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
ATTENTION: Chief of Staff
Contact for Community Announcements
MEDIA STATEMENT: 10 November 1998
NO MORE SANTA CRUZS
DEMOCRACY AND SELF DETERMINATION FOR EAST TIMOR
Andrew Alcock, a spokesperson for the Campaign for an Independent East
Timor (SA) Inc and the Australian Coalition for a Free East Timor issued
the following statement today:
"The Campaign will commemorate the seventh anniversary of the Santa Cruz
Massacre at a rally in Adelaide on Thursday 12 November. This day has
become known as the East Timor National Day of Mourning.
The Santa Cruz Massacre occurred in Dili in 1991 when Indonesian soldiers
fired their machine guns into a funeral procession of peaceful protesters.
Two hundred and seventy one people perished and over 300 were wounded.
In the weeks that followed, East Timorese say that there was a continuous
bloodbath as witnesses of the original massacre were rounded up and
murdered. Five hundred people are still unaccounted for.
Some of the crimes committed against wounded survivors were sickening
-victims were subjected to injections of sulphuric acid, trucks being run
over their heads or just bludgeoned to death. Such is the behaviour of
Kopassus, the Special Indonesian Forces that the Australian armed forces
has been conducting joint exercises with.
We often hear our government and other western leaders espouse democracy
and claim how committed they are to it. However, when it comes to assisting
the East Timorese in achieving independence, these same leaders suddenly
forget democratic principles and make apologetic noises for the Indonesian
regime that has illegally occupied East Timor for 23 years.
This regime has committed genocide and gross human rights violations
throughout these years and even when Indonesia cannot feed millions of its
own people, western leaders cannot raise a voice of protest when it
increases its troop numbers in East Timor. Nor will it pledge itself to
halting military cooperation with Indonesia.
Australian tax dollars are squandered on conducting war games with one of
the world's most repressive governments while young Australians cannot find
jobs, young Indonesians frantically search for food and young East Timorese
courageously struggle for self determination.
The corrupt President Habibie claims that he will introduce democracy in
Indonesia, but refuses the same for East Timor and West Papua. Most
Australians have indicated that they want their government's complicity
with Indonesia to stop and they want to help their Timorese World War 2
allies to be assisted to achieve what they have fought and died for over
the past 23 years.
After many years, the ALP has had the courage to change its policy on East
Timor and Indonesia because it knows that the callous position adopted by
successive Australian governments has tarnished our image internationally.
We are seen as supporting a bullying neocolonial dictatorship in an attempt
to profit out of the carnage in East Timor.
As we remember those who died at Santa Cruz on 12 November 1991 and all
those who have perished in East Timor over the past 23 years, we call on
the Australian Government, other world leaders and the UN to stop the
bloodshed in 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]
SANTA CRUZ (DILI) MASSACRE
7th anniversary
RALLY
NOVEMBER 12 1998
(INTERNATIONAL EAST TIMOR DAY OF MOURNING)
4.30pm
GAWLER PLACE
(just north of Rundle Mall)
5.45pm
COMMEMORATIVE MAS
St Francis Xavier Cathedral
Wakefield St., Adelaide
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EAST TIMOR INDEPENDENCE DINNER
7.30PM SATURDAY 28 NOVEMBER 1998
UNLEY SENIOR CITIZENS' HALL
18 ARTHUR ST, UNLEY
SPEAKER: JOHN SCHUMANN
(Democrats candidate for Mayo)
MUSIC: EAST TIMOR SINGERS
TERRY & THE IDIOTS
$20 $15 (concession)
Children under 5 free School children by negotiation
Bookings: Miriam - 82956481
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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]
