It is also an organisation that knows the need to appeal to international bodies, while understanding of course that international bodies are dominated by the representatives of - surprise surprise - bourgeois governments. But if the SACP had not campaigned to the UN and to international public opinion, along with others in the mass liberation struggle, blacks would still be in South Africa without the bourgeois democratic right to a vote.
It should be noted that the logical position argued by Yoshie and Carrol on this list is that *as a matter of principle* it is foolhardy for any individuals to support this principled call by the SACP.
Time they did some serious thinking.
Chris Burford
London
>SACP Head Office
>6th September 1999
>
>STATEMENT ON THE DETERIORATING SITUATION IN EAST TIMOR
>
>The deteriorating situation in East Timor demands immediate attention from
>all concerned with democracy, human rights and human dignity. According to
>reports being received from inside East Timor, the “pro-Indonesia” militia
>has stepped-up its indiscriminate attacks on anyone and anything considered
>to be “pro-independence”. The house of Nobel Laureate and human rights
>campaigner, Bishop Carlos Belo is reported to have been set alight by these
>forces. It would also appear as though these militia forces have now been
>joined, openly, by the Indonesian military in a joint display of
intolerance
>and barbarity. Hundreds have been killed, thousands are being forced from
>their homes and attacks have been launched on both Red Cross and United
>Nations compounds where many have sought refuge. The SACP condemns these
>outrageous actions in the strongest terms.
>
>It is simply unacceptable that the United Nations has not mobilised an
>international peacekeeping force to stop the killing and destruction. It
>would seem as though the lives of East Timorese are less valuable than
those
>of other victims of atrocities, where the UN has had no hesitation in
>securing international intervention.
>
>The South African Communist Party calls upon the United Nations to
>immediately dispatch an international peacekeeping force to halt the
>escalating social and human disaster and to force the Indonesian regime to
>respect the democratic will of the people of East Timor. We also call upon
>all progressive forces in South Africa and across the world to do all in
>their capacities to pressurise the United Nations and their respective
>governments to act now and lend all available support to save the people of
>East Timor.
>
>Blade Nzimande
>SACP General Secretary