Speaking tour will highlight need for solidarity
By Simon Butler
Despite democratic changes in Indonesia and the end of the occupation of East Timor, "... there's still lots of reasons why solidarity from people in Australia is desperately needed", Kerryn Williams, an organiser of the national speaking tour by two leaders of the Indonesian and Timorese radical democratic movements, told Resistance magazine.
The tour, organised by Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor (ASIET), will feature Budiman Sujatmiko, chairperson of the People's Democratic Party (PRD) of Indonesia, and Avelino da Silva, secretary-general of the Socialist Party of Timor (PST). Williams says that this is "a rare chance to hear, from movement leaders, first-hand accounts of the continuing struggles in Indonesia and East Timor."
The radical democratic movements in both countries face enormous challenges.
In East Timor:
- The massive task of rebuilding the country is only in its very initial stages.
- While UNTAET (United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor) and the large aid organisations use the few buildings that have been restored, the majority of local people are still without decent accommodation.
- The prices of basic goods are up to four times higher than in August.
- Only limited medical services are available.
- There is neither a sanitised water supply or a proper sewerage system.
- Education facilities and postal services are limited.
- Unemployment is around 80%.
- One hundred thousand refugees are still in militia-controlled camps in West Timor.
The PST is campaigning to have the reconstruction process sped up and for improved aid distribution, wage increases for East Timorese workers and lower prices for basic goods.
In Indonesia:
- The military continues to commit human rights abuses against the people.
- Military officials responsible for brutalities in East Timor and Indonesia are yet to be tried.
- President Abdurrahman Wahid has suspended defence minister General Wiranto but has said that if the general is convicted of involvement in the killing in East Timor, he will be pardoned.
- Former president Suharto remains unpunished and keeps control of billions of dollars worth of assets he stole from the state.
- The government will implement cuts, demanded by the International Monetary Fund, to subsidies on fuel, electricity, education and other basic necessities on April 1.
- In the province of Aceh, repression continues. A crackdown by the Indonesian armed forces has resulted in the deaths of up to 300 Acehnese since January.
The PRD is organising students, workers, peasants and others to demand no cuts to subsidies, an end to the repressive role of the military and the trial of the military generals responsible for brutalities.
There are also more than a few issues of Australian foreign policy concerning the two countries:
- One thousand six hundred East Timorese asylum seekers are still fighting for their right to stay in Australia.
- The government maintains military ties with the Indonesian armed forces.
- Australian companies which profited from Indonesia's occupation of East Timor have not paid any reparations to the East Timorese people.
- Labor and Coalition federal governments aided the Suharto regime's repression, yet the Australian government has contributed only a meagre amount of reconstruction aid for East Timor.
ASIET is organising campaigns to demand that the above issues be resolved, that East Timorese people no long be required to have visas to travel between East Timor and Australia, and that the government funds 1000 new scholarships each year for East Timorese to attend Australian higher education institutions.
[See pages 28-29 for details of the tour.]