Here is the statement from left parties much closer to the action-- Nathan ==========
This message is from: Richard Pond <rjpond at btinternet.com>
Two statements on East Timor, the first from the Democratic Socialist Party of Australia, the second from the People's Democratic Party of Indonesia.
>UN/Australia must act NOW to stop bloodbath in East Timor!
>
>Statement by the National Executive of the Democratic Socialist Party
>(September 6, 1999)
>
>The Democratic Socialist Party calls on all supporters of democracy to
>mobilise to demand that the Australian government insist that the United
>Nations authorise the immediate dispatch of Australian troops to East
>Timor. The task of these troops must be to assist the East Timorese
>resistance forces to stop the current bloodbath being organised by the
>Indonesian armed forces (TNI) and police (Polri). This can only be
>achieved through the disarming of the pro-Jakarta terror gangs. In
>addition, these troops must supervise the rapid withdrawal of all
>Indonesian military and police personnel from East Timor so as to enable
>the East Timorese to take full control of their nation's affairs.
>
>All East Timorese national liberation forces have called for immediate
>UN-authorised military intervention in East Timor to stop the
>TNI/Polri-organised bloodbath.
>
>If the United Nations Security Council continues to argue that an
>international military force cannot be sent to East Timor without the
>Indonesian government's agreement, then the Australian government should
>act unilaterally and send its armed forces into East Timor to end the
>TNI/Polri-organised terror campaign.
>
>The argument that the UN cannot authorise the sending of an armed
>security force to East Timor without the Indonesian government's
>approval is utterly hypocritical since the UN has never recognised
>Indonesia's claim of sovereignty over East Timor. In the August 30
>ballot the overwhelming majority of the East Timorese nation, in the
>face of a massive campaign of intimidation by TNI/Polri-directed terror
>gangs (``pro-integration militias''), clearly expressed their desire for
>independence from the Indonesian state.
>
>Prime Minister Howard and Foreign Minister Downer also make the argument
>that Australian military forces cannot be sent to help the East Timorese
>people halt the TNI/Polri's campaign terror and mass murder without
>Jakarta's (that is, without the Indonesian military's) prior agreement.
>This stance is simply the continuation of the policy that Australian
>governments, both Labor and Liberal, have had for 24 years of
>sacrificing the democratic rights of the East Timorese people to
>collaboration with the Indonesian military. That is why they refuse to
>break off Australia's ties with the Indonesian military (including
>immediately ending the training of TNI officers).
>
>The aim of this policy is to maintain a ``secure environment'' for
>Australian big business in both Indonesia and East Timor. Howard and
>Downer know that maintaining Indonesia as a ``secure environment'' for
>big business requires maintaining the TNI/Polri's dictatorial control
>over Indonesia's improvised population. They are therefore unwilling to
>take any action that will politically weaken the Indonesian military,
>even if these means that tens of thousands of East Timorese are murdered
>by the TNI/Polri and its East Timorese puppet gangs.
>
>Stop the bloodbath in East Timor! Disarm the pro-Jakarta terror gangs!
>Indonesian troops/police out now! UN/Australian troops into East Timor
>NOW! Break all military ties with Indonesia! Recognise the independence
>of East Timor!
>
>_____________________________
>Political Statement
>By the CENTRAL LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC PARTY
>(KPP-PRD)
>
>On Military Violence in East Timor
>
>Monday 6 September 1999
>
>No. 02/B/KPP-PRD/Sta./IX/'99
>
>The Direct Ballot on whether the East Timorese accept or reject the
>proposed special autonomy announced in the UN Headquarter in New York
>and the UNAMET Headquarter on Saturday, September 4, 1999 resulted in
>344,580 votes (78.5%) rejecting proposed special autonomy for its
>separation from Indonesia. While the rest 94.388 votes (21.5%) accepting
>the proposed autonomy and be part of the Unitary States of the Republic
>of Indonesia. This result has clearly indicated how the majority of the
>people of East Timor want to become an independent nation, like the
>option agreed in the New York Agreement:
>
>" ACCEPT Do you accept the proposed special autonomy for East Timor
>within the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia?
>OR
>" REJECT Do you reject the proposed special autonomy for East Timor,
>leading to East Timor's separation from Indonesia?"
>
>With such a result, we the People's Democratic Party states:
>
>a. We congratulate the majority of the East Timorese who reject the
>proposed special autonomy and vote for their independence from
>Indonesia. The East Timorese deserve such congratulation and support, as
>the terror and intimidation for the last six months was not able their
>spirit of struggle for their independence.
>b. Call for all sides to respect the result of the Direct Ballot and the
>choice of the majority of the East Timorese people for their
>independence. In terms of de jure and de facto we have to support the
>independence of the East Timorese they expressed in the result of the
>Direct Ballot.
>c. Push the Habibie administration to recognise the result of the Direct
>Ballot and respect the choice of the East Timorese people for
>independence. The Indonesian government does not need to wait for the
>next stage namely the Parliamentary General Assembly (Sidang Umum MPR).
>The Parliamentary General Assembly has no right to determine the future
>of the East Timorese. The authority of the Parliamentary General
>Assembly is to pull out or abolish the law on the integration of East
>Timor with Indonesia.
>d. Call for Indonesian Government to obey the New York Agreement in
>keeping the security in East Timor, that those responsible for it from
>the Indonesia side is only the police. There must be immediate
>withdrawal of the military forces as the Direct Ballot is announced.
>(Article 5, Memorandum UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, May 4 1999)
>e. Call for Indonesia Government to stop all kinds of support to the pro
>integration militia.
>f. Push the Indonesian Government to withdraw all military personnel as
>soon as possible and stop sending military units to East Timor.
>g. Ask for the United Nations to immediately send the peace keeping
>forces to East Timor for guaranteeing the safety of the East Timorese.
>
>The people united will never be defeated!!!
>
>Jakarta, September 6, 1999
>
>Central Leadership Committee PRD
>
>Faisol Riza Ida Nassim Mh
>Chairman Secretary
>
>Peoples Democratic Party (KPP-PRD)
>Jl. Jend. Basuki Rahmat No. 7B, Cipinang Muara
>Jakarta INDONESIA 13420
>Tel: 021-8561542/9113801
>Fax: 021-8561542
>E-mail: prd at centrin.net.id
>_____________________________________
>
>