Campaign for an Independent East Timor (S.A.) Inc.
Member of the Australian Coalition for a Free East Timor
first floor Torrens House
220 Victoria Square,
ADELAIDE
SOUTH AUSTRALIA 5000
MEDIA STATEMENT: 29 NOVEMBER 1998
AUSTRALIA'S RESPONSE TO TROOP MONITORING IN TIMOR - INADEQUATE
The following statement was released today by Andrew Alcock, the
Information Officer of the Campaign for an Independent East Timor (SA)
Inc.:
"The visit to Indonesia by Australian Defence Minister, John Moore, to
discuss the monitoring of Indonesian troop movements is a hopeful sign that
it is changing its tune about the situation in East Timor. It is also an
indication that it is feeling the intensity of the international spotlight
on its relations with the Indonesian regime.
However, much more needs to be done. It is pointless sending an Australian
military attache to East Timor to monitor the military situation if the
attache has to rely on the Indonesian military to travel or to have access
to key people.
There is also the problem of credibility. Dr Jose Ramos Horta, the Nobel
Peace Laureate, allude to this when he commented on the sending of an
Australia attach this weekend.
Australian governments have acted as almost public relations departments
for the Indonesian government since 1965, even when the atrocities being
committed in East Timor were the most serious like the Santa Cruz, Dili
Massacre of November 1998.
It would be more credible for the Australian Government to approach the UN
to make a strong commitment to place a UN supervised international peace
keeping team in occupied East Timor. Such a team should have sufficient
resources to independently monitor Indonesian troop movements and the human
rights situation. It should be able to carry out independent investigations
of massacres and the murder of the Australian based journalists in Balibo
on 16 October 1975.
The composition of the team is important to ensure that it is credible. Mr
Xanana Gusmao and other key East Timorese independence leaders should be
consulted about the composition of a UN team. They have yet to be brought
into a key place in the peace talks and this could be a place to start.
Australia cannot expect to play the dominant role in such an exercise
because of its past history. It may be that nations from the Non Aligned
Movement could play a crucial role. South Africa, under Nelson Mandela's
leadership, has played a major role in demanding that Mr Gusmao be released
from prison to participate in peace talks.
About one hundred people attended a dinner in Adelaide last night to
celebrate the 23rd anniversary of the declaration of independence of East
Timor just days prior to the Indonesian illegal invasion. Mr John Schumann,
the Democrats candidate for the seat of Mayo during the federal elections
criticised the saga of betrayal of East Timor by successive Australian
governments. Mr Bill Fisher reported on his recent visit to East Timor. The
dinner was organised by the Campaign for an Independent East Timor.
The call for full UN involvement in East Timor and the release of Mr Gusmao
will be two of the major demands of rallies organised by East Timor
solidarity groups on 7 December, the date of the 23rd anniversary of the
invasion of East Timor ".
FOR FURTHER COMMENT:
Andrew (Andy) Alcock
Information Officer
CIET(SA) Inc
Spokesperson
Australian Coalition for a Free East Timor
Phone: 08 83710480 (home)
08 82053259 (work)
Pager: 08 84157467
Facsimile: 08 82236509
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
�����������������������������..
INVASION DAY RALLY
12NOON-2PM MONDAY 7 DECEMBER 1998
100 King William St Adelaide
Alexander Downer's Office
PROTEST MILITARY COOPERATION WITH INDONESIA
Speakers: union, church, human rights etc groups
east timorese community
Music: east timorese singers
Organised by the Campaign for an Independent East Timor (SA) Inc
Phone: (08) 83443511 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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