---------------------------------------------------------- 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 ---------------------------------------------------------- Precedence: bulk 30 AUGUST 1999 - EAST TIMOR NATIONAL LIBERATION DAY Dear All, Please, find below the official English translation [from its original Portuguese] of the Statement issued by the President of the CNRT, Xanana Gusmao, after hearing the results of the consultation. The statement in English was read by Plinio do Rosario Gusmao dos Reis Martins, President Xanana's nephew in front of the prison house at about 9:30 am (Jkt time). At about 8:20 am (Jkt time), Xanana Gusmao was unexpectedly taken from his prison-house to Salemba prison by prison officials. He was told that he was been taken there for reasons of personal security as he was "under threat" . We were able to establish telephone contact with President Xanana and make sure that he was well. Guarantees have already been given that he would be transfered back to the prison-house as soon as the Indonesian authorities were satisfied with the level of security at the prison-house. Please, do refrain from alarmist reporting as this could cause a wave of panic in the territory. At this point, we do not anticipate that Xanana Gusmao will make any further comment. Should you have any question, please, do not hesitate to contact me. Best wishes, Louise Support Office to the CNRT President ------------------------------------ CNRT Timor-Leste=20 xanana gusm=E3o 30 AUGUST 1999 - EAT TIMOR NATIONAL LIBERATION DAY August 30th, 1999 will remain engraved in golden letters in the history of the small but heroic People of Timor Loro Sa'e! August 30th, 1999 will be eternally remembered as the day of National Liberation! The extraordinary success of August 30th was a success of the Maubere People, a success of the elderly, the adults and children of East Timor! But we must share this success with all the peace and progress loving peoples, the representatives of which have come from all corners of the world to witness this act of faith, courage and determination of the East Timorese. The result of the consultation speaks for itself. The People of East Timor, revealed to the world the illegal nature of the integration process, in a categorical and unquestionable manner. The patriotic spirit of the Maubere People is centuries old, a spirit pervading from generation to generation, and no force was ever able to reduce that which is a part of the Timorese soul, of its tradition, of its very nature. The history of the past 23 years has largely demonstrated that between losing their lives and losing their homeland, the Maubere People opted for the first. And this sacrifice of more than 250 000 lives was not in vain. In spite of all that Indonesia could do to Tim Tim, between freedom and material advantages, the Maubere People chose freedom. Today could have been a happy day, a day of celebrations. But today, violence is the rule imposed on the defenceless population forced to witness their homes being burnt to the ground, the looting of their possessions, left to mourn their dead and care for the wounded. Respect for the lives of the people, for human values, for the principles that ruled the behaviour, the intentions and objectives of a part of the Timorese society has been lost. To what degree is this tolerable? When are the Timorese politicians going to realise that they are tainting themselves with the blood of the population they claim to be defending? The offer of amnesty cannot be understood as an encouragement to criminal acts that already exceed the limits of tolerance. I appeal yet again to all the leaders to try to contribute to put an end to violence. It is not the pro-autonomy, nor is it the pro-independence side who have won or lost. Our People are the winners, and all of us have won. Let us, leaders, heed the lesson of democracy our People has given us. Let us learn to love peace to put an end to the suffering of our People. National reconciliation must continue with a new spirit of brotherhood and renewed energy for the construction of peace, between ourselves, in every home, village, area, in every district and throughout our beloved East= Timor. I urge all to arm themselves with the necessary courage to overcome their fear, their preoccupations, and above all recover their dignity by breaking the ties with those who are attempting to divide the East Timorese and destroy our people. Let us free ourselves from TNI and the influence of the pro-status quo Indonesian political forces in Indonesia itself, which resist change. These are the forces which, together with the Indonesian Armed Forces, are financing and commanding the criminal activities in East Timor. I wish to make it clear that the Indonesian government has not abided by its obligations as stipulated in the May 5th Agreement. Fifteen thousand TNI soldiers and eight thousand POLRIs are in East Timor under the orders of BAIS and under the command of the two thousand KOPASSUS agents already infiltrated in civilian clothes in the territory. At the end of the day, Wiranto is not the head of the military. Either Wiranto is not able to control his men, or he does not want to. What is happening is a clear indication that Wiranto does not want peace and stability in East Timor. And we foresee chaos. We foresee a new genocide in East Timor. We foresee total destruction in a desperate and last attempt by the Indonesian generals and politicians maybe as well to deny the People of East Timor their= freedom. I call on the international community to save the Maubere People with the immediate dispatch of an international force to impose peace in East Timor. It will not be a civil war in the strict sense of the term; BAIS and KOPASSUS will force the Timorese to kill their brothers. KOPASSUS members are the ones who most shoot at the population, along with the Police, amongst which KOPASSUS members are operating. We deem any form of military intervention necessary and urgent from now on. Considerations on Indonesian sovereignty over East Timor are no longer acceptable as this so-called sovereignty comes to an end today, with the announcement of the results of the referendum. The New York May 5th Agreement invokes all the relevant UN Security Council and General Assembly Resolutions on East Timor, which denies any validity to the integration, presupposes the illegality of the process and the illegitimacy of the Indonesian presence in East Timor. The spirit of the May 5th Agreement is the defence of the inalienable right of the Timorese People to self-determination. The act of self-determination took place on August 30th. Its results were announced today. Today, the illegality of the Indonesian political and military presence in East Timor was reaffirmed. The referendum result is a fait accompli, in the light of International Law, of Universal Principles and of the United Nations' Charter. The position the next MPR will adopt is an Indonesian domestic issue, which was taken into account in the Agreement, but not as a ruling bearing any influence on the result of the consultation as it cannot invalidate it. Because Indonesia violated the terms of the Agreement on the issue of security, what the international community must stress is, in a process of international dimensions such as this referendum, the domestic constitutional dimension in Indonesia cannot serve as a justification to allow a new blood bath which TNI and POLRI both are ready carry out. The arrogance of Indonesia must not shake the international community's resolve in taking immediate measures to prevent destruction, chaos and death in East Timor. I appeal to the Secretary General of the United Nations to convene an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to decide on the sending of a Multinational Force to save the Maubere People from a new genocide! Kay Rala Xanana Gusm=E3o President of the CNRT Salemba, 4 September 1999 ---------- SiaR WEBSITE: http://apchr.murdoch.edu.au/minihub/siarlist/maillist.html ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 5 Sep 1999 jam 01:20:28 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
