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Sample Letters to the Editor on Current Crisis in
East Timor
Please adapt the following letters to your own words. Let us know if
your letter is published. Send copies to etan@etan.org.
Letters to the editor are often the most widely-read section of
newspapers. Be sure to include your full name, address, and telephone
number. Keep your letter to about 200 words. If possible, include a
local angle or respond to an article or opinion published in the paper.
Timeliness is best, so the sooner you submit your letter, the better.
Contact John M. Miller, etan@etan.org or 718-596-7668, if you'd like
some help with your letter. For additional background
see Statement by the East
Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) on the Current Violence in
Timor-Leste, or
http://www.etan.org/et2006/may/crisis.htm.
Mix and match the letters; adapt to your own words. Please adapt the following letters to your own words. Let us know if
your letter is published. Send copies to etan@etan.org.
Letter #1
For Publication
To the Editor,
The current crisis in East Timor is an unfortunate setback for the new
nation. One important cause is the premature down-sizing of UN
operations. As it considers its next steps, the UN must design a mission
that provides appropriate assistance to help the new nation become
peaceful and prosperous.
Speaking about East Timor recently, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said
that ?there has been a sense that we tend to leave conflict areas too
soon.? As a member of the Security Council, the U.S. should actively
support a mission that reflects East Timor?s needs, not an artificial
timetable. Given the breakdown of the police, East Timor will require
assistance in this area.
But security is only one piece of the puzzle. The international
community must help the country overcome its widespread poverty, one of
the fundamental causes of the recent violence. East Timor will also need
strong support to conduct next year?s crucial presidential and
parliamentary elections. The pursuit of justice for the brutal crimes
committed during the Indonesian military occupation must be central, and
there should be a strong focus on building a credible domestic justice
system. The UN mission, as required by previous Security Council
resolutions, must facilitate a major role for East Timor?s women in
rebuilding their county.
Sincerely
NAME
ADDRESS
DAYTIME PHONE
Letter #2
For Publication
To the Editor,
The current violence in East Timor highlights the need for the
international community, especially the UN, to increase involvement in
East Timor and provide the help needed to complete the nation-building
and development tasks to which they have already committed.
Another area requiring strong international support is the pursuit of
justice for East Timorese victims of Indonesia's brutal military
occupation. Indonesia invaded East Timor in 1975 with U.S. backing.
According to East Timor?s truth commission, more than 100,000 were
killed and unknown numbers tortured, raped and driven from their homes.
Although a number were indicted, not a single Indonesian official has
been brought to justice for the scorched-earth campaign in East Timor
during the1999 independence referendum period.
This failure to hold the Indonesian military accountable has contributed
to East Timor's current crisis by leading some in the new nation to
believe that their own use of violence for political ends will be met
with similar impunity.
The U.S. and the United Nations must step in and actively pursue justice
for East Timor by creating an international tribunal to try those
responsible for the crimes against humanity committed by Indonesia. In
the long run, this will contribute to stability in the new nation and
democracy in Indonesia.
Sincerely
NAME
ADDRESS
DAYTIME PHONE
see also
joint Australian
letter on justice and the current crisis - Without Justice There
Will Be No Peace
Return to Letters
Check ETAN's Urgent Action section for
additional actions you can take. If you want to host a speaker or organize an event contact John Miller
(718-596-7668, etan@etan.org).
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