Subject: Communique: Governor not supported by East
Timorese
Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 11:29:56 +0100 (BST)
From: tapol@gn.apc.org (Tapol)Communique, 28 June 1998 East Timor Informationand
Dissemination Centre, Dili
Abilio Osorio fails to win support of the East Timorese people
1. The pro-integration demonstrations organised by the Jakarta regime with the help of
governor Abilio Soares on 27 June have proven that the Indonesian administration of the
territory does not have the support of the East Timroese people. This is clear from the
fact that they had to mobilise outsiders from Atambua, Kupang, Flores and Java to take
part. Indonesian TV prevented shots being taken from behind, but from frontal shots, it is
clear that only fifty East Timorese took part. The governor had warned civil servants that
they would lose three months pay if they failed to take part in the demostration, but even
so, the vast majority of government employees did not do so.
2. Today, the governor organised another demonstration, this time mobilising people
from Lospalos, Aileu and Same. But these people had been tricked into believing this was a
demonstration to welcome ambassadors who were coming to Dili. They did not realise that
they were being mobilised to take part in a pro-integration demonstration. As the pressure
to participate came from the GARDA PAKSI, an Indonesian para military group, they felt it
was best to take part for fear of future reprisals from the military. These are the
classical methods employed by the old Suharto regime.
3. Infuriated at the deception, young East Timorese decided to inform the people that
they had been tricked. Young people in Manatuto tried to approach people from Lospalos on
their way to Dili, as they were approaching Manatuto. It was very early in the morning.
All of a sudden, a large number of Indonesian soldiers appeared and opened fire on them, a
23-year old man was killed and four others were seriously wounded.
4. It is now time for the international solidarity movement to do everything possible
to bring pressure to bear on Jakarta, including calling for economic sanctions and the
postponement of IMF assistance to Jakarta as a way of forcing Jakarta to show that it will
act in accordance with the resolutions adopted by the United Nations. The people of East
Timor also hope that the UN will place an international delegation in East Timor so as to
ensure respect for basic human rights and facilitate the withdrawal of Indonesian troops
as quickly as possible.
East Timor Information and Dissemination Centre
Dili, 28 June 1998
TAPOL, Indonesia Human Rights Campaign, 111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7
8HW, UK Phone: 0181 771-2904 Fax: 0181 653-0322 email: tapol@gn.apc.org
Defending the rights of the victims of Indonesian oppression in Indonesia, East Timor,
West Papua and Aceh. |
