Jose Ramos Horta, the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and special representative overseas for the East Timorese resistance sent the following message to Resistance, the national socialist youth organisation, which is organising a "Free East Timor, Democracy in Indonesia" national week of action from May 17.
Friends of Democracy and East Timor:
Congratulations to Resistance for organising this week of action which will surely help to replace the violence of Suharto's militarism with the peace that the East Timorese and workers of Indonesia deserve.
May this be a week when the people of Australia exert pressure on the governments of Indonesia and Australia who so immorally betray the universal values of justice and equality in their indecent rush to grasp and grab the region's coffee and oil, and appropriate to themselves the region's spoils, which properly belong to the people and not to their governments.
But I ask you this:
Who are the people who lead the struggle for democracy in Indonesia? Who are the martyrs who have sacrificed their freedom for the greater freedom of Indonesian society? It is no less than the youth of Indonesia — the students, workers and artists from all classes and islands in the land.
And who are the people who oppose the Indonesian military in East Timor? Who run the risks, who suffer the trials of torture? It is no less than the youth of East Timor — the school drop-outs, the unemployed, the kids with no future.
What then is the response of the youth of Australia to these beacons of light in the neighbourhood? It can be nothing less than a total commitment to this week's activities, whose focus is a demand for freedom — freedom for Indonesians, freedom for East Timorese, freedom for political prisoners, for those of you in Australia, freedom from guilt by association.
What shame — that Australia holds the bloodied hand of the Javanese bully! How can Australia do this? Is it fear — fear that the bully will turn from abusing his own family and start abusing his neighbour? Surely a more characteristic Australian response would be to go to the nub of the problem, the core of the rottenness. This would entail the nobler approach of shunning appeasement, and trying to prevent the bully from committing abuses in his own family, amongst his own people. Such an approach would create a lasting friendship with the people of Indonesia and East Timor, a friendship Australia once enjoyed with both groups in the past, but since forfeited.
Lovers of freedom, democracy and East Timor throughout all Australia — our duty is clear.
We must challenge the influential appeasers in Canberra: the people of Australia say, "End our military ties with Jakarta. Let the refugees stay."
We must strengthen the hopes of disenfranchised Indonesians: the people of Australia say, "Allow real political parties and honest elections".
We must uphold our friends and former allies in East Timor: the people of Australia say, "Out with the Indonesian military. Free the prisoners. Allow a genuine, free referendum."
May the youth of Australia, Indonesia and East Timor, in solidarity, bring an end to corruption, torture and tyranny, and usher into the region an era of peace — a peace we all crave — peace for the body, peace for the mind, and peace for the soul.