BD: November 20 2001
Month in Review
CONTENTS:
URGENT
JUSTICE ACTIONS
NEWS,
ARTICLES & REPORTS
* Santa
Cruz Massacre
* Justice
And Accountability in East Timor
* Calls
for an International Crimes Tribunal
* Japanese Self-Defense Force
* Independence
* Disparity Between UNTAET & East Timorese
* Health
* Military
Aid to Indonesia
* The Tampa Affair / Refugees
UPCOMING
AUSTRALIAN EVENTS
National
& International-Brisbane-Melbourne-Sydney
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BACK DOOR
EMAIL
SUBSCRIPTION
Canada-based Actions:
Nov
15 KairosCanada: Appeal for Tribunal Action added Nov
15
“There must be no hiding place for
political
monsters such as unleashed the destruction
of East Timor in 1999. These are crimes which are far greater than
their immediate victims ... They strike at the future as well as the
present.
They make the world more dangerous for everyone.” Bishop Belo of Dili,
Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, 1996
"Please show your support for the creation
of an international tribunal on East Timor and for human rights reform
in Indonesia. Below
is a brief outline of a letter you can send to Canada’s Minister of
Foreign Affairs, The Hon. John Manley. Please also send a copy of your
correspondence to our office. We will forward copies to all of the
member
countries on the UN Security Council, the UN body which mandates the
creation
of an international tribunal." Kairos: Canadian Ecumenical Justice
Initiatives
Ideas for Action in achieving Justice
for East Timor:
October
2001 LHB: Solidarity and International Justice Article
added Nov 9
"In the Philippines, the
Asia-Pacific
Coalition for East Timor (APCET) has suggested that a People’s
Tribunal
(unofficial prosecutors presenting evidence to a panel of experts who
are
not legal judges) could be a good way to highlight the issues, develop
the evidence, and create momentum toward an official legal court. ...
The
next session of the Commission [UN Commission on Human Rights], in
March/April
2002, will also require concerted lobbying to ensure that pressure for
justice is maintained. ... The possibility of preparing legal cases
against
leading generals and using the courts of countries, such as Belgium,
which
have shown a willingness to exercise universal jurisdiction over Crimes
Against Humanity, is an idea which the movement must seriously
consider.
Solidarity groups are likely to have the chance to discuss this and
other
possible strategies at a conference on impunity in Amsterdam at the
beginning
of December." Paul Barber, TAPOL,
the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
Until
Nov 29 IHRC & TLS: Urgent Action - ET Children Held in Indonesia
Action added Oct 17
"Considerable international pressure will
be needed to reunite hundreds of East Timorese children, held in
Indonesia,
with their parents. ... In the aftermath of the violence in East Timor
in 1999, hundreds of children were separated from their parents. It is
feared that many have been forced to work in Indonesian sweatshops and
plantations or as prostitutes. Australian journalists have been
following
the fate of 130 children, who were taken from refugee
camps in West Timor to primitive orphanages in Java." Indonesia
Human
Rights Committee & Timor Lorosae Support, New Zealand
Until
Nov 27 WSLS: New ASIO Powers Threaten Democratic Rights
Urgent Action added Oct 10
"New Powers: * ASIO to get powers
of arrest and detention for up to 48 hours; * the removal of the right
to silence when under questioning; * the creation of terrorist offences
and related legislation violating the rights to freedom of expression,
assembly and association. ... In the understandable fear generated
since
the
September 11 attacks and with the climate of war, fundamental civil
liberties are under threat. The [Australian] Federal Government, backed
by Labor, has announced substantial new powers for Australia’s spy
agency
ASIO and is proposing anti-terrorism laws that could violate basic
rights
and freedoms." Damien Lawson, Western Suburbs Legal Service, Melbourne,
Australia
ETAN/U.S.: Current Action Alerts:http://www.etan.org/action/urgntMnu.htm [includes actions to: End the Refugee Crisis] Link updated Sep 1
November 12th,
1991:
Massacre of unarmed
Timorese
youth at Santa Cruz cemetery
Nov
10 ETAN/U.S.: Alert: Honor the Santa Cruz massacre victims
Action alert added Nov 11
"NOVEMBER 12 marks the tenth anniversary
of one of the most infamous massacres in East Timor. On November 12,
1991,
the Indonesian military indiscriminately fired upon East Timorese
participants
in a memorial procession-turned-peaceful pro-independence demonstration
in the Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili. Over 270 civilians were killed.
This
massacre, unlike many others during the U.S.-backed Indonesian military
occupation, was recorded and reported on by international journalists.
News of the atrocity sparked an international solidarity movement for
East
Timor." ETAN Washington Representative
Karen
Orenstein
Nov
12 DemNow!: RealAudio Program on Santa Cruz Massacre Audio
link added Nov 15
"The Indonesian troops who committed the
massacre [Santa Cruz] used M-16 rifles provided by the US; their
officers
were trained and supported by the U.S.
When
the horrific reports of the Santa Cruz massacre reached the outside
world,
the response of the US and its allies was instructive. The Bush
Administration
doubled military aid to Indonesia even as General Try Sutrisno, who
would
later become Vice President, said of the nonviolent protestors “such
people
much be shot and we will shoot them.” But the massacre also sparked an
international solidarity movement to support the East Timorese struggle
for liberation from Indonesian occupation." Democracy NOW! in Exile
Nov
12 APCET: Ten years ago today, a massacre in Dili stunned the world
Statement added Nov 13
"The crimes against
East Timor are also crimes against humanity. It is time that the
international
community close this grim chapter in world history by convening an international
human rights tribunal for East Timor. It is time that the
Indonesian
government redress their past wrongs by cooperating, if not, initiating
proceedings to convene this international court. It is time for the
victims
and kin of all crimes in East Timor to rest. It is time for East Timor
to be completely free."
Asia-Pacific Coalition
for East Timor (APCET)
Nov
12 TETA: The eve of 10th anniversary of Santa Cruz massacre
Statements added Nov 12
"On Nov. 11, more than 70 people took
part in a memorial event in Tokyo to commemorate the 10th anniversary
of
the Santa Cruz massacre in East Timor. After about an hour meeting,
mourners
walked to the Indonesian embassy in Tokyo carrying pictures of victims
of the Santa Cruz massacre and laid flowers at the gate of the embassy.
The event was organised by Tokyo East Timor Association (a member group
of Free East Timor! Japan Coalition ), National Christian
Council,
Japan Catholic Council for Justice and Peace, Amnesty
International Japan, Network for Indonesian Democracy, Japan, Japan
NGO Network for Indonesia, and Pacific Asia Resource Center. The
attendants
unanimously approved the statement prepared by organisers, calling for
the establishment of an international tribunal
to prosecute Indonesian military officers and top-level militia leaders
responsible for crimes against humanity
committed
in East Timor." Kyo Kageura, Tokyo
East
Timor Association (Free East
Timor!
Japan Coalition)
Nov
12 SMH: Ten Years Later, Santa Cruz Massacre Still Leaves a Scar
Article added Nov 12
"Ten years after the massacre that shocked
the world, memories are still raw in East Timor. ... Ten years later
the
territory has its nominal freedom, but Santa Cruz is still an open
wound.
UNTAET has paid little attention to victims of
war
crimes, although they constitute a substantial sector of the
population.
... The balance is not entirely negative a decade later. Two young men,
Gregorio Saldanha and Francisco Branco, were among those arrested and
tortured
for the crime of organising a peaceful demonstration. Both served eight
years in Soeharto’s prisons, but were freed prematurely after the
dictator
fell. Today, they walk tall as members of Timor’s new parliament [Both
are National Fretilin Party Representatives
elected to the Constituent Assembly -
BD].
Only their troubled, serious faces indicate their sad past." Jill
Joliffe
in Dili
* Justice And
Accountability
in East Timor
* UNTAET
October
2001 LHB: UNTAET and “Serious Crimes” Article added
Oct
30
"Since the arrival of
UNTAET,
one of its most critical responsibilities has been to initiate and
achieve
accountability for some of those who perpetrated crimes
against the people of East Timor during 1999. ... many East
Timorese
and internationals here feel that investigations and prosecution of
Serious
Crimes are moving much too slowly, and that the goals set by the SCU
fail
to include the systematic and coordinated nature of the atrocities, or
to explore crimes committed before 1999. Many believe that the problems
stem from several principal factors: mismanagement, incompetence, lack
of vision, inadequate resources, and insufficient political will within
the international community." La'o
Hamutuk: East Timor Institute for Reconstruction Monitoring and Analysis
October
2001 LHB: Justice for East Timor? Article added Oct 30
"In the September 2001
issue
of Tais Timor, UNTAET outlines its “twenty
major
achievements,” which do not include anything related to Serious
Crimes
prosecution. (Their claimed “functioning
judicial and legal system” deals only with “ordinary” crimes.)
UNTAET’s
silence about its achievements reflects what is widely seen as
insufficient
progress in this area. Of course, this is a problem not only of
UNTAET’s
making, but more importantly a result of the lack of political will on
the part of Indonesia and the United Nations’ most powerful members to
ensure that East Timor sees justice. Nevertheless, there are serious
shortcomings
with UNTAET’s efforts to ensure justice for human
rights crimes committed in the context of Indonesia’s invasion and
occupation." La'o
Hamutuk: East Timor Institute for Reconstruction Monitoring and Analysis
* Commission for Reception, Truth & Reconciliation
October
2001 LHB: Commission for Reception, Truth & Reconciliation
Overview added Nov 9
"The
Commission has two general areas of activity ... First, it will
establish
the truth regarding human rights violations that took place between
1974
and 1999, ... the Commission will investigate not only individual cases
of rights violations, but also the extent to which the violations were
part of a systematic pattern of abuse. ...
The
CRTR will also examine the role of
international
actors - such as foreign governments - in its attempt to provide a
full picture of why gross human rights abuses occurred. ... Second, the
CRTR will assist “in restoring the human dignity of victims,” in part
by
providing them with the opportunity to tell their stories publicly. It
will also help to promote reconciliation amongst East Timorese by
“supporting
the reception and reintegration of individuals who have caused harm to
their communities” by what are deemed as relatively minor acts of
violence
(such as killing a few livestock or burning one or two houses)."
La'o
Hamutuk: East Timor Institute for Reconstruction Monitoring and Analysis
* Indonesia
Oct
16 FORTILOS/HAK: Justice Process in Indonesia re ET 1999
Article added Nov 15
"With the completion of the work of KPP-HAM,
and entrusted by the international world, the ongoing process lies in
the
hands of the Indonesian Attorney General (AG). The AG holds the
authority
to decide on which cases and whom to prosecute in court. [issues:] the
AG’s Office doesn’t have enough capability and knowledge to deal with
cases
previously unknown in Indonesia, such as “serious
violations of human rights” and/or “violations of international
humanitarian
law.” ... so far the AG has not been independent from the government,
and
especially not in relationship to the Indonesian National Military
(ABRI/TNI).
... one can assume from the beginning of August 2000 on, that certain
names
will be deleted from the list to be investigated by the AG. ... The
largest
obstacle for the Indonesian National Court of Justice is that the
suspects
of serious human rights crimes are Indonesian military (TNI) officers
...
TNI is a very dominant element in the regime that is currently in power
in Indonesia." By Nug Katjasungkana, Solidarity Forum for East Timor in
Indonesia (FORTILOS) and Yayasan
HAK,
Foundation of Law, Human Rights, and Justice
* Strengthen Existing Judicial Institutions
October
2001 LHB: East Timor’s New Judicial System Article
added
Oct 30
"It is vital that the
international
community continues to support and provide material assistance to the
fledgling
justice system well beyond the expiration of the UNTAET mandate. If the
new justice system does not receive the necessary support, the legacy
of
impunity and corruption left by Indonesia will continue to undermine
the
development of the rule of law in an independent East Timor." The
Judicial System Monitoring Programme
October
2001 LHB: An International Tribunal for East Timor?
Article
added Nov 9
"The Indonesian and UNTAET
systems are deeply flawed; much of the support for an
international tribunal is based on their perceived failure.
However,
there is an assumption that no more can be done to improve their
efficacy.
This may be true generally in respect to Indonesia; certainly in the
short
and medium term it is reasonable to expect that Jakarta will continue
to
avoid a judicial examination of the role of senior officials, or to
transfer
them to an alternative jurisdiction. A restructured Serious Crimes
Unit,
on the other hand, has the potential to achieve many of the goals that
supporters of an international tribunal seek." Jon Cina, [until
recently] Case Manager and Legal Advisor to UNTAET’s Serious Crimes
Unit,
[previously] war crimes investigator in Kosovo & working at the
International
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
Oct
31 Colombia: The Situation in East Timor Statement to
Security Council added Nov 13
"Another point that Mr. Vieira de Mello
made relates to the need for proper justice for crimes committed,
particularly
the
most serious offences. We have all recently heard many calls
for ad hoc courts or mechanisms to ensure that perpetrators of such
crimes are held responsible. This campaign and this activism confirm
how
important it is to do away with impunity. However, in our opinion, we
must
focus our efforts on the functioning and strengthening of existing
institutions
and those that are to be created. In our view, justice and
reconciliation
should be fully compatible. Without proper justice being done, we
cannot
set out on the road to true coexistence.
The
Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation commissions is
very
useful." Ambassador Alfonso Valdivieso, Permanent Representative of
Colombia
* Women
October
2001 LHB: Women and Justice Article added Nov 9
"The justice system can
respond to violence against women in a
number
of important ways by: * clearly prohibiting violence; * ensuring that
the
justice system treats domestic violence in the same way as other forms
of violence; * providing protection for women from continuing violence;
and * providing adequate and just compensation for injuries caused by
violence.
... Ensuring that the law itself protects women
and complies with international human rights standards is only the
first
step. In addition, there must be effective community
education about women’s rights and sensitive administration of the
laws. It is the responsibility of all those involved in the justice
system
law makers, police, prosecutors, lawyers and judges - to ensure that
women
achieve full equality before the law." Kate Halliday, Australian-based
lawyer & recent volunteer with FOKUPERS
(East Timorese Women’s Communication Forum) in Dili
* Resources
Nov
14 LH: Dili Justice Seminar report excerpts Summaries
added Nov 15
"The following material relates to a seminar
held in Dili on 16 October 2001 entitled Justice And Accountability In
East Timor: International Tribunals And Other Options organized by
several East Timorese non-governmental organizations. ... If you would
like the 24-page seminar report including all papers, discussions and
outcomes
of the seminar, write to
ifet@etan.org
and I will email you an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file. Please indicate if
you
would like the English or Bahasa Indonesia version. The full report of
the seminar will be available soon at
http://www.etan.org/lh/reports.html
[including new information and reports as they come out]" Charlie
Scheiner,
La'o
Hamutuk: East Timor Institute for Reconstruction Monitoring and Analysis
A Summary/Chronology of all major
events:
October
2001 LHB: Justice and Accountability for East Timor: Sep 99 - Oct 01
Timeline added Nov 15
La'o
Hamutuk: East Timor Institute for Reconstruction Monitoring and Analysis
*
Calls for an International Crimes Tribunal
Nov
12 APCET: Ten years ago today, a massacre in Dili stunned the world
Statement added Nov 13
"The crimes against
East Timor are also crimes against humanity. It is time that the
international
community close this grim chapter in world history by convening an international
human rights tribunal for East Timor. It is time that the
Indonesian
government redress their past wrongs by cooperating, if not, initiating
proceedings to convene this international court. It is time for the
victims
and kin of all crimes in East Timor to rest. It is time for East Timor
to be completely free."
Asia-Pacific Coalition
for East Timor (APCET)
Oct
30 UNSC: ET women: ‘Arria formula’ meeting Speech
added
Nov 2
"East Timorese women call for a concerted
effort by the UN to help reunite displaced families, and in particular
to bring together unaccompanied children who were separated as a result
of the organized violence. We also call for a
return
of East Timorese refugees in West Timor, where women and children
under
the control of the militia are often sexually attacked and suffer from
malnutrition and poor health. ... East Timorese women call upon the UN
to provide resources for cost
effective
and community managed health promotion projects that cover
reproductive
health, communicable disease control and environmental health. ... East
Timorese women join the rest of society, including Bishop
Belo, all political parties and NGOs
in appealing for justice for serious crimes
including
gender-based
crimes through an International Tribunal."
Natércia Godinho-Adams, on behalf of East
Timorese women’s organizations
Oct
29 APCET letter to UN Security Council on International Tribunal
Letter added Oct 31
"We are writing to urge you to establish
an international
tribunal to try the war
crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed in East
Timor
from 1975 onward. ... [We are] hopeful that your Excellencies will mark
this month’s commemoration of the UN’s birthing by being true to the
principles
of which you were founded. In this era when peoples of the world have
almost
lost faith and trust in entities such as the UN, establishing an
international
tribunal for East Timor will be an apt celebration of the ideals that
engendered
the UN." Mr. Augusto N. Miclat, Jr., Coordinator, APCET,
the Asia-Pacific Coalition for East Timor [The coalition includes
17
affiliates from Asia-Pacific countries including Indonesia]
Oct
24 ET NGOs: Urgent Steps Needed to Establish Justice
Letter
added Oct 27
"We urge the United Nations not to leave
East Timor alone with the consequences of the crimes
so terrible that they are characterized as against all humanity. It
is time to take immediate steps to establish an
International Tribunal for East Timor. This is the only
mechanism
that could address the current need for justice, the missing element so
far, in the process of nation building for East Timor and worldwide
respect
for human dignity." Yayasan HAK; Lao
Hamutuk; FOKUPERS; Bishop
Belo’s Center for Peace and Development Kdadalak Sulimutu Institute
(KSI);
Working Group for Electoral Education (KKPP); Judicial
System Monitoring Project (JSMP); East
Timor Student Solidarity Council (ETSC); Student Solidarity Council
of Oe-Cusse; Yayasan Timor Nabilan;
Nove-Nove Survivers Group (Maliana); NGO Forum
Oct
24 Internationals in ET write UN Security Council on Justice
Letter added Oct 27
"We
are writing as citizens of many countries who currently reside in East
Timor (Timor Lorosa’e), working with a variety of organizations. ...
After
two years, the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor
is winding down. East Timor will be independent soon. It would compound
the
crimes already committed here if this tiny, poor nation which has
endured
so much terror is left on its own to cope with criminals who still hold
positions of power in its huge neighbor. The period of U.N.
responsibility
for East Timor must leave a legacy of justice and accountability if
East
Timor is to succeed as a member of the world community." J Conway (Asia-Pacific
Support Collective); Sr. B Guhit (Bishop
Belo’s Center for Peace & Development); J Gunter; C Serreira e
Freire (Oikos); M Hachisuka (La’o Hamutuk);
T Irawati (FORTILOS); V Joshi (LH); N
Katjasungkana (FORTILOS); I Lempp; J Newton (Caritas
Australia); S Martin (CA); H
McCaughey
(Australian Volunteers International); C Ranheim (Judicial
Systems Monitoring Programme); S Rosa; C Scheiner (International
Federation for East Timor); P Sexton (LH);
A de Sousa (LH); J Sternberg
Oct
20 Free East Timor! Japan Coalition writes to UNSG re international
tribunal
Letter added Nov 13
"The recent attacks
against the United States, which resulted in the deaths of
thousands
of innocent people, have been rightly condemned by the international
community
as acts of terrorism. The world has been united in its calls for the
perpetrators
of these terrible crimes to be identified and brought to justice; ...
Just
as the victims of the U.S. attacks deserve justice, so do the East
Timorese.
Terrorism, which is generally defined as the systematic use of violence
to create a general climate of fear in a population and thereby to
bring
about a particular political objective, is an accurate description of
the
sufferings
inflicted on the East Timorese people by the Indonesian military
during
the 24 years of Indonesian occupation." Free
East Timor! Japan Coalition
Nov
3 Age: Timor's Haunted Women Article added Nov 7
"They’re cruel! We don’t want Japanese
soldiers back here!” Marta Pereira, one of around 1000 surviving
ETimorese
women who were used
as sex slaves, or “comfort women”, by the Japanese military
“We see it as an important issue - despite
their old age, these women are still suffering, ... We struggled 24
years
to get Indonesian troops out of here, and now we’re being asked to accept
Japanese troops. Japanese support should be in another form. It’s
ugly
to have troops here when no apology has yet been made.” Natalia de
Jesus
Cesaltino, Fokupers
Nov
1 Inglis: UN and Tokyo agree on dispatch of Japanese troops to ETimor
Article added Nov 7
"The Japanese government announced on
October 22 that a
600-member Self-Defense Force engineering battalion would be sent to
East
Timor next spring. ... twelve Timorese
NGOs,
organizations (involved in such fields as human rights, women’s issues,
student mobilization, international aid monitoring, etc.) issued a
statement
opposing the SDF dispatch and urging Japan to instead use its political
and economic influence with Indonesia to bring about the normalization
of conditions along the border with Indonesian West Timor. ... most of
the world’s people, if given a choice, would opt for a twenty-first
century
with one less, rather than one more, military armed to the teeth and
waiting
for war." Jean Inglis, member of the Japanese solidarity network
October
2001 IAI: SDF Dispatch to the PKF in ETimor: “Aid with a face”?
Article added Nov 19
"East Timor thus becomes the target zone
in which the [Japanese]
Self-Defense Force aims to advance its own priorities. But toward
whom
should we [Japan] be turning our face? The people who were made
to suffer by the Japanese Army in World War II, the people who
suffered from the Indonesian invasion, the people who still live
under
the threat of violence by the pro-Jakarta militia,
and the people who are working to build
their
land into a new country. To protect its own interests, Japan
supported
Indonesia’s invasion of East Timor and turned a blind eye to the
slaughter
carried out by the Indonesian military. The crimes we have committed
against
the people of East Timor (including the crime of indifference) are not
such as can be erased by aid given after independence. But if, even so,
we want to help East Timor in some way, we have to start by listening
to
the East Timorese. The statement of the
twelve
East Timorese NGOs on the issue of the SDF dispatch is one such
voice."
Namba Mitsuru
Oct
31 UN: SC Endorses Proposal to Declare ETimor Independence 20 May
Statement added Nov 6
"The Security Council this afternoon
welcomed
the political progress achieved to date towards establishing an
independent
East Timorese State, and endorsed the recommendation by the Constituent
Assembly of the Territory that independence be declared on 20 May
2002.
... Mari Alkatiri, Chief Minister of the Second
Transitional Government of East Timor, stressed the importance of
institution-building
and the gradual transfer of
administrative
functions to East Timorese civil servants." U.N. Security Council
Oct
27 RDP: Timorese leader rejects fresh general elections after
independence
Interview added Oct 31
"I can assure you that we will not have
general elections. I am saying this on behalf of the party which holds
the majority in the constituent assembly. [FRETILIN]
... I am a member of the constituent
assembly,
an elected and sovereign body, and it will be the assembly that
shall
decide this. ... when we laid down the electoral law, and when we
discussed
these elections, discussions that also took place at the CNRT
[the National Council of the Timorese Resistance, now defunct], it
was decided that the constituent assembly would become a legislative
and
parliamentary assembly." Mari Alkatiri, chief minister of the provisional
government
*
Disparity Between UNTAET & East Timorese
Oct
30-Nov 5 Tempo: The Disparity Between UNTAET and E.Timorese
Article added Nov 4
"The contrasting
incomes and lifestyles between the expatriates and nationals in
Timor
Loro Sa’, particularly in Dili, has caused deep envy and anger among
the
local population. That’s why rock attacks still happen occasionally,
even
if the war has ended. Those rocks are being thrown at UNTAET cars
during
night time, smashing window screens. This outpouring of anger is
triggered
by the flagrant display of wealth amidst the widespread poverty around
the local people." Raihul Fadjri (Yogyakarta), Setiyardi (Timor Loro
Sa’e).
Oct
30-Nov 5 Tempo: Foreign Pie in a Local Kitchen (UNTAET’s Budget for
2000)
Info added Nov 4
"Salaries of military personnel US$220
millon; Salaries of civilian personnel US$199 million; Salaries of
international
staff US$112 million (monthly average of US$7,800 per head); Dental
care
for military personnel US$7 million; Laundry cost of military personnel
US$2.1 million; Drinking water for military personnel US$3.65 million;
Salaries of local staff US$5.5 million (monthly average of US$240 per
head);
Total
Budget 2000 US$549.15 million " Raihul Fadjri (Yogyakarta),
Setiyardi
(Timor Loro Sa’e)."
Oct
30-Nov 5 Tempo: 100s of UNTAET employees stay in Timor's Floating Hotels
Article added Nov 5
"In its one year of operation under
contract
with UNTAET, [Hotel] Olympia is believed to have made at least US$40
million
in profits—eight times the amount UNTAET spent in salaries to its local
employees during the same period. ... Having won independence, the
Timorese
are awakening to a new reality. The sight of Lobato sleeping on the
pavement
of a pot-holed road and old rickety buildings lining the beach stands
in
stark contrast to the [floating hotel] Central Maritime display of good
living—a reminder to the Timorese that they still have to face another
enemy in their midst—poverty." Setiyardi (Timor Loro Sa’e)
Oct
15 ETO: Health - international agencies withdrawing already
Report added Oct 30
"The
health sector is one of the areas that most benefited from
international
emergency aid: qualified specialist workers and relatively abundant
international
funding, especially from the Trust Fund. However, all this is beginning
to be phased out. ... Even before the August 1999 referendum, in
seminars
dealing with development issues, the World Bank
and Timorese leadership were underlining the importance of ensuring the
sustainability of the future health service. But the contradictions
between
providing emergency aid and constructing a suitable sustainable health
service model do not disappear just because there is awareness of
them."
East
Timor Observatory
Oct
23 WPI: Indonesia at the Crossroads: U.S. Weapons Sales and Military
Training
[75kb] Report added Oct 24
"As he [US President Bush] builds a
coalition to fight terrorism, Bush is in danger of arming and
training
some of the Pacific region’s worst tools of terror—namely the
Indonesian
military. ... In December 1975, Indonesia invaded the new nation of
East
Timor, which had just declared itself independent from Portuguese
colonizers.
Within five years, more
than 200,000 people, one-third of the pre-invasion population, had been
killed, ... given the current instability [within Indonesia], it
seems
self evident that new
shipments of weapons and military training from the United States
[to
Indonesia] would only pour gas on the raging fire of this 17,000-island
archipelago." Frida Berrigan, author of this special report
Aug
2 AUSGOV: New facilities for Defence Intelligence Training Centre,
Canungra
Presentation to inquiry added Oct 24
"We have been presenting public protest
and concerns about this military facility for the past 10 years, over
the
training
of Indonesian military forces. We submit that the facility should
not
upgrade and increase its capacity to provide this military assistance
until
it reviews its past conduct in encouraging forces, such as the
Indonesian
armed forces, to believe that their actions have the support of the
armed
forces of Australia. ... in 1991 the Dili massacre presented to all
Australians
clear evidence of the Indonesian forces and officers being involved in
frightening
human rights abuses." Mr Damian le GOULLON, member, Catholic Worker
Oct
30 IOM: East Timor - Returns on the Increase News
added
Oct 31
"In October, IOM has assisted 3,233 East
Timorese refugees to return home, the highest number of returns in
a single month since March 2000 when 9,485 East Timorese were assisted
to return home. This significant increase can be attributed to the
ongoing reconciliation process that has boosted the confidence of
refugees
as to the situation in East Timor, especially since the successful
30 August elections." Jean Philippe Chauzy, International
Organisation
for Migration (IOM) Spokesperson
Oct
25 ETO: Refugees’ repatriation to ETimor in the hands of pro-autonomy
leaders
Article added Nov 8
"Returns [of 'refugees']
to East Timor suddenly increased when some leaders, who had hitherto
been
staunch supporters of autonomy in Indonesia,
decided to recognise independence and advocate repatriation to East
Timor,
taking with them a large number of refugees. Repatriation in these
circumstances
account for over 75% of the returns since 14 September - clear evidence
of the influence that militia/UNTAS
leaders
still wield over refugees in West Timor. The delays and contradictions
on the part of Indonesia illustrate not only lack of will to resolve a
problem that it caused itself, but also a lack of interest in
clarifying
the past and avoiding the same mistakes in the future." East
Timor Observatory
Oct
30 Aus: Gusmao blasts Ruddock on Refugees News added
Oct
31
"Commenting on Canberra’s current
handling of refugees boatloads, which have been diverted to
far-flung
Pacific territories, Gusmao said he personally had experience of
Australian
reluctance to take in refugees. He recalled that when violence engulfed
East Timor after it voted for independence in August 1999, he met
Australian
Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock to appeal for a few East Timorese
students
being harassed in Indonesia to be allowed entry to Darwin “as a bridge
to East Timor”. ... “But Mr Ruddock said no,” ... “I was very, very
angry,
because people were in a very difficult situation, but I had to accept
his decision at that time,” " AFP
Oct
22 SMH: Tampa Affair: How the UN blocked ETimor solution
Article added Oct 25
"Frustrated by the increasingly
embarrassing
Tampa
[asylum seekers] standoff, the Australian Government turned to its
aid-supported neighbours for help. ... when East Timor was approached,
the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, stepped in to block the plan. ...
The trouble is, the Tampa operation has used up much of the goodwill
Australia
once enjoyed on refugee questions. ... But with the erection of a
second
camp on Nauru and negotiations to build yet more camps on Fiji, Palau
and
Kiribati, the question remains: where can these people go in the end
except
where they were always heading, Australia? All we can say for certain
is
that they won’t be back here [Australia] before the [Federal]
election."
Marian Wilkinson and David Marr
* Other
Oct
25 FAETTA: Indonesian graves safe in East Timor
Release
added Oct 30
"The Jakarta Post story stated, “The East
Timorese demanded that the Indonesian authorities exhume all the graves
and remove the remains to Indonesian territory.” The Foreign Ministry,
and the Government of East Timor categorically deny that there has been
such a demand. ... It is the view of the East Timorese political
leaders
that the graves of Indonesian soldiers, and other Indonesian citizens
buried
in East Timor are sites that must be respected like any other burial
site,
regardless of the historical and political roots." Department of
Foreign
Affairs and Cooperation, Second Transitional
Government
East Timor
Oct
24 UNTAET: Two New Institutions to Fight Poverty Approved
News added Oct 30
"The East
Timorese
Council of Ministers today approved the creation of two new
institutions,
a Foundation for the Reduction of Poverty in East Timor and a Society
for
Micro-finance in East Timor, following agreements between UNTAET and the
Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed in December 2000." United
Nations
Transitional Administration in East Timor
UPCOMING
AUSTRALIAN EVENTS
National
& International-Brisbane-Melbourne-Sydney
http://www.pcug.org.au/~wildwood/events.htm
NATIONAL &
INTERNATIONAL
EVENTS:
Access
details of National & International Events at:
http://www.pcug.org.au/~wildwood/national.htm
UN Committee against Torture
Asia Pacific
Mediation
Forum “Reconciliation: Conversations beyond cultural
boundaries”,
Adelaide
Thursday 29 November 2001, 18.00-19.00:
Keynote Speaker Dr Jose Ramos Horta
Topic: Bridging religious and cultural divides – Public Forum in
Brookman
Hall, City East Campus, North Terrace, University of South Australia
Info: Ann Braybon - ann.braybon@unisa.edu.au
Conference website: http://www.unisa.edu.au/cmrg/apmf
November 29-December
1
See: BD:
The
Reconciliation
Process in East Timor
Conference: Constitutions &
Human
Rights in a Global Age:
An Asia Pacific Perspective Symposium
at Australia National University, Canberra.
3rd Dec 11:30 - 1:30pm: Workshop
Presentation
by Mr Dionisio Babo Soares, Dr Lao Mong Hay & Ms Usha
Ramanathan
"Futures - Rethinking Human Rights and their Constitutional
Implications"
(places are strictly limited - please contact organizers)
Mr Dionisio Babo Soares was Vice-Dean
for Social and Political Studies at the University of East Timor, and
is
currently completing a doctorate at the ANU, focusing on the transition
to independence in East Timor.
Info: Maxine McArthur, Barbara Gatzen
(02) 6125 3162 e-mail: Maxine@coombs.anu.edu.au
or Barbara.Gatzen@anu.edu.au
http://rspas.anu.edu.au/pah/conferConst.htm
November 30, December 1-3
See: BD:
Constitutional Process in East Timor / Konsulta iha Konstituisaun iha
Timor
Lorosae
Conference on War
Crimes
Impunity in Amsterdam
Solidarity groups are
likely
to have the chance to discuss strategies of achieving Justice
for East Timor at this conference
Info: Paul Barber,
TAPOL,
the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
Tel +44 020 8771 2904 fax +44 020 8653
0322 Email: tapol@gn.apc.org
Early in December
See: October
2001 LHB: Solidarity and International Justice
International Day for the Abolition
of Slavery
December 2
See: IHRC
& TLS: Wage & Sexual Slavery of East Timorese Children
&
BD:
Sexual
Slavery of East Timorese Women & Anti-Slavery
Society of Australia & Anti-Slavery
International & NI:
The Burden of Slavery
International Human Rights Day
December 10, 2001
See: BD:
War Crimes & Crimes Against Humanity in East Timor & Indonesia
UN Commission on
Human
Rights
The next session of the
Commission will require concerted lobbying to ensure that pressure for
justice for East Timor through an international
tribunal is maintained.
Info: Paul Barber,
TAPOL,
the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
Tel +44 020 8771 2904 fax +44 020 8653
0322 Email: tapol@gn.apc.org
Venue: Geneva
March/April 2002
See: October
2001 LHB: Justice for East Timor?
Global Revolt-Global Links: 2nd Asia
Pacific International Solidarity Conference
Official participants include: The
Socialist Party of Timor, Dita Sari, a leader of the Peoples
Democratic
Party in Indonesia and Chairperson of the Indonesian National Front for
Workers’ Struggle (FNPBI), & Action
in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor (ASIET)
Register on-line: http://www.global-revolt.org
March 29-April 1, 2002, Sydney,
Australia
Access
details of Brisbane Events at:
http://www.pcug.org.au/~wildwood/brisbane.htm
A night of West Papua films:
40th Anniversary of the Raising of the
Morning Star Flag in West Papua
“Arrows Against the Wind” 1993; “Act of
No Choice” 1999 $7 /$5 supper provided
Info: awpab@yahoo.com.au
Organised by: Australia - West Papua
Association
AWPAB:
http://www.geocities.com/awpab
AWPAS: http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/cline/papua/
Justice Place - 5 Abingdon St,
Woolloongabba
(off Annerley Rd)
Sat Dec 1st, 6.30 pm
Access
details of Melbourne Events at:
http://www.pcug.org.au/~wildwood/melbourne.htm
Weekly Nike Pickets - Protest Indonesian Sweatshops
Access
details of Sydney Events at:
http://www.pcug.org.au/~wildwood/sydney.htm
Weekly Stop Nike Pickets - Protest Indonesian Sweatshops
Indonesian Update: George Aditjondro and Max Lane
SYMPOSIUM "Keeping the Peace,
Repaying
the Debt"
Public discussion with WWII Timor
veterans,
Bill Tomasetti and Paddy Keneally, and Peace Keepers recently returned
from East Timor. Free, all welcome [part of the "Leaving the Crocodile"
Exhibition]
Details: a.wise@uws.edu.au,
or Sarah Vyden (02)9602-0315
Liverpool Regional Museum, Corner
Congressional
Drive & Hume Highway Liverpool
Sat 24th November - 1pm-4pm
"Friends of Maliana" stall at Glebe
Festival
Info: Gail Clifford gailc@lmc.nsw.gov.au
or (02) 9367-9047 or Jeff Lee (02) 9500-1638
Sunday 25th November
Speaker: Jackie Ashton (former
Timor
Aid Media Liaison Officer) speaking on refugees, asylum
speakers
and East Timor
Last Australia
East Timor Association (AETA) Meeting for 2001
Info: Phone AETA Secretary Stephen
Langford
on 9331-5986
UTS/Level 3 Meeting Room, Broadway
Wed 28th Nov, 6.30pm
See: BD:
Tampa asylum seekers & East Timor & BD:
East Timorese 'Refugees' & Missing Persons
CLOSING CONCERT of the Pacific Wave
Festival, Bondi Pavilion
Help needed at Australia
East Timor Association (AETA) stall.
Phone (02) 9824-1121 or email reception@casualapowerhouse.com
for complete program.
Sunday December 2nd, 12am-5pm
West Papua: Promoting Reconciliation
as a Way Towards Peace Dialogue
Info: http://www.arts.usyd.edu.au/Arts/departs/cpacs/wppmain.htm
The West Papua Project (WPP), Workshop
II, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPACS), University of Sydney
A two day workshop, 12-13 December 2001
at the University of Sydney
Quality info on West Papua: http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/cline/papua/
|
http://www.geocities.com/awpab
See: BD:
The
Reconciliation
Process in East Timor
A screening
&
Discussion of Pilger's doco - "The New Rulers of the World"
John Pilger will
answer questions on his latest film about the impact of globalisation,
with Indonesia as a case study.
Pilger presents
the compelling argument that economic globalisation is but the latest
phase
of colonial domination of the weak by the powerful. Globalisation ...
is
being deliberately moulded by powerful international forces such as the
World
Trade Organisation, the World Bank and the
International
Monetary Fund. The film reveals ‘free’ trade as nothing other than
forced trade, with victims aplenty falling by the wayside. Some of
these
victims are the half-million
Indonesians who were slaughtered in
Suharto’s Western-supported coup in 1965, leading to the Western
control
of that country’s economy, as Pilger documents.
Presented by Green
Left Weekly and Action in Solidarity
with Indonesia and East Timor (ASIET)
Tickets $16 / $10
Conc Bookings 9690 1031 or 1800 634 206
Valhalla Cinema
166 Glebe Point Road Glebe
8pm Friday December
14; Food available from 7.30pm
See: BD:
Financing Reconstruction in East Timor - Reports on the World Bank
&
the IMF
Films: Double
Feature:
"The New Rulers Of The World" & "M1: People Resist
Corporate
Globalisation"
(A film about the campaign against corporate
globalisation in Australia.)
(This event will not feature John Pilger)
Presented by Green
Left Weekly and Action in Solidarity
with Indonesia and East Timor (ASIET)
$12/8 conc Bookings
9690 1031 or 1800 634 206
Valhalla Cinema, 166 Glebe Point Road,
Glebe
3pm Sat Dec 15 AND 7pm Sun Dec 16
"Leaving the Crocodile" Exhibition:
An exhibition of creative works by
Timorese
artists working with Timorese youth, AND a full 25 year history of the
Timorese community in Sydney.
BACK DOOR:
. upholds human rights,
. supports East Timorese
self-determination
and
. promotes East Timorese voices.
More about BACK DOOR:
http://www.pcug.org.au/~wildwood/AboutBD.htm
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