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
MEDIA STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE USE 28 FEBRUARY 1999
AUSTRALIAN PEACEMAKERS AND AID WORKERS FOR EAST TIMOR ?
The statement below was released today by the Information Officer of
the
Campaign for an Independent East Timor, Andrew Alcock:
"The statement by senior government and defence forces officials that
Australia is willing to 'contribute generously' to a transitional
assistance mission in East Timor if the UN coordinates one is to be
applauded. It has been suggested that up to 3000 soldiers and civilian
workers could be involved.
East Timorese in Australia and the supporters of peace in East Timor
see
this as a hopeful sign that an Australian government might finally
cease
the long years of betrayal. This decision is considered to be long
overdue,
however.
It is now up to the UN to coordinate an adequate international peace
keeping and humanitarian mission for East Timor to supervise the
Indonesian military withdrawal and the disarming and disbanding of the
pro
Indonesian militias.
This is necessary to provide security and humanitarian support to a
people
who have suffered 23 years of terror at the hands of the illegal
Indonesian
occupiers of their country. Such a move is also needed to allow the
East
Timorese to determine their national future free of coercion.
It is imperative that the UN and the world community does not let
Indonesia
repeat the programme of terror and murder that it carried out in West
Papua
(Irian Jaya) during the so called Act of Free Choice (Musjawarah) of
1969.
It is still necessary to cease military cooperation with Indonesia
until it
withdraws from East Timor and stops expanding the pro Indonesian
militias.
It is tragic that former Australian governments did not take a
stronger
stand on East Timor question years ago. If they had, the East Timorese
could have been spared much death, suffering and terror".
Andrew (Andy) Alcock
Information Officer
CIET (SA) Inc
Phone: 08 83710480 (home) 08 82053259 (work)
Pager: 08 84157467
Facsimile: 08 82236509
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
COMING EVENT:
PUBLIC MEETING:
WHEN WILL EAST TIMOR BE FREE?
3PM
SUNDAY 14 MARCH 1999
IRISH HALL, 11 CARRINGTON ST, ADELAIDE
SPEAKERS:
* DR PHIL DORLING
(International Relations Expert & Adviser to Shadow Foreign Minister)
* DR MICHAEL SULLIVAN
(Politics lecturer)
end
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