Howard can claim no credit for independence in East Timor
John Howard has been loudly claiming that his January 1999 letter to B.J.
Habibie proposed the independence referendum that President Habibie also
announced in January.
In fact, the Howard-Downer position in January, 1999 was OPPOSED to any
early referendum on independence.
On January 12, Alexander Downer stated:
"an immediate move to self-determination would not work because it would
lead to a civil war. If you have a plebiscite now I think that (civil war)
would be the result, that's the whole point."
In fact, Howard and Downer proposed to Habibie a scheme whereby Jakarta
would provide some "autonomy" to East Timor, with Indonesian military still
present in East Timor.
The Howard letter suggested that this "autonomy" with Indonesian military
presence be for a "substantial period" before any act of self-determination
take place.
Both Howard and Downer both stated that they still preferred East Timor
remain within Indonesia.
No civil war, but Indonesian military vengence
The violence that occurred both before and after the August 30 referendum
was not a part of any civil war but a result of the systematic activity of
the Indonesian army (TNI) and its puppet militias.
THERE WERE NO MILITARY CLASHES BETWEEN THE PRO-INDEPENDENCE FALANTIL and
the TNI militias.
Cooperation with the TNI
The Howard government's persistent refusal to apply real pressure on
Jakarta to withdraw its forces from East Timor or even just confine its
troops to barracks as well as disarm the militias was a contributing factor
to the TNI's ability to carry out its scorched earth policy. Howard and
Downer's repeated public acceptance of TNI assurances about peace and
security for the East Timorese people only encouraged the TNI its violence.
Howard should have acted in accordance with the demands of the Australian
public and the East Timorese resistance that the Australian government end
all military ties with Jakarta.
Keating is wrong
The ability of the TNI to carry out its brutal occupation of East Timor and
its scorched earth policy after August 30 has been the PERSISTENT POLICY OF
ALL AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS, INCLUDING THAT OF KEATING HIMSELF AND OF
HOWARD, TO REFUSE TO APPLY REAL PRESSURE ON JAKARTA TO WITHDRAW ITS FORCES
FROM EAST TIMOR. KEATING AS WELL AS HOWARD SHARE RESPONSIBILTY WITH
SUHARTO, HABIBIE, AND WIRANTO FOR THE BLOOD SPILLED IN EAST TIMOR.
****************
Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor (ASIET)
P.O. Box 458, Broadway NSW 2007
Australia
Telephone: 02-96901230
Fax: 02-96901381
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Homepage: www.asiet.org.au
End all military ties with Jakarta!
Free Budiman Sujatmiko and all political prisoners!
Full Aust/UN recognition of CNRT, FALANTIL and other pro-independence
organisations!
--
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