[Note: those arrested were held close to the maximum 72 hours
allowed by law before being brought to court, where they were
released without charge. - JMM/ETAN]
Solidarity Statement on the Arrest of Young Timorese Students
To Ex. Dr. Longuinos Monteiro,
General Commander of the Timor-Leste National Police
1 September 2009
We, representatives of different international solidarity
organizations, call for the immediate release of the three
university students who were arrested at the press conference in
front of the Hotel Timor on 30 August 2009. We call for all charges
be dropped. On that day, the students gathered to express their
solidarity with other places in the world facing severe repression
and violence, including West Papua, Sri Lanka, Western Sahara,
Burma, Maluku, and Mindanao.
We are inspired by their enthusiasm to speak up for their brothers
and sisters in other parts of the world, and we are deeply saddened
that the Timor-Leste police felt threatened by their enthusiasm and
chose to silence the students, repressing their right to free
expression, as guaranteed in Article 40 the Constitution of the
Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.
From 27-29 August 2009, a
solidarity
conference was held in Dili to commemorate the tenth anniversary
of Timor-Leste's referendum on independence. At this conference,
speakers shared stories about past international solidarity for
Timor-Leste and explained current struggles that need support.
Participants gathered in workshops to learn more together and to
plan actions for continuing solidarity. Young Timorese activists
resolved to support oppressed people in other parts of the world,
just as the international solidarity movement had supported their
own nation's struggle for self-determination.
Some of us were with the students in front of the Hotel Timor on 30
August 2009. All of us strongly defend the importance of free speech
in Timor-Leste and around the world. Often, only the enthusiasm and
courage of young activists makes social change and progress
possible. We congratulate the students for standing up for what they
believe, and we thank them for the inspiration they give to us and
others.
Article 10 of the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of
Timor-Leste directly and strongly commits the state to offering
solidarity to other parts of the world facing struggles for
self-determination and human dignity. Timor-Leste is a country of
very young people. In the challenging process of nation building, we
believe the youth have a huge role to play. We call on Timor-Leste's
leaders to recognize and encourage the youth and we again call for
the immediate release of the three students still held in detention
and that all charges be dropped.
Signed:
Freddy Gamage
Friends of the Third World Sri Lanka
John M. Miller
East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (U.S.)
Tim Howard
Indonesia Human Rights Committee (New Zealand)
Saskia Kouwenberg
(The Netherlands)
Jefferson Lee
Australia East Timor Association
Pedro Pinto Leite
International Platform of Jurists for East Timor
Simo Hellsten
Board member, Committee of 100 (Finland)
Joerg Meier
Watch Indonesia (Germany)
(more to be added later)
---
Statement from Student Press conference:
KONFERENSIA DA IMPRENSA
Press Conference
National University of Timor-Leste,
Kaikoli, Dili
31 August 2009
The Timor-Leste Student Front condemns the attitude of the
members of the National Police in relation to the arrest of
the students when they would like to demonstrate their
solidarity to the people in other countries that are still
struggling for independence, on August 30th 2009. Therefore
the Students' Front condemns this attitude which is not a
example of professionalism of the National Police. Our
position is as follows:
1. The Students' Front of Timor-Leste
disagrees and laments the attitude of the PNTL officers, who
aggressively arrested three students in front of the Hotel
Timor.
2. We urge the government to improve the
professionalism of the PNTL so that they can serve the rule
of law with professionalism in the future.
3. We call to the state institutions of
Timor-Leste to maintain and secure the RDTL constitution,
especially article 10 that states that the Republic
Democratic of TL is also in solidarity with other people who
are struggling to liberate their country.
4. We condemn the attitude of the PNTL which
showed disrespect to the "Freedom of Expression" that is
guaranteed in the Constitution of RDTL.
5. We urge the PNTL to cancel the decision
to extend the detention into 72 hours, because according to
the law it needs strong evidence of crime to do so. They
might extend it to 72 hours, but the students did not commit
a crime.
6. We urge the Police to release the three
students within the time limit starting from 9 am until
before 3 pm. If the they haven't been released within the
time limit, we will organize the Youth Front, the Street
Vendors and the people of Maubere to organize a
demonstration in front of the National Police.
