Dear Friends There will be a rally in Adelaide as part of the ACTU Solidarity Day for East Timor on 27 May. The details are below. Union, church, aid, solidarity and community groups are welcome to participate. BACKGROUND As you would be aware, militias that have been recruited, armed, trained, paid and coordinated by the Indonesian military are roaming East Timor at will. Since the end of last year, these psychopaths who have been drugged to the eyeballs, have killed hundreds of people. Almost every day, we hear of another community that has been terrorised due to the activities of these groups and their Indonesian military masters. Their victims have been raped, tortured, disembowelled, shot, hacked or bludgeoned to death. East Timor is suffering a neo nazi nightmare and the international response to this tragic situation is underwhelming. The UN intends to send a team of 600 to organise a referendum so that the East Timores can determine their future. Of the 600 personnel, 300 will be police officers who may or may not be armed. This team is expected to restore security so that the referendum can occur without terror and intimidation. In effect, these police officers will be expected to control several thousand lawless militias and the Indonesian military which still has between 15-20,000 personnel illegally occupying East Timor. David Wimshurst, the spokesperson for the UN Mission in East Timor, has called for a more credible peacemaking mission as has former Australian army general, Ted Serong. It should also be remembered that the Indonesian military occupation during nearly 24 years has led to the deaths of about 300,000 or over a third of the East Timorese population. This is genocide or ethnic cleansing at its worst. It is therefore irresponsible in the extreme to expect this army to control the militias and restore peace. David Wimshurst personally reported seeing militias being trained by an Indonesian officer on 21 May in Atsabe while investigating the recent militia killings in Ataro. In spite of this situation inside East Timor, some western governments continue military cooperation with the Indonesian regime. These countries include Australia, the US and the UK. Only 2 weeks ago, the British Government sent 2 Hawk Attack military aircraft to the Indonesian regime. These planes have contributed greatly to the genocide in East Timor and West Papua (or Irian Jaya as it is called by the colonisers). It is essential that we urge as many as possible to support the ACTU Day of Solidarity with East Timor to urge the Australian Government to take a more responsible and compassionate approach to achieving peace and justice in our region. DETAILS OF ACTION: The action in Adelaide is being organised by the United Trades & Labour Council, the Campaign for an Independent East Timor (SA) Inc, Amnesty International and Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor. RALLY: 12.30 pm Thursday 27 May 1999 Outside Garuda Office 76 Waymouth St ADELAIDE Speakers from Amnesty, union, church, aid, solidarity groups PLANNING MEETING There will be a planning meeting for interested unions and community groups at 12 noon Monday 21 May 1999 Board Room United Trades & Labour Council Trades Hall 11 South Tce, Adelaide AIMS OF THE SOLIDARITY ACTION: are to stop the killing in East Timor by: * calling on the Australian Government to work for a UN peacemaking mission in East Timor that is adequate to: - monitor and control the Indonesian army - ensure that the militias are disarmed and disbanded - prevent attacks by the militias and the Indonesian army on the distribution of food and medical aid -ensure the integrity of the 8 August 1999 ballot * ensuring the right of the East Timorese to vote on their future free of terror & violence * calling for the urgent distribution of food & medical supplies in East Timor * putting pressure on the Indonesian government to: - disarm & disband the militias - withdraw the Indonesian army from East Timor * calling on UN member nations to halt all military cooperation with Indonesia * calling for wider union industrial and community action if Indonesia does not take steps to halt the violence by disarming the militias and withdrawing its army from East Timor * calling on unions, community groups and their individual members to contribute urgently to provide food and medical supplies to meet the desperate humanitarian needs in East Timor In solidarity Viva Timor Leste Chris White Secretary United Trades & Labour Council Andy Alcock Information Officer Campaign for an Independent East Timor (SA) Inc LL.SE Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink