Campaign for an Independent East Timor (S.A.) Inc.
Affiliated to the East Timor Relief Association, the Australian
Coalition
for a Free East Timor and the Australia East Timor Network
c/o Development Education Centre
first floor Torrens House
220 Victoria Square
ADELAIDE20
SOUTH AUSTRALIA 5000
ATTENTION: Chief of Staff
MEDIA STATEMENT: 13 April1999
The Acting Chairperson of South Australia's Campaign for an Independent
East Timor, Ms Crystell Halliday, today asked the Australian Government
to demand the immediate installation of United Nations forces in East
Timor to protect the local population from Army-sponsored death squads.20
'In the last two days ABRI, the Indonesian Army, has trucked into
Dili, East Timor capital, members of the Mahidi death squad to take up
strategic positions in Dili's suburbs. It is suspected they intend to
carry out another Dili Massacre. Only UN forces can avert this
bloodbath,' Ms Halliday said.
While the Prime Minister Mr Howard, has refused to support Portugal's
request to the UN Security Council to respond to the emergency, Ms
Halliday said he should reconsider his position.20
'Howard had second thoughts on Kosovo, he must do the same for East
Timor, the Kosovo on our doorstep,' said Ms Halliday.
Ms Halliday's call follows confirmation, by East Timor's spiritual
leader, Bishop Belo, of the central role played by the Indonesian Army
in last week's Liquica Massacre.20
'It is clear from all reports coming out of East Timor that ABRI is
systematically targeting the entire East Timorese political
administration, not just pro-independence leaders. If District
Administrators refuse to support the formation and actions of local
death squads, they are being killed or badly beaten,' Ms Halliday
said. 'Examples include Pedro Nunes, a member of the provincial
legislative assembly in Dili, and Francisco Magno, Bupati
(Administrator) of East Timor's Ainaro District.'
According to sources in East Timor, Mr Nunes was assassinated on 10
April. Mr Magno is currently fighting for his life after being very
badly beaten on Tuesday, 5 April by ten ABRI soldiers, wearing civilian
clothes. Magno had refused to cooperate with the Army's order to
mobilise six hundred people to join a new ABRI-sponsored death squad at
the town of Zumalai. Yesterday a car convoy, carrying Bishop Belo
returning from saying mass at Liquica, was viciously attacked; the
bishop was in the leading car and escaped injury.
Noting that Australia continues to defend its program of military
assistance to the Indonesian armed forces, Ms Halliday said that
Australian taxpayers must wonder why we are training a genocidal killing
machine in East Timor that Serbia's Slobodan Milosevic would be proud
of.
'The Australian Government should immediately cease its military
assistance program to Indonesia and demand that Indonesia withdraw all
its troops and have them replaced with a UN peace force,' she said.
Contact: Mr Bob Hanney 8344 3511 or Ms Crystell Halliday 8373 1121
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