Most normal communications with East Timor are now out, either
through people being driven from the towns or communications being
deliberately cut. The last reporters and UN staff look like being driven
out soon, although this would be a desperate defeat for the UN and its
supporting governments as well as a tragic betrayal of the people they
promised to protect.
Through other communications Falantil commanders report that there
are thousands of refugees now in the mountains and they have made a
desperate call for humanitarian aid...food and medicines...to care for
them.
The issue of humanitarian aid was raised with Downer on Monday and
he said they would support sending aid. We need a
Union/NGO/Church/Community Aid Mission, using RAAF flights or
barge/ship protected by the RAN, and challenge the Australian
government not to protect the mission once it lands. We'll be raising
this at the ACTU affiliates meeting this morning. Any views on this
would be appreciated. This would have both political and humanitarian
objectives obviously.
They also report that numbers of TNI East Timorese troops are
deserting and joining Falantil and that there is fighting between militias
in some areas...some are defending the people against those attacking
them. The movement of people to the West is linked to the militias
strengthening and concentrating their position as well as outright
repression.
While there is tremendous frustration among Falantil, there is no move
to break ranks and move out of the cantonments, as emphasised by
Xanana Gusmao this morning from the British Embassy compound in
Djakarta.
The only other news was the that German government is strengthening
its position towards military support.
As if the current action against civilians was not enough, the next move
they fear is the reinforced TNI divisions will move into the mountains to
attack Falantil and the refugee camps.
They report that there have been rebellions among the TNI forces of
East Timorese coming over to Falantil, and some militias are fighting
each other.
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