Australian solidarity activists join Timorese protest in Dili
The following speech was given by Sarah Stephen, a member of the ASIET-ASAP
brigade to East Timor, at a protest organised by a number of East Timorese
groups on May 19 in Dili.
Participating organisations included the Labour Syndicate of East Timor
(KSTL); Eusebio Guterres, a member of parliament for the Democratic Party,
who represented the Labour Advocacy Institute of East Timor (LAIFET); La'o
Hamutuk - the East Timor Institute for Reconstruction Monitoring and
Development; the Sa'he institute, a left-wing think tank; the Timor
Socialist Labour Organisation (SBST); Groupo Defensor - Defence group for
democracy, peace and stability, coordinated by Manuel Carrascalao;
Solidaritas - the Student Council for Democracy; and the Pro-Proletariat
Movement (GPP).
The protest was timed to coincide with the arrival of Australian PM John
Howard and focused on the Howard government's attempts to steal Timor's
oil. The protesters also called on the incoming East Timorese government to
support the independence struggles being waged in West Papua and Aceh.
Sarah Stephen, along with other solidarity activists, will be speaking at a
public meeting organised by ASAP on June 13 at 6.30pm at the Humanist
Society Hall, 10 Shepherd St, Chippendale. For more information, call Pip
Hinman on 0412 139 968.
******************************************************************
Timor Gap protest
May 19, 2002
Speech by Sarah Stephen, Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific
(ASAP), Australia
Dili - Today is the last day of the United Nations running East Timor � the
last day of some 400 years of colonial rule. Tomorrow, the East Timorese
people will begin to govern themselves.
In Australia, many of us have campaigned hard for a free and independent
East Timor.
Australian governments have always supported the occupation of East Timor �
from Gough Whitlam to Malcolm Fraser, Bob Hawke, Paul Keating and John Howard.
But many people in Australia disagreed with our government. After the
referendum in 1999, we forced the Howard government to send the army to
East Timor to stop the Indonesian military and militia killings.
When tens of thousands of people protested in the streets, we forced
Howard, against his will, to help stop the killings.
John Howard sent troops, but John Howard is not your friend. The Australian
government still doesn't care about the people of East Timor. If Australia
cared about the East Timorese people, the government would not be stealing
East Timor's oil!
Timor is a very poor country. You have lived so long with war, occupation
and destruction. But the spirit and determination of the people can achieve
many things � rebuild cities and towns, build up agriculture. But you need
resources to do that � you need money. And not money from the World Bank,
from the IMF. Not loans which you have to repay by cutting wages, health,
education.
The oil in the Timor Sea, which is worth many millions of dollars in
royalties, gives the East Timorese people the chance to climb out of
poverty. But the Australian government is doing everything it can to deny
East Timor that future.
Australia is ignoring international law and using its strength to force
East Timor to accept less than it is entitled to.
In Australia, we will not stand by and let this happen. We will fight our
government's exploitation of East Timor. We will defend your right to
economic independence.
Your struggle is our struggle.
Viva Timor Leste!
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