Terror in Dili The following article was published in "The Guardian", newspaper of the Communist Party of Australia in its issue of Wednesday, April 21st, 1999. Contact address: 65 Campbell Street, Surry Hills. Sydney. 2010 Australia. Phone: (612) 9212 6855 Fax: (612) 9281 5795. Email: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Webpage: http://www.peg.apc.org/~guardian Subscription rates on request. ****************************** "The paramilitary assassins working with ABRI (the Indonesian Army) killed Pedro Nunes, a member of the Provincial Legislative Assembly in Dili at 1500hours; 30 people wounded as a result of this attack in Ermera. ABRI are now surrounding Dili, the capital of East Timor. Its militia group, (referred to as ``MAHIDI'') coordinates with ABRI to attack selected suburbs in Dili ..." This grim report was sent out on Sunday, April 11. It was clear at the time that the situation in East Timor had been deteriorating by the minute. The report warned that the ABRI/MAHIDI group was meeting next door to the residence of Manuel Carrascalao, former Indonesian-appointed governor of East Timor. Six days later, the dire warnings from East Timor turned into grim truth -- Mr Carrascalao's 17-year old son was killed in his home. Rampaging mobs terrified the population in Dili, attacked and burnt houses. It is estimated that at least 20 people have died in the attacks, with dozens abducted and possibly executed. It has become crystal clear that the Indonesian government has no intention of allowing a referendum on the future of East Timor to take place. The terror facing the East Timorese people is compounded by the pitifully weak stand of the United Nations which seems ready to call off a referendum which does next to nothing to enforce security against the Indonesian army and the death squads. The United Nations has failed to implement its own resolutions on East Timor. It has never recognised the annexation of East Timor but has failed to act against Indonesia's aggression. It is time to immediately sent a UN peace-keeping force to East Timor to achieve peace and the rule of law. Continuing its collaboration with the Indonesian government the feather-duster protests of successive Australian governments is also encouraging Indonesian actions which have the objective of continuing Indonesia's occupation of East Timor. The military support, sales of arms and ammunition to Indonesia, and joint exercises with Indonesia's military have in effect condoned Indonesia's occupation of East Timor. The Indonesian army armed the militias -- but who supplied the military equipment in the first place? The situation in East Timor now is comparable to the time of the annexation of East Timor and the subsequent slaughter of its people. Talking to "The Guardian" CPA General Secretary Peter Symon called for the immediate withdrawal of Indonesian troops from East Timor, the disarming of the terrorist militias, the stationing of a UN peace-keeping force in East Timor and the conduct of a referendum by which the East Timorese people can freely vote for either autonomy within Indonesia or complete independence. "The policies of successive Australian governments have contributed to the situation" said Mr Symon. "Australian government policies have been a disgrace and have for many years bolstered the military fascist government of Suharto. Even now, the Australian government is not willing to really change policies and support the people for a change." *************************************************************** Statement by Xanana Gusmao on the situation in East Timor Homeland or Death! In an interview given in Dili, on April 3, 1999, General Damiri, Commander of the Udayana Regional Military Command, revealed that there exists no political will on the part of the Indonesian Government to resolve the East Timor problem. The arrogance of ABRI is once more demonstrated by General Damiri who, through his declarations in Dili, has caused the situation to deteriorate in East Timor, and we anticipate a heightening of the climate of war. We know that Jakarta's strategy is to encourage the East Timorese to kill one another in order to justify ABRI's continued presence in the territory. Since October 1998, ABRI has been supplying weapons to civilian militias with the intention of intimidating and harming the population. We have been making regular appeals to the international community to pressure Jakarta to dismantle and disarm the militias which, initially, it was intended would only operate in the western part of the territory. As has been the case for the past 23 years, the international community continues to deposit more trust in ABRI than it does in the Timorese people, and therefore our appeals have been met only with disbelief. With this attitude of passivity on the part of the international community, the Indonesian Government feels sufficiently confident of its ability to go on arming more groups all over the territory and to intensify the campaign of violence, to the point of murdering the population to then blame the Resistance (a practice long used by ABRI, not only in East Timor, but also in Indonesia). Our political good-will and our commitment to Peace have been perceived as our weakest point and because we have been trying to uphold this position, the international community seems not to feel the necessity to contribute to a peaceful solution in East Timor. Today, we receive many promises of aid and co-operation for a future independent East Timor, when what we need is unequivocal and immediate support to put an end to bloodshed and violence in the territory. We have fought alone these past 23 years, not only against a despotic and murderous regime, but also against the complete indifference of the international community. I must remind the international community that since the beginning of the ruthless Indonesian invasion and the criminal military annexation of the Maubere nation, we, the East Timorese, have been conscious of the need to rely on our own means and to employ our own forms of struggle. Since Jakarta's offer on January 27th, we, the East Timorese, have continued to believe that independence would not come on a silver platter. And we will resume our ways of fighting to free our homeland. The dissatisfaction, the rage and desperation of our people demand of me loyalty and firmness. I know that the East Timorese people will suffer another bloodbath, but I also know that we have no other alternative because it is our homeland and the right to it is ours. And we are prepared to make all the necessary sacrifices. We assume full responsibility for all that might take place and we will not ask for the international community's compassion. Our political stance has always been one of respect for the socio-political situation in Indonesia, but Jakarta's murderous generals force us to violate our compromise. And all that happens in Indonesia as a result of the intensification of the war in East Timor will not be our responsibility. I now wish to inform the international community that the situation has reached an intolerable limit in East Timor. Therefore, I am compelled to authorise the FALINTIL guerrillas to undertake all necessary action in defence of the population of East Timor against the unprovoked and murderous attacks of armed civilian groups and ABRI. In response to the numerous appeals from the People of East Timor, I also authorise the population to undertake a general popular insurrection against the armed militia groups who have been killing the population with impunity under the indifferent eye of the international community. Homeland or death! To resist is to win! The struggle continues without respite! 5 April 1999 (abridged) -- 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 Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
