MAY DAY 1999 AND EAST TIMOR
THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE SPEECH GIVEN TO THE ADELAIDE MAY DAY RALLY
1999 BY ANDY ALCOCK, INFORMATION OFFICER OF THE CAMPAIGN FOR AN INDEPENDENT
EAST TIMOR (SOUTH AUSTRALIA) INC.
IT IS DEDICATED TO THE COURAGE & DETERMINATION OF XANANA GUSMAO (SE ASIA'S
NELSON MANDELA) AND ALL THE EAST TIMORESE MEN & WOMEN OF FALINTIL & CNRT
WHO HAVE RESISTED THE ONSLAUGHT OF THE CRIMINAL NEO NAZI INDONESIAN REGIME
IN THEIR STRUGGLE TO BE FREE. THEY HAVE CONTINUED THEIR STRUGGLE WITHOUT
SIGNIFICANT MATERIAL BECAUSE OF THE TREACHERY OF THEIR WORLD WAR 2 ALLIES
(AUSTRALIA, NZ, UK, US, THE NETHERLANDS, FRANCE ETC) WHO HAVE SEEN FIT TO
PROFIT FROM THE TRAGEDY RATHER THAN TAKE ACTION AGAINST THE INDONESIAN
AGGRESSORS.
"MAY DAY GREETINGS TO ALL.
COMRADES, FOR NEARLY 115 YEARS, THE 1 MAY HAS BEEN THE DAY
THAT PROGRESSIVE PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD HAVE CELEBRATED THE VICTORIES OF
ORDINARY PEOPLE OVER TYRANTS WHO WOULD OPPRESS & EXPLOIT THEM.
IT IS ALSO THE DAY ON THE CALENDAR THAT WE PAUSE TO REMEMBER THOSE WHO HAVE
SUFFERED OR DIED IN JUST STRUGGLES FOR PEACE, JUSTICE AND INDEPENDENCE.
FOR BOTH THESE REASONS, IT IS FITTING THAT TODAY WE SHOULD SPEND SOME TIME
CONSIDERING EAST TIMOR AND HOW WE CAN EXTEND SOLIDARITY TO OUR BROTHERS AND
SISTERS THERE AS THEY FACE A VERY GRAVE AND DANGEROUS PERIOD IN THEIR
HISTORY.
FOR NEARLY 24 YEARS, THE ET RESISTANCE, FALINTIL, HAS CONDUCTED AN
HEROICALLY MAGNIFICENT STRUGGLE AGAINST THE ILLEGAL INDONESIAN OCCUPIERS OF
THEIR COUNTRY. DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE HAD VIRTUALLY NO MATERIAL
SUPPORT FROM OUTSIDE AND THAT THE EAST TIMORESE PEOPLE HAVE SUFFERED
IMMENSELY, FALINTIL HAS NOT BEEN CRUSHED BY THE ABRI (THE INDONESIAN ARMED
FORCES).
BUT THEY & XANANA GUSMAO, THEIR INSPIRATIONAL LEADER, DESPERATELY NEED THE
SOLIDARITY OF PROGRESSIVE PEOPLE
AROUND THE WORLD
DURING THE LATE 1930S, WHEN THE EVIL NAZI EMPIRE BEGAN TO EXTEND OVER THE
MAP OF EUROPE, THE NATIONS THAT CAME TO BE KNOWN AS THE ALLIES INTERVENED
TO CHALLENGE IT. THE REST IS FAMILIAR HISTORY. EVERY ANZAC DAY WE ARE
REMINDED OF THE HISTORY OF WW2.
HOWEVER, WHAT HAVE THE LEADERS OF THOSE FORMER ALLIED NATIONS BEEN DOING
OVER THE PAST 24 YEARS IN RELATION TO ET ?
THE ANSWER IS VERY OBVIOUS. WHILE OUR ET ALLIES OF WW2 HAVE BEEN WAGING A
DESPERATE STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE THE ONSLAUGHT OF THE CRIMINAL INDONESIAN NEO
NAZI REGIME THAT HAS BEEN COMMITTING GENOCIDE IN ET, THE FORMER ALLIES (THE
US, THE UK, AUSTRALIA, FRANCE, HOLLAND ETC) HAVE NOT ONLY GIVEN OR SOLD
GREAT MATERIAL SUPPORT TO THE AGGRESSOR, BUT ALSO GIVEN IT DIPLOMATIC AND
STRATEGIC SUPPORT.
THE LEADERS OF THESE WESTERN GOVERNMENTS ARE THE VERY PEOPLE WHO LIKE TO
GIVE US SERMONS ABOUT DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM. BUT WHEN IT SUITS THEM AND
WHEN THEY CAN PROFIT FROM A SITUATION, THEN THE PRINCIPLES OF DEMOCRACY,
FREEDOM AND HUMANITY CAN BE CONVENIENTLY THROWN OUT THE WINDOW.
THEY DON'T SEEM TO MIND PROFITING OUT OF THE SITUATION IN ET EVEN WHEN
GENOCIDE IS BEING COMMITTED BY A REGIME WHOSE LEADERS IN WW2 COOPERATED
CLOSELY WITH JAPANESE FASCISM & MURDERED MANY OF THOSE INDONESIANS WHO
FOUGHT ALONGSIDE US IN WW2.
THEIR HYPOCRISY IS NOW EVEN MORE EXPOSED TO SCRUTINY. UNDER THE NAME OF
NATO, THEY ARE JUSTIFYING THEIR MASSIVE BOMBING RAIDS AGAINST SERBIA ON THE
GROUNDS THAT THEY ARE PREVENTING GENOCIDE. AND YET OVER THE PAST 34 YEARS,
WHILE THE INDONESIAN REGIME HAS BEEN COMMITTING GENOCIDE IN INDONESIA, WP
AND ET, THE LEADERS OF THESE NATIONS HAVE LIED, DECEIVED AND SUPPORTED THE
CRIMINAL AGGRESSOR.
LAST YEAR, WHEN SUHARTO WAS FORCED TO RESIGN, MANY WERE HOPEFUL THAT THE
EASE TIMORESE WOULD FINALLY WIN THEIR FREEDOM. THE LEADERS OF THE REGIME
WERE NOT GOING TO GIVE IN THAT EASILY. OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, SO CALLED
PRO INDONESIAN MILITIAS HAVE BEEN FORMED. PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD HAVE BEEN
APPALLED TO SEE THE SICKENING CRIMES THAT THEY ARE COMMITTING IN A LAST
DESPERATE BID TO HELP THE JAKARTA REGIME PREVENT THE EASR TIMORESE FROM
GAINING THEIR INDEPENDENCE:
TERRORISING CIVILIANS
HACKING VICTIMS TO DEATH
HAMMERING IN THEIR SKULLS
OR JUST SHOOTING THEM IN COLD BLOOD
EVEN EAST TIMORESE WHO HAVE COOPERATED WITH INDONESIA IN THE
PAST - LIKE FORMER GOVERNOR MARIO CARRASCALAO-ARE NOT SAFE.
WE MUST NOT BE FOOLED INTO BELIEVING THAT THE MILITIAS ARE A MAJORITY
GROUP IN EAST TIMOR WHO WANT TO BE PART OF INDONESIA. THEY CONSIST OF
INDONESIAN SOLDIERS ALONG WITH CRIMINAL, OPPORTUNISTIC AND TRAITOROUS EAST
TIMORESE AND WEST TIMORESE (IE INDONESIANS).
TNI (THE INDONESIAN ARMY) RECRUITS, PAYS, ARMS, TRAINS AND SUPERVISES THEM.
THEY ARE FINANCED BY THE REGIME AND RETIRED PRESIDENT SUHARTO.
JUST WHEN WE THOUGHT THAT THE OLD ALLIES MIGHT CONSIDER BOMBING THE
PRESIDENTIAL PALACE IN JAKARTA TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THEIR APPROACH TO
KOSOVO, THEIR ANSWER WAS TO SEND JOHNNIE HOWARD & ALEXANDER DOWNER, THE
MICE THAT ROARED,TO TALK WITH HABIBIE AT THE SUMMIT IN BALI ON 27-28/4/99.
WELL, THEY ROARED IN AUSTRALIA AT LEAST, BUT BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED IN
BALI, THE ROAR WAS SOMEWHAT MUTED.
THE US & UK WERE OCCUPIED WITH NATO STRIKES AGAINST SERBIA AND THE UK WAS
PLANNING FURTHER CONSIGNMENTS OF MILITARY HARDWARE TO ANY REGIMES LIKE
INDONESIA, TURKEY ETC
THE RESULTS OF THAT MEETING ARE VERY CONCERNING:
1. PEACE MAKING
OUR LEADERS HAVE PROMISED TO SEND A POLICE FORCE OF ABOUT 600 TO ADVISE
THE TNI TO ENSURE STABILITY FOR THE COMING REFERENDUM. THIS FORCE IS
EXPECTED TO COPE WITH THE HUNDREDS OF MILITIAS AND THE TNI WHICH STILL HAS
17- 20,000 PERSONNEL IN ET.
HOPEFUL ALEX THOUGHT IT WOULD BE OK BECAUSE THE POLICE WILL BE ISSUED
WITH HAND GUNS!!! (DOWNER REFUSED TO MEET IN DILI BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF
SECURITY).
FORMER AUST. DEFENCE CHIEF, GEN JOHN SANDERSON HAS A MORE REALISTIC
ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION. HE HAS SAID THAT UN PEACE MAKING FORCES WILL
BE NEEDED FOR A PEACEFUL REFERENDUM.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL HAS ALSO CALLED FOR A FULL UN INTERVENTION TO STOP
THE BLOODSHED
THIS IS OBVIOUS GIVEN THAT THE MILITIA LEADERS HAVE ANNOUNCED THAT THEY
WILL NOT ACCEPT INDEPENDENCE ANYWAY.
2. THE PLEBISCITE FOR 8 AUGUST
THERE ARE NOT MANY DETAILS. IT HAS BEEN FORMULATED BY PORTUGAL &
INDONESIA WITHOUT THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE EAST TIMORESE.
THEY DO NOT HAVE A STRAIGHT FORWARD CHOICE TO VOTE FOR INDEPENDENCE. THEY
HAVE TO REJECT AUTONOMY WITH INDONESIA
GEN WIRANTO ASSURES US THAT THE TNI WON'T BE TAKING SIDES - AND OF
COURSE, WE ALL BELIEVE HIM!!!
WHAT WE MUST DO TO GIVE SOLIDARITY TO THE EAST TIMORESE IS TO MAKE THE
FOLLOWING DEMANDS:
1. ALL MILITIAS MUST BE DISARMED AND DISBANDED
2. ALL INDONESIAN FORCES MUST BE WITHDRAWN BEFORE ANY ACT OF SELF
DETERMINATION OCCURS
3. HALT ALL MILITARY COOPERATION WITH THE INDONESIAN DICTATORSHIP
AND
ENCOURAGE OTHER UN MEMBER NATIONS TO DO THE SAME
4. SUPPORT A STRONG AND EFFECTIVE UN PEACE MAKING (SECURITY
RESTORING)
FORCE TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS PEACE AND THAT THE EAST TIMORESE ARE ABLE
TO DETERMINE THEIR FUTURE FREE OF TERROR AND COERCION FROM THE
DICTATORSHIP'S MILITARY AND MILITIAS
5. PRESSURE INDONESIA TO FREE XANANA GUSMAO SO THAT HE MAY PARTICIPATE IN
FURTHER UN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS
6. SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL RELIEF PROGRAMMES TO ADEQUATELY MEET THE
HUMANITARIAN NEEDS OF THE EAST TIMORESE (ESPECIALLY SURGICAL TEAMS TO
ASSIST THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INJURED IN ATTACKS BY THE MILITIAS & THE
TNI)
7. SUPPORT THE AMWU WHO HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST INDONESIAN
AIRLINES. THIS IS AN INSPIRATIONAL ACT OF SOLIDARITY
8. SUPPORT THE CALL BY JOSE RAMOS HORTA FOR IMF & WORLD BANK LOANS TO
INDONESIA TO BE HALTED
ON MAY DAY LET'S PLEDGE OURSELVES TO DO ALL WE CAN TO ASSIST OUR EAST
TIMORESE COMRADES TO ACHIEVE THEIR INDEPENDENCE & OUR INDONESIAN COMRADES
TO ACHIEVE DEMOCRACY
VIVA XANANA!
VIVA TIMOR LESTE!
VIVA SOLIDARIDAD INTERNATIONALE!"
Andrew (Andy) Alcock
Information Officer
Campaign for an Independent East Timor South Australia
c/o Global Education Centre
Torrens House
220 Victoria Square
ADELAIDE
SOUTH AUSTRALIA 5000
Phone: 61 8 83710480 (home) 61 8 82053259 (work)
Pager: 61 8 84157467
Facsimile: 61 8 82236509
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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