E.Timor NGOs protest police predictions of violence

Background:

After a phone conversation in which the Commander confirmed that the interview does reflect his opinions, a coalition of East
Timorese NGOs wrote him a letter on 17 February. As there has been no response to the letter for three weeks, the NGOs
have decided to release the letter to the public and the media.

The text of the letter, in English and Bahasa Indonesia, follows.

-- Charles Scheiner, International Federation for East Timor
(at the request of La'o Hamutuk and the other NGOs signing the letter)

Dili, 17 February 2001

Dear Commander Gent:

As you are aware, on 8 February 2001, a news article entitled “Police expect election violence in Dili” was released by the Australian Associated Press. The writer, Rod McGuirk, quoted you as saying that the upcoming East Timorese election would lead to an increase in civil disturbances because the East Timorese people “don’t understand what democracy is all about” and “don’t handle conflict properly.” In a phone call yesterday, you asserted these statements as reflecting your views.

We believe that these statements are based on a lack of communication and understanding with East Timorese civil society, and we would like to help bridge this gap. We appreciate the very difficult job you have here in East Timor and acknowledge that there have recently been serious incidents of violence and community concern over increasing violence. Your statements, however, add to a climate of fear and may potentially lead to further violence. With this letter, we hope to initiate further discussion.

We find your remarks problematic for a number of reasons:

• The East Timorese people understand democracy better than citizens of most Western democracies. During the 1999 Popular Consultation, 98.5% of our voters came out, peacefully defying threats and violence from pro-Indonesian military and militia forces. An overwhelming majority voted their opinions, in spite of threatened retaliation. Compare this with the recent election in the United States where only 50 percent of the eligible population voted and where there are serious questions about the legitimacy of the outcome of the presidential race.

• External forces caused the violence that plagued East Timor during 1999 (and for 23 years before that). The Indonesian government, its military, and militia proxies, instigated and perpetrated virtually all the violence before, during and after the 30 August vote. Most of the world’s most powerful countries -- all of which consider themselves liberal democracies -- provided significant economic, military, and diplomatic support to Jakarta from 1975 to 1999, thus greatly facilitating Indonesia’s crimes against the people of East Timor. The East Timorese people exercised incredible restraint in not responding to the massive campaign of murder, dislocation, arson, and terror inflicted. While we are grateful to UNAMET for facilitating that process, we believe that the East Timorese people’s commitment to peaceful democracy and disavowal of violence were the primary factors that enabled the Popular Consultation to succeed.

• Your comments replicate the false arguments put forth by the Indonesian military that blamed East Timorese for the violence fomented by an invading force. For more than two decades, Indonesia propagandized both the international community and the East Timorese population by asserting that East Timorese people were incapable of peaceful political debate  that their invasion in December 1975 was required to put an end to a civil war among us. This was never true. As is well-documented, the actions of Indonesian military intelligence were the major factor that led to the outbreak of the brief civil war, which ended more than two months before Indonesia launched its full-scale invasion of our country.

• Your comments reinforce racist stereotypes of the East Timorese people. Such stereotyping and racism by police authorities is a widespread problem all over the world, especially in multi-racial Western democracies. The problem often stems from police having little understanding of the communities they work in  an even more likely situation in East Timor than in places where the police share nationality and language with civil society. Close communication between the police and the broader community is critical.

• Finally, public pronouncements of imminent violence such as you made have a tendency, in any country, to induce a climate of fear and become self-fulfilling prophesies. They encourage a mindset within both the police and the civilian population that disagreements are likely to escalate into violence, and therefore encourage disputants to escalate rather than seek peaceful ways to resolve conflicts. This is especially dangerous when, as in this case, those responsible for upholding public order have little historical or cultural background, communication, or familiarity with those they are policing. East Timor’s elections are many months off; predicting election violence now is ungrounded, defeatist and dangerous.

To promote widely an idea that the East Timorese are incapable of working out disputes peacefully, is wrong and dangerous.  It is the responsibility of your office to be working with communities to identify constructive and locally appropriate strategies for peace, and to counter fears with facts.

We call on you to publicly repudiate your comments immediately. It is unacceptable to us that our police would carry such views. Assuming that you are willing to repudiate and apologize for your offensive remarks, we welcome the opportunity to work with you to ensure that both the transitional period and our future self-government are characterized by good, peaceful, open relationships between all elements of society.

You may contact us through Benjamin at the La’o Hamutuk office (325-013 or 0408-811-373). We thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Benjamin Sanches Afonso, La’o Hamutuk
Joaquim Fonseca, Yayasan HAK
Rui Castro, Center for Popular Economic Development
Nuno Rodrigues, Sa’he Institute for Liberation
Arsenio Bano, NGO Forum
Eladio Antoniu Faculto, Organizacao Juventude de Timor Loro Sa’e
Maria Dias, Klinika PAS
Manuela Leong Pereira, Fokupers

cc:Jose Luis da Costa de Sousa, Civpol
Sergio Vieira de Mello, UNTAET
Xanana Gusmao, President CNRT

Police expect election violence in Dili

By Rod McGuirk

DARWIN, Feb 8 AAP - Police are bracing for a resurgence of violence in Dili in the lead-up to the first general election, the Australian head of United Nations civilian police operations said today.

Authorities aim to hold East Timor's  first election on August 30 - the second anniversary of the independence ballot that degenerated into nationwide bloodshed.

While the pro-Indonesia militia threat in the East Timor  capital has diminished, Chief of Civpol Operations in East Timor,  Commander Gary Gent, said the election campaign posed new dangers.

"I don't like to use the term political violence, but I think there will be an increase in disturbances," Cmdr Gent told AAP from Dili.

"Their last experience (of an election), you know what happened there; they're still learning this process.

"The vast majority don't understand what democracy is all about, that you can have a contrary point of view.

"This raises conflict and they don't handle conflict properly."

Small conflicts have a tendency to escalate in the streets of Dili where a traffic accident can involve 100 people within minutes.

The dangers are exacerbated by increased gang activity in Dili and the readiness of the East Timorese to brandish machetes.

"A lot of locals carry machetes; it should be seen as a traditional tool but from a policing perspective, I'd rather they left them at home," Cmdr Gent said.

United Nations money in Dili has attracted a steady stream of East Timorese from the countryside and pushed up inflation in the impoverished nation.

Dili accounted for 82 per cent of crimes reported to Civpol in East  Timor,  although the crime statistics remain low.

Cmdr Gent, who was an Australian Federal Police patrol commander in Canberra before he was posted to Dili in December, nominated unemployment as the main cause of crime in Dili.

The young unemployed gravitated to gangs of men from their home communities. Gangs from Baucau and Lospalos were among the most visible in Dili.

There are allegations that the gangs extort money from local business people through standover rackets.

Cmdr Gent said he was only aware of one report of such extortion and Civpol had made an arrest on that occasion.

But he conceded a lot more crimes of intimidation probably went unreported.

"Under the surface, no doubt there is some of that around," he said.

Despite increasing gang activity, chronic unemployment and the population drain from the villages which strong family and community ties have kept virtually crime-free, Cmdr Gent did not believe Dili was headed for a major crime problem.

"You get differing reports but all I can refer to is reported crime figures which are steady as you go," he said.

The United Nations said violence between two gangs in Dili which raged over two days last month and ended with one man hacked to death and three others hospitalised was the first major civil disturbance since April last year.

Cmdr Gent said he would not classify that clash as a gang violence.

The violence began as a property dispute and he described the victim as a bystander.

A clash last week in which university students pelted rocks at Portuguese paramilitary police began when two police officers stopped an East Timorese man who was driving the wrong way down a one-way street.

"Whenever there's an issue involving international personnel and East Timorese, East Timorese will side very, very quickly with East Timorese," he said.

Dili, 17 Pebruari 2001

Kepada Yth:
KomAndan Gary Gent
Pimpinan Operasi Civpol
UNTAET
Dili, Timor Loro Sa’e

Komandan Gent yang terhormat,

Sebagaimana Anda tahu, pada tanggal 8 Pebruari 2001 sebuah berita artikel berjudul: “Polisi memperkirakan kekerasan pemilu di Dili” yang dikeluarkan oleh Asosiasi Pers Australia. Sang penulis, Rod McGuirk, mengutip pernyataan Anda sebagai berikut bahwa pemilu orang Timor Loro Sa’e yang akan datang akan mengarah pada suatu peningkatan kekacauan sipil, karena orang Timor Loro Sa’e “tidak memahami apa itu demokrasi” dan “tidak menangani konflik sebagaimana mestinya.” Dalam sebuah pembicaraan telepon kemarin Anda menegaskan bahwa pernyataan2 itu sebagai refleksi dari pandangan Anda.

Kami yakin bahwa pernyataan2 itu didasarkan pada kurangnya komunikasi dan pengertian dengan masyarakat sipil Timor Loro Sa’e, dan kami ingin menjembatani kesenjangan  ini. Kami sangat menghargai betapa sulitnya tugas Anda di Timor Loro Sa’e, dan mengakui bahwa akhir-akhir ini timbul beberapa kejadian kekerasan yang serius, dan masyarakat prihatin dengan meningkatnya kekerasan. Pernyataan Anda, bagaimanapun, memberi tekanan pada iklim ketakutan dan secara potensial dapat mengarah pada kekerasan yang lebih jauh. Dengan surat ini, kami berharap dapat mengawali suatu diskusi yang lebih jauh.

Kami melihat bahwa ucapan2 Anda mengandung beberapa masalah atas alasan sebagai berikut:

• Orang Timor Loro Sa’e memahami demokrasi dengan lebih baik dibandingkan dengan demokrasi2 Barat kebanyakan. Sejak dilangsungkannya jajak pendapat 1999, 98.5% dari pemilih kami keluar dengan kedamaian, menghadapi ancaman dan kekerasan dari kekuatan militer dan milisi pro-Indonesia. Mayoritas besar sekali memberikan suara mereka, meskipun ada ancaman pembalasan. Hal ini bila dibandingkan dengan Pemilu yang baru-baru ini berlangsung di Amerika Serikat di mana hanya 50% pemilih ikut pemilu dan di mana ada kesangsian serius tentang legitimasi hasil pemilu presiden.

• Kekuatan2 dari luar menyebabkan kekerasan yang melanda Timor Loro Sa’e pada tahun 1999 (dan 23 tahun sebelumnya). Pemerintahan Indonesia, ABRI, dan wakil2 milisi menghasut dan melakukan hampir semua kekerasan yang terjadi sebelum, selama dan sesudah jajak pendapat 30 Agustus. Kebanyakan negara berkuasa di dunia  semua yang menamakan diri sebagai demokrasi liberal  memberi dukungan ekonomis, military, dan diplomatis yang besar kepada Jakarta dari tahun 1975 hingga tahun 1999, demikian memfasilitasi kejahatan Indonesia terhadap masyarakat Timor Loro Sa’e. Masyarakat Timor Loro Sa’e melakukan pengendalian yang luar biasa dengan tidak menanggapi kampanye massal tentang pembunuhan, pemindahan, pembakaran rumah, dan terror. Sementara kami berterima kasih pada UNAMET yang memfasilitasi proses itu, kami yakin bahwa komitmen rakyat Timor Loro Sa’e terhadap demokrasi yang damai dan penolakan kekerasan adalah faktor2 utama yang memungkinkan suksesnya jajak pendapat.

• Komentar Anda mirip dengan uraian palsu dari militer Indonesia yang mempersalahkan orang2 Timor Loro Sa’e untuk kekersaan yang ditimbulkan oleh kekuasaan kolonial. Lebih dari duapuluh tahun, Indonesia melancarkan  propaganda, baik terhadap komunitas internasional maupun penduduk Timor Loro Sa’e, dengan menegaskan bahwa rakyat Timor Loro Sa’e tidak memiliki kemampuan untuk melakukan debat politik secara damai  bahwa invasi pada Desember 1975 diperlukan untuk mengakhiri perang saudara di antara kami. Ini sama sekali tidak benar. Sebagaimana didokumentasikan dengan baik bahwa aksi2 SGI merupakan faktor utama yang memicu perang saudara yang singkat, yang berakhir lebih dari dua bulan sebelum  Indonesia melancarkan invasi ke negeri kami.

• Komentar Anda mengkuatkan kembali stereotip rasial orang Timor Loro Sa’e. Sifat rasisme dan stereotip dari polisi merupakan masalah yang tersebar di seluruh dunia, terutama di demokrasi2 Barat yang multi-rasial. Masalahnya berasal dari pengertian yang minim dari polisi terhadap komunitas di mana mereka bekerja. Kemungkinan lebih besar situasi ini akan terjadi di Timor Loro Sa’e dari pada di tempat di mana para polisi mempunyai kebudayaan dan bahasa sama dengan masyarakat  sipil. Komunikasi yang akrab antara polisi dan komunitas sangat kritis.

• Akhirnya, pernyataan publik tentang kekerasan yang akan terjadi mempunyai suatu kecenderungan, di negara manapun, guna membujuk suatu keadaan ketakutan dan merubah suatu ramalan menjadi kenyataan. Mereka mendorong suatu pengertian baik dari polisi maupun dari masyarakat sipil bahwa perbedaan pendapat mungkin akan meningkat ke arah kekerasan, dan oleh karena itu mendorong para perusuh untuk memperkuat diri daripada mencari alternatif damai guna mengatasi konflik2. Ini khususnya sangat berbahaya apabila, sebagaimana dalam kasus ini, mereka yang bertanggungjawab menegakkan keteraturan umum kurang memiliki latar belakang histories dan budaya yang memadai, komunikasi atau tidak terbiasa dengan mereka di mana tugas kepolisian ditujukan. Pemilu Timor Loro Sa’e masih jauh; ramalan akan kekerasan pemilu kini tak berdasar, bersifat mengalah dan berbahaya.

Mengembangkan suatu ide secara meluas bahwa kini orang Timor Loro Sa’e tidak mampu memecakan perselisihan secara damai merupakan sesuatu yang keliru dan berbahaya. Ini merupakan tanggungjawab kalian untuk bekerjasama dengan masyarakat guna mengidentifikasi strategi2 yang konstruktif dan strategi2 perdamaian yang cocok secara local, dan mengatasi masalah ketakutan dengan kenyataan.

Kami meminta Anda untuk meralat kembali komentar anda secepat mungkin. Kami tidak menerima bahwa polisi kami berpandangan seperti itu. Seandainya Anda berniat meralat dan meminta ma’af atas kesalahan dari komentar anda, kami menyambut kesempatan untuk bekerja bersama anda guna menjamin bahwa baik periode transisi maupun masa depan kemerdekaan kami dicirikhaskan dengan kebaikan, kedamaian, hubungan yang bersifat terbuka antara semua unsur masyarakat.

Anda dapat menghumbungi kami melalui Benjamin di La’o Hamutuk (325-013 atau 0408-811-373). Kami berterima kasih atas perhatian anda.

Hormat kami,

Benjamin Sanches Afonso, La’o Hamutuk
Joaquim Fonseca, Yayasan HAK
Rui Castro, Center for Popular Economic Development
Nuno Rodrigues, Sa’he Institute for Liberation
Arsenio Bano, NGO Forum
Eladio Antoniu Faculto, Organizacao Juventude de Timor Loro Sae
Maria Dias, Klinika PAS
Manuela Leong Pereira, Fokupers

cc:Jose Luis da Costa de Sousa, Ketua Komisi Kepolisian
Sergio Vieira de Mello, Wakil Khusus Jendral Sekretariat
Xanana Gusmao, President CNRT