nathan wrote:
> Here is the statement from left parties much closer to the action<
you'll note however that the PRD, unlike the DSP, are not calling for armed intervention by australia, but for a withdrawal of troops to be followed by UN peace-keepers, which oddly enough, is the position of the australian govt.
but a general statement on max's comments but not comment as such in argument with max: whoever thinks that the entire left in australia has not been for over twenty years now campaigning for an end to military aid, for boycotts of trade and tourism, for a severing of the 'special relationship' between australia and indonesia, and more recently (until the backdown by the CNRT) for the trashing of the oil exploration agreement needs to get themselves informed. these are givens, and the last should be reinstated. maybe they are news to others on the list, but the entire left that i grew up with has always been focussed on these.
but they are not sufficient. they have been deemed insufficient precisely by those who have been campaigning for so long. and nothing has happened as early as it should or could have, including the bans the unions placed on shipping, building projects, etc two days ago. easy-to-remember and not-too-confusing slogans as the principle of mobilisation on east timor is exactly why the incredibly deep sense of frustration, defeat, and anger has been expressed in an additional easy-to-remember slogan (send in the troops). the most recent slogan ups the level of force. which means that defeat and diminished expectations have now also become deployed as principles of sorts. but not understanding that, as if politics is or should be or can be uncoupled from emotion and any serious attempt to recongnise that in fact we are defeated, is to not understand anything much. it's easy to offer up a sign of redemption, take your pick: when the revolution comes, when the troops go in, when the east timorese have bourgeois democracy, when the military aid stops, when the indonesian working class is able to cleave the indonesian ruling class away from the military... but they all have their problems, they are all either embarassingly insufficient or too late or simply, well, redemptive, and are little more than arrogance as slogans peddled by people who have only recently discovered east timor on the map. no one is safe from the incredible inadequacy of any putative solution, least of all those who pretend they are. chris and max, for all the times i'll stand opposite them, at least understand this.
in any event max, as the only declared ultra-leftist on this list, when did i say ever say the issue of military intervention (both for and against) was a matter of principle?
below is an article from today's Aust public broadcaster. i'll draw people's attention to the final sentence, which suggests that australian troops will go in in order to provide food, etc -- there is no other way to get through without troops, and without violence. maybe pretext, but i actually doubt it at this stage. it looks like everyone is far too traumatised by the prospect of leaving the east timorese to the military. the left of the trade unions have been pressing for a ship to carry food and water into east timor for the last day or so, and this under military escort. the public pressure on the australian govt to go in is immense. who knows what will happen in the next day or so. the maritime union just placed nation-wide bans on _exports_ to indonesia, which is outstanding! make a few australian capitalists hurt a little, preferably a lot. here's hoping.
Angela _________
*UN postpones Dili withdrawal*
The United Nations has reportedly postponed its decision to withdraw all UN staff from East Timor for at least 24 hours.
Officials had earlier announced that some 370 UN international and East Timorese staff and their families would be airlifted to Darwin this morning by RAAF planes.
However it appears that staff, concerned at the fate of the refugees staying in the compound, have forced a changed of heart on the world body for one day at least.
Afterwards it is believed a voluntary force will stay behind to ensure the safety of those Timorese who have taken refuge at the UN compound.
The United Nations Mission in East Timor spokesman David Wimhurst says the situation in East Timor is a catastrophe.
He says the number of people forced to flee could now be more than 100,000.
Conditions in the Dili compound are described as stark and basic.
Mr Wimhurst says supplies at the compund in Dili can only last a few more days.
He said even 50 UN troops would radically change the situation at the compound.
Mission head Ian Martin is trying to secure guarantees from the army that locals in the compound will be safe.
If staff stay beyond tomorrow, it is unknown how long they can last," he said.
The UN wants to take local East Timorese staff with them when they go, and members of their families.
They will also attempt to resupply the compound from Australia.