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- From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
- Subject: EAST TIMOR: Optimism over U.N. condemnation of Indonesia
- Message-ID: <1992Sep5.082314.24179@mont.cs.missouri.edu>
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- Organization: PACH
- Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 08:23:14 GMT
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-
- /** reg.easttimor: 350.0 **/
- ** Topic: ips: UNHRC condemns Indonesia on ET **
- ** Written 8:28 pm Aug 31, 1992 by cscheiner in cdp:reg.easttimor **
- From: Charles Scheiner <cscheiner>
- Subject: ips: UNHRC condemns Indonesia on ET
-
- /* Written 12:24 am Aug 31, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
- /* ---------- "EAST TIMOR: Optimism over U.N. cond" ---------- */
- Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved. Permission to re-
- print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.
-
- Title: EAST TIMOR: Optimism over U.N. condemnation of Indonesia
-
- lisbon, aug 28 (ips) -- the united nations human rights
- commission's condemnation of indonesia's repression in east timor,
- ''is a shame for a country that aims to take a leadership position
- in the third world,'' said a timorese activist friday.
-
- ''it is the first time that an absolute majority supported a
- condemnation of indonesia for the violation of human rights in
- timor,'' said jose ramos-horta, spokesperson for opponents of
- jakarta's illegal occupation of the country.
-
- ramos-horta said that as indonesia was preparing to host and lead
- the summit of non-aligned nations, to be held sep 1-5, the u.n.
- vote was ''a serious diplomatic setback'' for jakarta.
-
- the resolution was approved 13 votes in favour, six against and
- with four abstentions, and also condemns jakarta for ''continuing
- to shut east timor off from the eyes of international observers.''
-
- as a u.n. member indonesia is now obliged to release political
- prisoners condemned for non-violent acts under the so-called 'anti-
- subversive law', and to help families of those still missing after
- the nov. 12, 1991 massacre of an estimated 150 pro-independence
- demonstrators in the timorese capital of dili.
-
- according to human rights monitors amnesty international and asia
- watch, 210,000 out of a total population of 650,000 were killed in
- the first 15 years after indonesia's occupation in 1975.
-
- ramos-horta was sceptical about whether indonesia would honour
- the points in the resolution, ''especially acknowledging the
- disappearances of people whom we know are buried in mass graves.''
- he added that the indonesians claim the missing have returned to
- their homes, ''but their families have yet to see them.''
-
- the unhrc vote was confidential, but ramos-horta claimed that
- morocco, china, egypt, nigeria and tunisia, were among those
- countries that voted against the censure motion. all of them, he
- noted, were countries ''familiar with human rights violations''.
-
- the resolution requires u.n. secretary-general, boutros boutros-
- ghali, to release a report by his special envoy to timor, so far
- kept ''under lock and key'' until now, said ramos-horta.
-
- it also urges boutros-ghali to gather all reports released on
- timor by governments and non-governmental organisations (ngos) so
- far, for discussion at the february meeting of the commission.
-
- until that time ngos and humanitarian organisations must have
- free entry into eastern timor, said ramos-horta, pointing out that
- ''indonesia agreed to this in march but has not yet honoured the
- compromise.'' (end/ips/trd/hr/md/da/mv/rj/92)
-
- ** End of text from cdp:reg.easttimor **
-