East Timorese have had enough

national | miscellaneous | news report Monday December 09, 2002 14:19 by Mick Lambe - People Against Racism In Aboriginal Homelands pariahnt at yahoo dot com Darwin, Northern Territory

Much 'spin' about this. The only 'sinister forces' are us.

More images and information @

http://pariahnt.tripod.com/pages/Timorese-Dili-riot.htm

During World War II, Australia sent troops to East Timor to establish a strategic buffer zone.

A massive and brutal occupation by the Japanese Imperial Army ensued, provoking the death of at least 50,000 East Timorese (more than 10% of the population). After the war, no investigation took place and no compensation was offered to the East Timorese.

http://pariahnt.tripod.com/pages/Australian-betrayal.htm#WW2-ET
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East Timorese have had enough
(A patient people finally erupt)

by Mick Lambe

8 December, 2002

The day after the "riot" in Dili, I was having a conversation with a man who was going there in a few weeks to work on the docks. He told me he would be earning $400 American a week (about $830 Australian) and that two hectares of land in East Timor could be obtained for about $10,000. He was also excited about the prospect of exploiting (not his term) "17-year-old gins".*

This person's attitude to East Timor -- a place to earn big money and exploit the East Timorese -- is a pervasive one in the Northern Territory.

I even know of some 'political activists' in Darwin, who were able to garner salaries of between two and four thousand Australian dollars a week, working for the UN in East Timor.

In common with most "Territorians" they have accepted the 'Australian liberation of East Timor paradigm' either through self-interest or political naivety.

James Arvanitakis, campaign director of AIDWATCH, an independently funded organisation, says: "Most aid money never leaves Australia, most aid money will go into the pockets of consultants, so the concern is not only where the aid money is going, but the type of projects that are being funded." (Jenny Denton, Canberra Times - April 14, 2001)

http://pariahnt.tripod.com/pages/timor-genocide_p13.htm

* A derogatory term applied to Australian Aboriginal women.

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The Australian liberation of East Timor delusion

That the Howard Liberal (Conservative) government have made political mileage from this widespread Australian delusion, must be blamed on the Labor party's acceptance of the 'Australian liberation of East Timor paradigm' due to their past involvement in policies that directly assisted the criminal invasion of East Timor, by the Suharto military regime.

When Whitlam met Suharto in central Java in September 1974 he told the Indonesian dictator that East Timor was “too small to be independent” and that its independence would be “unwelcome” to Indonesia, Australia and regional countries because it would invite attention from outside the region.

The Australian prime minister proceeded to give Suharto tactical advice, based largely on Whitlam's desire to deceive the Australian people.

The official record of the meeting goes on: “The Prime Minister noted that, for the domestic audience in Australia, incorporation into Indonesia should appear to be a natural process arising from the wishes of its people.” (Mike Head, 18 September, 2000)

http://pariahnt.tripod.com/pages/timor-genocide_p5.htm

Not only did the hierarchy of the Australian Labor Party betray the East Timorese people, they did it secretly in order to deceive the Australian people.

The Australian Greens were vocal in their opposition to the invasion of East Timor and Australia's role in supporting the Suharto military regime, but have since acquiesced to the 'Australian liberation of East Timor paradigm'. An indication of how strong a hold this delusion is perceived to have, on the Australian electorate.

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The cynical melding of delusional paradigms

Recent comments by the NT ALP's leader Clare Martin, demonstrate Labor's hypocrisy in regard to "violence" in Dili and their belief that dissent in East Timor can be equated to "terrorism".

Once again a prevailing paradigm -- (the racist militarism that has emerged in the wake of S11) is being used to exploit the East Timorese and con the Australian people.

"Clare Martin will be discussing regional security issues when she attends the Council of Australian Governments in Canberra today."

"Ms Martin says the new counter terrorism committee will be reporting to the council for the first time and it will be particularly relevant given the recent violence in the East Timorese capital." (ABC News online -- Fri, 6 Dec 2002)

These comments by Clare Martin echo the colonialist views of her predecessor (and now Opposition leader) Denis Burke.

" ... frankly I believe Australia has to hold a very hard line in the region. I mean like it or not we have responsibilities in this region. Like it or not we have taken leadership and should continue to hold a strong leadership position in the region. And in that context we have to demonstrate firmness on issues such as sovereignty."

http://www.pcug.org.au/%7Ewildwood/01aprburke.htm

The irrelevancy of the East Timorese in East Timor

One article in the Australian Financial Review on the economic benefits of rebuilding East Timor to the Northern Territory did not even mention the East Timorese.

"Thanks to East Timor, the hotels are still full, the car rental yards are empty of spare vehicles, and the retailers are doing a booming trade. The 4,500 Australian troops on the ground in East Timor and the legion of support staff and humanitarian workers backing up the operation have created a mini-boom in the Territory's economy.

The NT Government is trying to keep expectations in check, sticking to its Budget prediction of 5 per cent economic growth for this financial year. But private forecaster Access Economics is tipping phenomenal growth of 9.1 per cent." (Hans van Leeuwen, Australian Financial Review, November 1, 1999)

http://pariahnt.tripod.com/pages/timor-genocide_p9.htm

As the NT News article below demonstrates, the angst of Territorians is considered more newsworthy than the 24 years of brutal occupation the East Timorese endured, the destruction of Dili and the relegation of the East Timorese to powerless observers in their own country.

The Aboriginal people here in the Northern Territory will strongly identify with their situation.
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Predictions validated

"The fundamental problem of the transition,(Robin Taudevin, an aid worker implementing the United Nations High Commission for Refugees shelter program) believes, has been "the scant involvement of East Timorese."

"The influx of foreign investors and comparatively wealthy UN and aid workers has led to the creation of a double economy and the perception of the UN as the new colonialists in East Timor. There is strong evidence of deepening divisions among East Timorese."

"Many who were active in the struggle for independence, especially the young, have been marginalised in the influx of foreigners and returning diaspora (East Timorese formerly exiled in Australia and Portugal), and the adoption of Portuguese as the official language has locked them out of the political process and public-service employment." (Jenny Denton, Canberra Times - April 14, 2001) view
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Northern Territory take lion's share of reconstruction work

The exploitation of the East Timorese people has always been an economic priority to Territory politicians. The infamous memorandum of understanding between the Country Liberal Party of the Northern Territory and Indonesia was enacted, despite UN resolutions calling for the withdrawal of Indonesian troops.

"In a recent interview with the Jakarta Post, Indonesian sociologist and Newcastle University lecturer George Junus Aditjondro discussed his impressions of East Timor after his most recent trip there in January: "I was shocked at the speed of investments pouring in; this certainly has a lot to do with the way Indonesia left East Timor this created the ideal bonanza for foreign investors, especially Australians from the Northern Territory."

"In an earlier article, Aditjondro noted that Northern Territory Chief Minister Denis Burke, after sending his special representative on an urgent assessment mission to East Timor in 1999, had immediately fed the results back to the Darwin business community, which was assisted in applying for registration with the UN agencies and subsequently obtained 40-46 per cent of work in the disaster regions."

"You're replacing the Indonesian-Javanese kind of investment with the carpet-bagger type of investment, which appears to be not necessarily dominating, but it's certainly a problem up there. I think a lot of the investments that are going on up there are very much short-term and when the UN and its entourage moves out I mean there was a figure quoted the other day there are 2700 four-wheel-drives and only three fishing boats. I think that encapsulates the whole thing in a nutshell." (Jenny Denton, Canberra Times - April 14, 2001) view

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Oil for blood

The negotiations with Indonesia to essentially rob East Timor of petroleum resources took place, as Australia became the only country to recognize the illegal invasion of East Timor.

1985

Aug 18 - Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke recognizes Indonesian sovereignty over East Timor on behalf of his Labour Government.

Oct 27 - The Indonesian and Australian governments begin discussions for a joint exploration programme in the disputed Timor Gap area, south of East Timor.

Associated article

http://pariahnt.tripod.com/pages/timor-genocide_p7.htm

Dec 9 - The Indonesian and Australian governments announce that they will jointly develop the petroleum resources of the Timor Gap.

1986

Mar 4 - Bids from oil companies for drilling sites in the Timor Gap area have already produced $Aus 31.5 million for the Australian Government, according to the Sydney Morning Herald (4 March).

1989

Dec 11 - The Australian and Indonesian governments sign a treaty to jointly explore the Timor Gap area.

Current international law, including the UN convention on the law of the sea, favours "median line" sea boundaries between countries, based on equity and distance, rather than "seabed" boundaries, based on geological features, on which Australia's case rests. With the drawing of an equidistant line, the vast majority of oil and gas reserves would fall under Timorese sovereignty. (Jenny Denton, Canberra Times - April 14, 2001) view

One can see what will happen to the East Timorese if they do not make a stand against this new oppression, by simply walking around the streets of Darwin.

The Aboriginal people, from whose land most 'Australian' wealth is derived, have the lowest health, educational and social outcomes of all Australians.

The "Territorians" hoped to transplant this white colonialism to East Timor.

However this time the Territorians are taking on a population with a more recent history of struggle, under far more international scrutiny.

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NT carpetbaggers shocked by
East Timorese ingratitude

Report from NT News 5 December, 2000

Territory residents flee mobs
By Nigel Adlam, Chris Carter and AAP

Scores of Territorians took refuge as mobs rampaged through the streets of Dili yesterday. Most fled to the Australian Embassy and United Nations headquarters. But others took sanctuary in a hotel on the outskirts of town owned by a Territorian.

There were more than 100 Territorians, including two police officers, among 1500 Australians stranded in the East Timor capital last night. Plans for their emergency evacuation have been drawn up. Reports said one student – and possibly four more – had been shot dead by riot police.

Hundreds flee as rioters torch Dili

The home of Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri was burned down and President Xanana Gusmao had to be protected by police shields and hurried to safety after being stoned as he tried to address protesters.
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"The frustration and anger in the country's youth, supported by about 1,500 former Falantil soldiers, is so great that even the most respected person in East Timor, President Xanana Gusmao, was reportedly ignored by the demonstrators when he asked them to disburse."

- Another view of events from Asian Human Rights Commission - http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=37893&group=webcast
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Parliament was invaded and vandalised.

A hotel owned by a Territorian and an Australian-owned supermarket were torched.

Mary Montgomery, 58, was at home in Darwin when told her Dili hotel, Lorosae, had been ransacked and burnt by a mob.

There is no insurance in East Timor.

“I’m heartbroken,” she said.

More that 40 UN peace keepers flew out of Darwin yesterday afternoon. The Darwin based 57 Battalion, which is already in East Timor, was on standby to be moved from patrolling the border with West Timor.

There are 1100 Australian soldiers in East Timor, but the Defence Force yesterday offered to send more troops from Robertson Barracks in Palmerston. A state of emergency and curfew have been declared.

Darwin Pest Control Company boss Barry Johnson’s ute and equipment was torched. He said anything owned by Australians was being targeted because an Australian policeman was rumoured to have shot dead a rioter. “It’s extremely dangerous,” he said.

Mike Gallagher, head of the Territory Government office in Dili, said the trouble started brewing last Thursday during commemorations marking the short-lived Fretilin government in 1975.

Hundreds of students gathered in the streets.

“They were hungry and fed up with the government, which they don’t think has done much,” said Mr Gallagher, who arrived in Darwin Tuesday night.

Fighting erupted when a student suspected of murder was arrested at a city school. “The streets are not safe, especially in the rich parts of town,” said one resident.

Foreign Minister Jose Ramos-Horta said; “This is a very serious turn of events which has stunned everyone.”

East Timor became the worlds newest nation in May after two years of UN administration following 24 years of Indonesian occupation. It remains desperately poor and there is widespread unemployment.
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Sinister forces blamed

East Timor President Xanana Gusmao said in a statement late last night that “forces with ulterior motives” were responsible for trying to take advantage of student demonstrations.

About 700 international peacekeepers and 200 international and East Timorese police were enforcing the curfew in Dili last night.

The violence was the worst since independence on May 20 and revived traumatic memories of the mayhem surrounding the territory’s 1999 breakaway from Indonesia.

Ends
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When most Australians were ignoring events in East Timor (some even profiting from them) PARIAH members were putting up "FREE XANANA" posters all over Darwin with AFFET

I consider him little more than a neocolonialist puppet now

It is not surprising that a riot broke out in Dili -- it is far more surprising that it has taken this long for the resentment against the new imperialism of Territorians, Australians and other foreign opportunists to erupt.

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A comparison of White Australia's priorities.

East Timor's annual budget is just $A90 million (2001)

"The two camps on Nauru - "Topside", set on a hot dusty plateau in the centre of the island, and "State House" in an airless hollow closer to the coast - are run at a cost of $72 million a year to Australian taxpayers."

http://www.country-liberal-party.com/pages/refugees.k.htm