BACK DOOR Newsletter on East Timor

A collection of recent reports, articles and news concerning complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity through the provision of military, economic or diplomatic support to Indonesia by Japan.

NEW = Added to BACK DOOR Website since last Monday's Emailout

Bahasa Indonesia/Malay:
Jan 22 Shige: Jepang dan TL: Luka Kekerasan Sulit Dilupakan
Artikel ditambahkan tanggal 22 Januari 2002
"Seandainya pemerintah Jepang sungguh mau membangun hubungan bilateral yang baik dengan Timor Lorosae, langkah awal adalah pengakuan kesalahan atas perbuatan dan kebijakannya pada masa lalu yang kejam, baik pada masa Perang Dunia II maupun masa pendudukan militer Indonesia di mana pemerintah Jepang selalu mendukungnya, dan meminta maaf kepada rakyat Timor Lorosae." Takahashi Shigehito, Perwakilan East Timor Desk, Konferensi Uskup Katolik Jepang

Jan 10 Shige: Japan & ET: Wounds of Violence are Hard to Forget  Article added Jan 22
"If the Government of Japan really wanted to build a good bilateral relationship with Timor Lorosae, the first step it should take is to acknowledge the mistakes of its brutal policies and actions toward the people in the past, both during WWII, and during the Indonesian military occupation - which Japan’s government consistently supported it - and ask the pardon of the people of Timor Lorosae." Takahashi Shigehito, Resident Representative of East Timor Desk, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan

Dec 8 ETNGOs: Commemoration Day of the Commencement of the Pacific War  Letter added Jan 24
"One needs to remember that the government of Japan is not only responsible for the Second World War, but also for its support of the invasion by the Indonesian military in East Timor over the time period of 24 years. For instance, Japan was the largest donor to Indonesia during the Indonesian military occupation. The government of Japan opposed all resolutions (eight times) of the United Nations that challenged the Indonesian invasion and occupation of East Timor. The trucks that were used to carry the bodies and victims after the Santa Cruz massacre in 1991 were Hino trucks from Japan, and there are more such examples. In our opinion, the reconstruction assistance is the moral obligation of the nation of Japan to the people of East Timor." Representatives of 20 East Timorese Non-Government Organisations (NGOs)

Nov 12 TETA: The eve of 10th anniversary of Santa Cruz massacre  Statements added Nov 12
"we call for:
* the international community ... to clarify,  ... the responsibility of the international community for failing to work for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, especially the responsibility of the great powers, which gave continued support to the Indonesian military;
* the Japanese government ... to ask, ... for the clarification of the responsibility of the great powers (including that of the Japanese government), which trained Indonesian soldiers and provided Indonesia with diplomatic support instead of pursuing crimes against humanity committed by the Indonesian military and government; to cooperate with the democratization of Indonesia by taking effective action to persuade relevant countries to stop all aid to the Indonesian military, which continues to carry out terrorist acts in Indonesia, and also to review ODA aid to Indonesia." 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

Sep 3 ETimorese NGOs write to Japanese PM re SDF  Letter added Sep 6
"More recently, for 24 years, the Japanese government has supported the illegal military occupation of East Timor by Indonesia. In 1982, Xanana Gusmao wrote a letter to the United Nation’s General Assembly explaining that Japan had left a wound in the hearts of the East Timorese people during World War II, and that this wound was deepened by the Japanese government’s close relationship with the Indonesian government." Yayasan HAK; Kdadalak Suli Mutu Institute; Gerakan Mahasiswa Pro Demokrasi; Grupo Feto Foin Sae Timor Lorosa’e; East Timor Women Against Violence; East Timor Students Solidarity Council; Sa’he Institute for Liberation; Fokupers; LBH “Ukun Rasik An”; Lao Hamutuk; Centro Desenvolvimento Economia Popular; Fundacao Haburas.

Aug 24 TETA: No! to the Dispatch of Japanese SDF to ETimor  Release added Aug 25
"Free East Timor! National Coalition, Japan, is against the current Japanese government plan to send the Self Defence Force (SDF) to East Timor as part of PKF, issued a statement in mid-July, and we are currently doing a FAX campagin against the plan. While knowing that Xanana and Horta said OK to the sending of SDF and understanding it, we cannot agree with the dispatch of SDF. Please read the following and, if you agree to our stand, please act on with us to stop sending SDF." Kyo Kageura, Tokyo East Timor Association

Jul 29 Matsuno: Japan's Self-Defense Force face up to the militia?--NO WAY!  Analysis added Aug 4
"Wherever in the world the trouble spot might be, the Government wants to send the SDF only to score political points, and certainly in the case of East Timor it has never given serious thought to securing peace. ... By this scenario, Japan can achieve its diplomatic targets. Firstly, contributing to this UN PKO will allow Japan to push more strongly its bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Secondly, Japan can protect its interests in Indonesia by avoiding being dragged into an open conflict with Indonesian politicians and generals. Contributing to peace in East Timor is not a matter of consideration in Japanese diplomacy and therefore it will be the first thing to be compromised when it is found to be at odds with Japan's relations with Indonesia." Akihisa Matsuno, Osaka University of Foreign Studies

Jul 16 Free East Timor Japan Coalition letter to the Defense Agency  Letter added Aug 4
"Japan being the largest trade partner, investor and donor of economic aid to Indonesia, the country that invaded and forcibly annexed East Timor, the international community looked to this country to try to persuade Indonesia to consider the peace proposals being offered by the East Timor resistance forces. But Japan would not even make the attempt. ... Japan has always been concerned about protecting, not the lives of East Timorese, but Indonesian stability and Japan's economic interests. The government long ago forfeited any claim to independent analysis or a fair hand in its actions." Free East Timor Japan Coalition