Reader of the conference will be delighted to lear that an english TV comedy show has achieved what was thought impossible: it got an Indoensian general to admit on camera that they do use torture as a matter of practise. General Wijojo was interviewed by two actors posing as PR compnay representatives at an arms fair in Greece. To the camera he said that the Indoensian forces tortured people in order "to protect the society" and to protect their "freedom". Such measures were necessary to ensure that everybody could eat and live happily. I am not kidding. He actually said this. And he was quite serious too. The programme was called the Mark Thomas Comedy Product and was shown on Britian's Channel Four television on Wednesday, January 13th. (Unlucky for some, especially General Wijojo.) Anyway there will be a follw up next Wednesday where the actors were invited to train more generals in public relations. The training was to take place in Jakarta. East Timor Ireland Solidarity Campaign Suite 16, Dame House 24-26 Dame Street Dublin 2 Telephone 00 353 1 671 9207/ 677 0253 /623 3148 Mobile 087 286 0122 Fax 00 353 1 671 9207 Timorese Community in Ireland 00 353 1 453 1462 web http://indigo.ie/~etisc/ * * * * * * * * * This is in fact very serious because as we in Australia have been debating Downers policy shift on East TImor a large scale arming of pro-Indonesian militias has been going on in East Timor which has got little coverage. Helen Hill Melbourne end ============== Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html The Year 2000 Bug - An Urgent Sustainability Issue http://www.peg.apc.org/~psutton/grin-y2k.htm
