NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #16/NN_1992_16.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/5456

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From: [e-mail] (Rich Winkel)
Subject: Timor: Indonesia Condemned Before UN Commission
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/** reg.easttimor: 344.0 **/
** Topic: Indonesia Condemned Before UN Comm **
** Written 11:44 pm  Jul 27, 1992 by fbp in cdp:reg.easttimor **
Draft   Draft   Draft

Indonesian Occupation of East Timor Condemned before UN Committee
by John M. Miller, PO Box 150753, Brooklyn, NY 11215

for Portuguese American Journal

John M. Miller is Director of the Foreign Bases Project and a
member of the East Timor Action Network.

     In a day of testimony before the United Nations' special
committee on decolonization, speakers repeatedly condemned
Indonesia's occupation of East Timor.  The committee heard moving
testimony from eyewitnesses to the November 12 Santa Cruz
massacre in which up to 200 Timorese died.  Groups testifying
included Timor support groups from Australia, Europe and North
America and Timorese political parties. All actively called on
the UN to take the initiative in ending human rights violations
and promoting self-determination for the Portuguese colony.
     The hearing began dramatically on July 27 as Jose Ramos
Horta, Special Representative of the National Council of Maubere
Resistance (CNRM), told the committee that instead of reading his
own testimony he would read a message to the committee from
Xanana Gusmao, the head of CNRM and the commander of FALINTIL,
the Timorese guerrilla army. The message had arrived only a few
days before from East Timor.
       Xanana's message evoked many of the themes that would
characterize the testimony that followed. The changing
international situation, "a historical whirlwind," was setting
the stage for achieving the United Nations' objective of
eradicating colonialism by the year 2000. The November 12
massacre had "jolted the international conscience" and revealed
the brutal nature of Indonesian rule.
    "Totalitarian regimes are now on the path toward full respect
for fundamental freedoms," he said. Sanctions against Iraq and
Libya "suggest that the universal concept of justice should
breach national boundaries." Resolutions on Yugoslavia show "that
the universal principles of self determination should prevail...
in all latitudes and in all circumstances." Namibia's achievement
of independence demonstrated that even long-standing problems
could be resolved.
     Concretely, Xanana urged that relevant UN resolutions, both
those specific to East Timor and those more generally applicable,
be fully obeyed. He stressed that the future status of East Timor
be decided by the East Timorese people in an internationally
recognized act of self- determination. Xanana called for a
dialogue "without pre-conditions" between all parties to the
conflict: Portugal, Indonesia and the East Timorese. The exact
form of Timorese participation in the talks could be worked out,
but Bishop Belo and the local Catholic Church would be involved.
He said that strong roles for the UN and Portugal, as the
administrating power, were essential to the success of the peace
process.
     Indonesia invaded East Timor in 1975, soon after it had
declared independence. Its larger neighbor annexed the
half-island the next year.  The UN continues to recognize
Portugal as the administering power, and three members of
parliament from Portugal spoke before the committee. Since 1979,
Portugal has informed the Secretary-General that is unable to
fulfill its obligations as administrating power because of the
Indonesian occupation.
     Indonesia, in a letter to the chair of the committee,
objected to the entire hearing. The letter said that "the process
of decolonization in East Timor has been carried out in
conformity" with UN principles. This view was strongly rejected
by many at the hearing. Vicente da Silva Guterres of the Uniao
Democratica Timorense (UDT) said that the request for integration
with Indonesia by four Timorese parties "did not have any
legitimacy!" The members of the UDT that signed the request did
so without any authority from the party and were formally
expelled. Guterres like most of the those testifying reiterated
the CNRM call for Indonesian military withdrawal, the active
involvement of the UN and its agency in the territory and an
eventual vote of the Timorese people on their political status.
  Indonesia's massive human rights violations were highlighted
during the hearing.  Asia Watch and Amnesty International
outlined their findings of escalating human rights violations. In
recent years, Indonesia has sought to repress younger Timorese
who have taken up the cause of independence. All who testified
noted the light sentences given to a handful of soldiers involved
in the Santa Cruz massacre, while those who gave the orders to
qshoot are free. Meanwhile, pro-independence demonstrators,
including survivors of the massacre, have received sentences as
long as life in prison.
     Alan Nairn and Amy Goodman, two American journalists who
witnessed the November 12 massacre, told their stories to the
committee. Nairn called Indonesia's actions that day "a cold
blooded execution." Far from being an exceptional event, the
massacre's significance comes from the fact that journalists
witnessed the event and videotape of it was shown around the
world.
     Li-Lien Gibbons -- whose step-brother Kamal Bamadhaj was
allowed to bleed to death after being shot November 21st -- told
the committee. "I am not here because Kamal is any more or less
important than any other victim. But I can speak before this
committee without putting other members of my family at risk.
East Timorese can not." Bamdhaj was Malaysian with New Zealand
citizenship.
     Indonesian government investigations of the massacre were
widely condemned. Statements by Indonesian generals typify the
military's attitude toward Timorese rights. In early July,
Major-General Mantiri, recently installed as commander of the
region that includes Timor, said "We don't regret anything. What
happened was quite proper....They were opposing us,
demonstrating....To me that is identical with rebellion, so
that's why we took firm action."
     Those testifying repeatedly urged the UN to release the
report of S. Amos Wako, who as special representative of the
Secretary-General, visited Timor in February of this year to
investigate the events surrounding the massacre. Up to now, Wako
has only reported privately to the Secretary-General.
     Spokespeople for East Timor support groups from Britain,
Canada, the U.S. and Australia strongly condemned their own
governments' support for Indonesia. However, Charles Scheiner of
the East Timor Action Network/US told the committee of the House
of Representatives' recent decision to cut military training aid
and the resolution by the US Conference of Mayors urging Congress
and the President to "assist in the resolution of the conflict,
providing for the self- determination of East Timor." Scheiner
reminded the committee that "the views conveyed by the Bush
administration do not always accurately reflect what is happening
in this country."
     After speaking before the committee, Guido Orlando de
Freitas Rodrigues, a member of the Portuguese parliament from the
ruling Social Democratic Party, told the Portuguese-American
Journal that now that Portugal no longer held the presidency of
the European Community it would take "more powerful action in
order to force negotiations" with Indonesia on the future of East
Timor. He cited the vote blocking EC negotiations with the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations on a new cooperation
agreement as evidence of Portugal's new resolve on the issue.
     Rodrigues said his government was awaiting Indonesia's
response to its proposal to begin negotiations without
preconditions before determining its next steps. However, Ramos
Horta, speaking to activists after the hearing, said that
Portugal had not done enough to prepare to block possible
Indonesian initiatives on East Timor at either September's
meeting in Jakarta of the movement of non-aligned nations or this
fall's session of the UN General Assembly.      East Timor was
first placed on the decolonization committee's agenda in 1960.
The committee itself has little power, but the information it
gathers is used by the Secretary-General and other UN bodies.
** End of text from cdp:reg.easttimor **