20 people.=20 Julia, in her late 40s, has fought with Falintil since 1975. Her daughters,=20 Dina, aged 27, and Bymesak, aged 33, are also fighters. They have spent thei= r=20 whole lives in the covert existence of Falintil.=20 The thought that these small, shy-looking women had probably killed countles= s=20 Indonesian soldiers made me swallow hard. They held themselves very still;=20 every movement was controlled. And they did look pretty uncomfortable in=20 their party dresses.=20 We found out that another woman in this division of Falintil had died earlie= r=20 this year during an Indonesian military attack in Lore. The determination an= d=20 sacrifice of these women was driven home to me as they described the harsh=20 conditions in which they fight.=20 By 6am it was time to leave. I left incredibly inspired by this night with=20 Falintil, as I have been by many dealings with the East Timorese independenc= e=20 movement. After so much bloodshed and suffering, these people still give=20 generously, and they are able to dance until dawn.=20 Falintil requires recording and communication devices (radio equipment,=20 mobile phones, tape recorders, etc.), as well as money for food. If you can=20 help, contact the East Timor International Support Centre at=20 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> (or visit the web site at <http://www.easttimor.com/>)=20 and state that you wish your donation to go to the mountains.=20 ---------------- Timor: `We need to mobilise people's power' By Max Lane=20 JAKARTA -- Shalar Kosi is the secretary general of the Socialist Party of=20 Timor (PST). In an interview with Green Left Weekly, he stressed that the=20 crucial question for socialists in East Timor is building bases among the=20 people. =93One of the frameworks for this has been the formation this year of groupi= ngs=20 in different sectors=94, he explained. =93These include the Workers Socialis= t=20 Alliance, the Peasant Socialist Alliance, the Socialist Youth Alliance,=20 Socialist Alliance of Women and a Socialist Study Centre. They are all at th= e=20 early stages of development, although many workers outside East Timor, such=20 as in Lampung, are already organised.=20 =93In East Timor, we have the beginnings of bases among port workers,=20 construction workers and drivers. Among coffee farmers, both small owners an= d=20 labourers, we have some cells that are also developing cooperatives.=94=20 A theme in Shalar Kosi's analysis is the necessity of a strategy of mass=20 action, both for the independence struggle and for a socialist East Timor.=20 =93We think the chances of victory in the referendum are good=94, he said, = =93but=20 we would have preferred that the movement reject the UN agreement on May 5=20 and then apply pressure through mass actions for one where the Indonesian=20 army wasn't in charge of security for the referendum. Even now, we think tha= t=20 there should be more pressure applied through mass action, through people's=20 power.=94=20 The PST, which was formed as a party in 1997, is not a member of the Nationa= l=20 Council for Timorese Resistance (CNRT) nor of Fretilin. One of the reasons i= s=20 that the CNRT does not recognise the 1975 declaration of independence that=20 formed the Democratic Republic of East Timor (DRET). There are other=20 differences too, such as on people's power as a central tactic.=20 The PST has helped form the People's Council for the Defence of the Republic=20 (CPD) which organised demonstrations soon after the May 5 UN agreement was=20 signed. The CPD, said Kosi, is a loose network, including many non-party=20 people who still support the DRET.=20 =93But now we are working together with Xanana Gusmao and the CNRT to mobili= se=20 for the referendum. We also support the proposal for a coalition government=20 after a referendum victory, which includes the current pro-integration=20 forces.=94=20 The PST was represented among the pro-independence groups that participated=20 in the recent =93dialogue=94 between pro-Jakarta and independence groups in=20 Jakarta, which also included figures such as Jose Ramos Horta.=20 According to Kosi, a coalition government should have only two tasks: to kee= p=20 the administration going and to prepare general elections. =93We want free=20 multi-party elections as soon as possible after a coalition government can b= e=20 formed. Six months is preferable, but definitely no more than two years.=20 =93We would like to see a second referendum also, on whether people wish to=20 re-establish the Democratic Republic of East Timor that was proclaimed in=20 1975. The people should have the right to have their say on that too.=94=20 Political struggle Kosi expressed caution on whether Jakarta would abide by the results of the=20 referendum if the independence option won. There was still a question whethe= r=20 the Indonesian army (TNI) would withdraw as required and whether it would=20 leave armed militias behind.=20 =93Again, we will need to mobilise people's power. We will need stronger=20 organised bases among the people.=94=20 Kosi stated that people's power would be as effective as the role of=20 Falintil, the resistance army. History had shown that guerilla struggle and=20 people's power can be a very powerful combination. =93We also have no proble= m=20 with the disarming of Falintil together with the militias. This will open up=20 more space, make it easier for mass mobilising.=94=20 He was confident that the pro-integration militias could be defeated in this=20 manner. =93They have no basis, apart from the backing from the TNI. They wil= l=20 wither under the force of people's power. But we must still recognise the=20 danger that a withdrawing TNI may try to start a civil war.=94=20 Kosi also emphasised that a key part of defeating the occupation was=20 cooperation with the Indonesian democratic movement. =93We worked together w= ith=20 the PRD [People's Democratic Party], for example, in the 1994 occupations of=20 the Dutch and Russian embassies. The struggles in East Timor and Indonesia=20 cannot and must not be separated.=94=20 While a united front to win the referendum, establish a transitional=20 coalition government and force the TNI to withdraw remains the central=20 tactical priority, Kosi emphasised that laying the basis for a socialist Eas= t=20 Timor remained the fundamental goal of the PST.=20 =93Of course, at the moment, the people look to Xanana as the leader or symb= ol=20 of the fight for independence. Or they relate to Fretilin as the organisatio= n=20 that fought for independence in the 1970s. Our influence at this point is=20 limited. We have no illusions about that. But we also think that the=20 prospects for the socialist movement in East Timor are good.=94=20 Behind this optimism is the assessment that an East Timorese capitalism has=20 not yet taken root and that building a socialist East Timor would not requir= e=20 great efforts to demolish a deeply rooted capitalist system.=20 It is also based on the PST's assessment that while both Xanana and Fretilin=20 have great authority and popularity, they have not developed functioning=20 party structures among the people. =93The coming period will be a period of=20 ideological clarification among all the political forces=94, Kosi added.=20 =93The PST is still small, with about 300 cadre in East Timor and slightly l= ess=20 in Indonesia. The 300 in East Timor include 70 new members who have just bee= n=20 through classes. In Indonesia, we have branches covering East Java and=20 Central Java as well as the worker groupings in Lampung.=20 =93On August 1, the PST set up an open legal office in Dili. Our chairperson= ,=20 Saruntu, is based in Dili. Our position is that the socialist forces should=20 come out from the underground and declare their presence. This is the only=20 way we can win people to our ideas and strengthen our base.=94=20 As part of this coming into the open, the PST has launched a newspaper in a=20 tabloid format, Tuba. Two issues have been published over the last two=20 months, and the party is confident of it continuing on a regular basis.=20 =93We have distributed 5000 copies in East Timor. They are sold by our membe= rs=20 to supporters and sympathisers. The newspaper not also debates and analyses=20 current political developments in relation to the UN referendum and the=20 situation in East Timor but also carries educational material on the East=20 Timorese social structure as well as the prospects for socialism in the=20 region as a whole.=94=20 Origins The PST was formed in 1997, but Kosi traces its origins back much further. A=20 few left-wing youth, having received some education from leftists in=20 Fretilin, had established the youth organisation Ojetil in 1981 although=20 =93Ojetil now is a completely different organisation=94.=20 This attempt to build a socialist-oriented youth group failed in the context=20 of a trend towards a politics of =93national unity=94, which included=20 disconnecting the guerilla forces from Fretilin, a rapprochement with the=20 conservative Christian Democrat-oriented UDT [Timorese Democratic Union], a=20 non-party orientation by other student groups such as Renetil and Xanana's=20 resignation from Fretilin and the formation of the National Council of=20 Maubere Resistance (CNRM).=20 According to Kosi, between 1981 and 1989 the left-wing elements in the=20 resistance were in retreat. Some left leaders in the guerilla movement=20 disappeared from the struggle.=20 Then in December 1989, three of the original members of the 1981 Ojetil=20 formed the Clandestine Student Front for the Liberation of East Timor=20 (Feclitil). This was based outside East Timor. Its first action was a joint=20 protest with Renetil and unaffiliated East Timorese students in Jakarta=20 against the 1991 Santa Cruz massacre. In December 1991, 10 people gathered t= o=20 form the Timorese Socialist Association.=20 In the initial period, said Kosi, the PST was the subject of considerable=20 slander and gossip, even to the extent of rumours that the head of the PST=20 was Abilio Araujo, a former president of Fretilin who became a pro-Jakarta=20 figure.=20 =93However, by 1995 we were able to establish formal contact with Xanana Gus= mao=20 and engage in some cooperation, while maintaining our right to make=20 criticisms and to stay outside of CNRT. Actually, we were also ready to join=20 Fretilin if Fretilin was able to transform itself into a united front of lef= t=20 or progressive forces within CNRT, but it seems Fretilin wants to be a party=20 of its own, perhaps with a social democratic platform. Maybe there will be=20 possibilities of a coalition in the future.=94=20 Kosi explained that the PST's socialism bases itself on Marxism and rejects=20 the Stalinist version. =93We also try to learn from the contributions of=20 revolutionary socialist leaders, such as Lenin and Trotsky. But we are short=20 of readings and materials, so we are still studying.=20 =93We think that the socialist forces throughout the Asia-Pacific region nee= d=20 to collaborate and work out common approaches to issues. This region is goin= g=20 to be a centre of conflict between socialist and capitalist forces in the=20 coming period, especially with the real potential for social revolution in=20 Indonesia. An early victory for socialism in East Timor with its weakly=20 developed indigenous capitalism and its small size and population could also=20 be an inspiration for socialist forces throughout the region.=94=20 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 16 Aug 1999 jam 13:47:40 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
