Tetun below: Timor-Leste selebra aniversáriu proklamasaun independénsia da-42; ETAN rekoñese no enkoraja ninia demokrasia ho dame

42 years after Timor-Leste declared independence, ETAN honors and encourages peaceful democracy

Charles Scheiner, +1-914-473-3185, English and Tetum,
Pamela Sexton, 670-7744-9793, pamelabeth.sexton@gmail.com, English and Tetum
John M. Miller, +1-917-690-4391; john@etan.org (English)

New York, 23 November 2017

Next Tuesday, on November 28^th, the people of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste will celebrate the 42nd anniversary of their Declaration of Independence. For the last 26 of those years, the U.S.-based East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) has supported their struggle for self-determination. We stand in solidarity with all the people of Timor-Leste, and do not favor any political party or leader.

The Timorese people are currently facing a challenging time, as an opposition coalition in parliament challenges the current government’s right to govern. We encourage everyone to put the national interest above personal and partisan interests and to adhere to the Constitution, law, and democratic principles. ETAN is confident in the strength of Timor-Leste’s democratic institutions and in its people’s commitment to stability, democracy and justice.

We appreciate the moderation, restraint, and adherence to law currently exercised by nearly all citizens and by Timor-Leste’s police and military, and we expect that this will continue.... We hope that the leaders and people of Timor-Leste continue to show their commitment to peaceful, democratic processes in a sovereign nation. .

While politicians and commentators in Dili debate legal interpretations and jockey for power, the other 99% of the Timorese people are trying to live from day to day. They depend on public services like education, health care and safety. Many still lack decent livelihoods and adequate food. We encourage those in Government, Parliament and political parties to design, improve, and carry out programs to strengthen and diversify Timor-Leste's economy, minimize poverty, decrease unemployment and malnutrition, reduce inequalities, and eliminate corruption.  Addressing these challenges will be the key to long-term stability for the country. We also encourage every official, public servant and citizen to attend to people’s lives and families, without being distracted or paralyzed by rumors, partisan maneuvering or anxiety about politics.

The President of the Republic will play a key role in resolving this political impasse, which we hope is over soon. We appreciate the calm way he is carrying out his duties under the Constitution, and we hope that he will continue to promote dialogue among political leaders, elected officials, civil society, ordinary citizens, and others to find the best solution for the entire nation. We were encouraged by the President’s recent meeting with rural women leaders, and hope to see more women included fully in political discussions, including at the highest levels of political leadership.

see also Fundasaun Mahein: Politicians Must Avoid Fear-Mongering Statements

Many people in Timor-Leste have traumatic memories of the brutal Indonesian occupation, as well as of the intra-Timorese conflicts of 2002 and 2006. However, people have learned from that history, as demonstrated by the largely peaceful last decade. We appreciate the moderation, restraint, and adherence to law currently exercised by nearly all citizens and by Timor-Leste’s police and military, and we expect that this will continue. Although political rhetoric has sometimes been confrontational, it has not escalated to physical violence. We hope that the leaders and people of Timor-Leste continue to show their commitment to peaceful, democratic processes in a sovereign nation.

During the last 500 years, the small nation of Timor-Leste has often been oppressed, manipulated or exploited by international actors. We urge foreign powers to allow the Timorese people to work out their own problems without outside interference, even as we show our solidarity by encouraging Timor-Leste to follow a peaceful, fair and democratic path.

Today, most people in the United States are celebrating Thanksgiving, a day to be grateful for the good people and things in our lives. We also recall the shameful history of European colonization, especially the genocide of Native Americans.

ETAN also gives thanks for the sovereignty, democracy and peace that currently prevails in Timor-Leste, but we do not forget the shameful colonization and occupation which foreign invaders, some supported by the United States government, inflicted on your people. We recommit ourselves to improve democratic practices in the United States and to work for policies which secure human rights, end impunity, and achieve social and economic justice for both our peoples. Timor-Leste has made more progress in 42 years than the United States has in 241, but both nations have a long way to go, and ETAN looks forward to the continuing journey.

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Timor-Leste selebra aniversáriu proklamasaun independénsia da-42; ETAN rekoñese no enkoraja ninia demokrasia ho dame

Pamela Sexton, Inglés no Tetun, 670-7744-9793, pamelabeth.sexton@gmail.com
Charles Scheiner, Inglés no Tetun, +1-914-473-3185
John M. Miller, Inglés, +1-917-690-4391; john@etan.org (English)

Nova Iorke, loron 23 fulan-novembru 2017

Tersa semana oin, 28 fulan-novembru, povu Repúblika Demokrátiku Timor-Leste sei selebra aniversáriu Proklamasaun Independénsia ba da-42. Durante tinan 26 ikus, Rede Asaun Timor-Leste no Indonesia (the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network - ETAN), ne’ebé baze iha Estadus Unidus Amérika (EUA), suporta sira-nia luta ba autodeterminasaun. Ami hamriik iha solidariedade ho povu Timoroan tomak, no ami la hali’is ba partidu polítiku ka lider ida.

Agora Timoroan sira hasoru  tempu difisil, bainhira koalizasaun opozisaun iha parlamentu dezafia governu atuál nia direitu atu governa. Ami enkoraja ema hotu tenke tau interese nasionál aas liu interese indivíduu nian ka partidu nian, no tenke tuir Konstituisaun, lei no prinsípiu sira demokrasia nian. ETAN fiar ba kapasidade instituisaun demokrátika Timor-Leste nian no mós ba Timoroan sira hotu nia kompromisu ba estabilidade, demokrasia no justisa.

Bainhira polítiku-na’in sira no komentadór sira iha Dili debate kona-ba interpretasaun legál sira no hadau malu ba podér, 99% husi povu Timoroan sira hotu koko atu moris husi loron ba loron. Sira depende ba servisu públiku hanesan edukasaun, saúde no seguransa. Ema barak seidauk hetan serbisu di’ak no ai-han natoon. Ami enkoraja sira-ne'ebe iha Governu, Parlamentu no partidu polítiku sira atu dezeña, hadi’a no hala’o programa sira hodi hametin no haluan Timor-Leste nia ekonomia, hamenus kiak, dezempregu no malnutrisaun, hamenus dezigualidade no halakon korrupsaun.  Hatán ba dezafiu sira-ne’e sei sai xave ba estabilidade nasaun nian durante tempu naruk. Ami mós enkoraja kada ofisiál, funsionáriu no sidadaun atu atende ba sira-nia moris no família, sein hetan distraídu ka paralizadu ba lia-anin, hahalok hali’is partidu ka sentimentu kona-ba polítika.

Prezidente Repúblika hala'o papél fundamentál ida atu rezolve impase polítika ne’e, ne’ebé ami espera bele rezolve lalais. Ami agradese maneira kalma ne’ebé nia hala’o ninia servisu tuir Konstituisaun, no ami espera katak nia sei kontinua atu promove diálogu entre lider polítiku sira, ema ne’ebé eleitu, sosiedade sivíl, sidadaun baibain no sira seluk tan atubele hetan solusaun di’ak liu ba nasaun. Foin daudaun, ami kontente haree enkontru Prezidente ho lider feto rurál sira, no espera lideransa polítika bele inklui feto sira barak liu iha diskusaun polítika hotu, hanesan mós iha nivel aas liu.

Ema barak iha Timor-Leste sei iha memória forte no trauma husi okupasaun indonézia ne’ebé brutál, no mós husi konflitu entre Timoroan sira iha tinan 2002 no 2006. Maibé, ema aprende ona husi istória ne’e, hanesan ita haree husi dékada ikus ne’ebé kuaze ho dame. Ami agradese katak kuaze sidadaun tomak no polísia no militár Timor-Leste tomak iha moderasaun, kontrola an, no halo tuir lei. Ami fiar katak ne’e sei kontinua. Maski ko’alia polítika dalaruma bele konfronta malu ho hirus, maibé la to’o violénsia fíziku. Ami hein katak lider sira no povu Timoroan kontinua hatudu sira-nia kompromisu ba prosesu sira nasaun soberanu nian ne’ebé pasífiku no demokrátiku.

Durante tinan 500 ikus ne’e, nasaun ki’ik Timor-Leste hetan hanehan, manipulasaun ka esplorasaun husi atór internasionál sira. Ami husu podér estranjeiru sira tenke husik ema Timoroan mak serbisu atu rezolve rasik sira-nia problema sira lahó interferénsia husi li’ur, tempu hanesan ami hatudu ami-nia solidariedade liuhosi enkoraja Timor-Leste atu tuir dalan ne’ebé pasífiku, justu no demokrátiku.

Ohin loron, maioria ema iha EUA selebra Thanksgiving, loron ida atu agradese ba ema no buat hotu ne’ebé di’ak iha ita-nia moris. Ami mós hanoin-hetan istória kolonializasaun europeia, ne’ebé halo ami moe, liuliu jenosídiu povu nativu Amerikanu sira.  

ETAN agradese soberania, demokrasia no dame ne’ebé povu manán ona iha Timor-Leste. Ami mós la haluha no moe bainhira hanoin-hetan kolonializasaun no okupasaun husi invazaun li’ur, balun ne’ebé hetan suporta husi governu EUA, no halo kanek boot ba povu Timoroan. Ami reforsa ami-nia kompromisu atu hadi’ak prátika demokrátika sira iha EUA no atu serbisu ba polítika sira ne’ebé bele asegura direitus umanus, hakotu impunidade no atinje justisa sosiál no ekonómika ba ita-nia povu hotu. Timor-Leste halo progresu barak liu durante tinan 42, kompara ho EUA iha tinan 241, maibé ita-nia rain rua hotu sei iha dalan naruk ba oin, no ETAN kontente atu kontinua hamutuk iha dalan moris ne’e.