Greetings from Brisbane,
Just a word to let you know what's happening in Brisbane in the next few
weeks.
"Journey of Peace" are organising a bike ride for peace from Brisbane to
the Canungra Land Warfare Centre Dec 1-4. Canungra trains soldiers from
Indonesia on a regular basis. Sunday Dec 6 will be a day of protest and
direct action at the Army base.
A Faith and Resistance Group have organised weekly vigils at the Regional
Defence Office and Petroz NL (a Brisbane based company now extracting oil
from the so-called Zone of Co-Operation in the Timor Sea). The hope is to
draw the connection between successive Australian government support of the
Indonesian armed forces AND our the commerical exploitation of the people
of East Timore by a local Australian corporation. The following is from the
leaflet that explains our activities:
CHRISTMAS 1998
We Train Indonesian Troops
so that Petroz can Make a Killing
In the four weeks leading to Christmas we will keep vigil at the Petroz
NL oil company and the Defence Recruiting Office to highlight the
connections between our military support for Indonesia and corporate
profiteering at the expense of the people of East Timor.
Ever since the invasion and occupation of East Timor by the armed
forces of Indonesia in 1975, the Australian government has supplied the
Indonesian armed forces with equipment and training. This has included
training and joint exercises with the Special Forces group Kopassus,
maintenance of Indonesian Nomad aircraft and pilot training, training of
army combat instructors, and training in military intelligence. By
providing this military support (at an annual cost of $6m), Australia
legitimises the Indonesian takeover of East Timor, the countless people
killed by the Indonesian military in East Timor and West Papua.
Recent events in Indonesia, East Timor and West Papua demonstrate that
Australia's co-operation with the Indonesian military is co-operation with
murder and torture.
� In May and November of this year, the Indonesian military fired live
rounds at unarmed demonstrators on the streets of Jakarta and elsewhere,
killing those calling for democratic reform.
� The former governor of East Timor at the time of the Santa Cruz massacre
of November 1991, recently described the rounding up and execution of young
East Timorese people in the days following the massacre. These killings had
been denied by the ALP government at the time.
� Reports have also recently emerged from the West Papuan island of Biak
where, in July this year, the Indonesian military fired at a crowd of West
Papuans who had raised their "Morning Star" flag in defiance of Indonesian
control of their homeland.
Together, these incidents reflect a systematic disregard for human
life, and the willingness to use armed force as a first resort.
Petroz NL Ltd is a Brisbane based company that is now extracting oil
from the so-called "Zone of Cooperation" in the Timor Sea. Petroz is able
to drill for oil in this area under the auspices of the Timor Gap Treaty,
signed in 1989 between the governments of Indonesia and Australia. That
treaty allowed Australia and Indonesia to exploit the area of seabed lying
between East Timor and Australia. In negotiating with Indonesia over this
area, the Australian government provided further legitimation to the
Indonesian occupation of East Timor and gave to Indonesia assets that
belong to the people of East Timor. Companies like Petroz are now profiting
from this armed robbery of East Timorese resources.
Christmas is an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of the birth of
Jesus for the world in which we live. The world of Roman-occupied Palestine
into which Jesus was born was a place not unlike Indonesian-occupied East
Timor or West Papua. Rulers used force to bend the people to their will,
and the economy was based on the exploitation of peasant farmers through
structured debt and the imposition of harsh taxes. As soon as he was born
Jesus and his family became the subjects of King Herod's search-and-destroy
mission. In our day, the Indonesian government routinely kills those who
pose a threat to its continued oppression and economic exploitation. Jesus'
family became refugees after fleeing their land to escape this persecution.
Similarly, thousands of people from East Timor and West Papua have become
refugees, fleeing the terrorism of the armed forces that we train and equip.
This Christmas we invite you to join with us as we celebrate Christmas
in solidarity with the people of East Timor. With this celebration we hope
to reclaim Christmas from the media and business interests with their
message of "joy to the world - spend, spend, spend." To celebrate Christmas
while supporting the Indonesian regime, its armed killers and torturers,
and the corporations who are profiting from this brutality is a celebration
of corporate greed and indifference to oppression. Christmas can be an
opportunity to set things right, to exercise compassion and concern for our
neighbours. To say NO to exploitation and murder, and YES to life.
Anthony Gwyther
66 Broadway St
Carina Qld 4152
ph. (07) 3398 9668
LL.QL
