From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: East Timor Alert Network Newsletter October 1992
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 04:09:34 GMT

/** reg.easttimor: 356.0 **/
** Topic: ETAN/CANADA NEWSLETTER **
** Written  7:04 pm  Oct  5, 1992 by web:etantor in cdp:reg.easttimor **
East Timor Alert Network/Canada Newsletter
October 1992

The ETAN newsletter is sent free to all ETAN members (membership is $10 
annually from ETAN, 104-2120 West 44th, Vancouver BC, V6M 2G2) and 
interested Canadians. International subscribers, please send $10 (Cdn or US 
funds). 

The newsletter is posted as responses to this topic. 

.1      News
.2      Trials of Timorese
.3      British Columbia
.4      Ontario
.5      Action ideas
.6      Timorese voices

Stop Press page, news clippings, graphics, resources etc. not posted.
** End of text from cdp:reg.easttimor **

/** reg.easttimor: 356.1 **/
** Written  7:07 pm  Oct  5, 1992 by web:etantor in cdp:reg.easttimor **
** UN Commission condemns Indonesia

The United Nations Sub-Commission on Human Rights has condemned, for 
the first time, IndonesiaUs human rights record in East Timor, a former 
Portuguese colony it invaded in 1975. 

The 13 to six vote (with four abstentions) blasts the Indonesian 
government for Rcontinuing to shut East Timor off from the eyes of 
international observers.S The Indonesian government is also required to free 
Timorese political prisoners jailed this year for RsubversionS or Rspreading 
hostilityS under the Indonesian anti-subversion law. Finally, the UN 
commission asked Indonesia to provide aid to the families of over 100 
Timorese civilians massacred by Indonesian soldiers last November 12. 

The UN Commission on Human Rights is composed of representatives of 
23 member governments, including Canada. Its votes are secret, but 
countries voting against the resolution are thought to include China and four 
of IndonesiaUs Islamic allies: Nigeria, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco. All are 
Rcountries familiar with human rights violations,S noted Jos Ramos Horta, 
external representative for the Timorese independence movement CNRM. 

Last February, Indonesia promised the Human Rights Commission it 
would show greater respect for human rights in East Timor, where over a 
third of the population has died under Indonesian rule. However, it has since 
sentenced 21 Timorese independence activists to jail terms ranging from six 
months to life imprisonment, over the protests of human rights groups 
around the world (including Amnesty International and Asia Watch).

The resolution is a sign of Rshame for a country that aims to take a 
leadership position in the Third World,S Ramos Horta said. Indonesia took 
over the leadership of the Non-Aligned Movement on September 1 at its 
triennial summit in Jakarta. 


**New Attacks in Timor Mountains

The Indonesian Armed Forces have reportedly launches a major new 
offensive against East Timorese guerrilla fighters in a bid to capture 
resistance leader Xanana Gusmo. :It's a very big offensive," said Alfred 
Ferreira, a Timorese representative in Australia. "These opperations are 
progressing now. The Indonesians are trying to encircle them and push them 
toward the centre of Timor. It is arid there and living conditions are very 
difficult."

Several "intense" clashes have been reported in Viqueque, Baucau and 
Same regions of the East Timor interior. 

There are now twelve battalions of Indonesian soldiers in east Timor, 
four "combat battalions" and eight "territorial battalions" (whose job is to 
control dissent in villages and resettlement camps). This marks an increase 
of two battalions since November 1991, which contradicts Indonesian 
government statements that troop strength in East Timor  is being reduced.


**BLAMING THE VICTIM

 The Indonesian government's recent explanation to New Zealand of the 
death of Kamal Bamadhaj last Nov. 12 in Dili falsely accuses him of being 
"actively engaged in fomenting and encouraging the demonstrators to be 
defiant to the security officers " during the procession to the cemetery. The 
report again white-washes the massacre as isolated incident in which 
"spontaneous and unauthorised shooting took place resulting regrettably in a 
number of casualties, including Mr. Kamal Bamadhaj." The explanation fails 
to account for the fact that two military road blocks severely delayed 
Kamal's access to medical treatment and that his family were never notified 
by Indonesian authorities about his death.


**WHAT "SINCERE REMORSE" ?

The New Zealand government believes that the Indonesian government 
has shown "sincere remorse" over the Santa Cruz massacre last november. 
The Indonesian authorities have not even had the decency to inform the 
families of the 18 deceased Timorese who were given single graves. Military 
operations and intimidation of Timorese civilians have been stepped up in 
East Timor since last November  and therefore there is no evidence of a 
change in Indonesian government policy. 

On July 31 New Zealand foreign minister, Don McKinnon, said that the Dili 
incident refelected neither the Indonesian Government's nor the Indonesian 
Armed Forces Command policy or orders. This endorsement of Indonesia's 
explanation over the murder of one of its citizens not only defies testimonies 
and film-footage of western journalists, but also adds to such an outrageous 
loss of life. 


**Great Turn-out at UN Decolonisation Hearings 

New York, July 27 representatives of over 25 groups from around the 
world testified for East Timor before the UN Special Committee of 24 on 
Decolonisation. This year's hearings were particularly significant in view the 
Nov 12 Santa Cruz massacre. Allan Nairn and Amy Goodman (US journalists 
who witnessed the massacre) and Li-Lien Gibbons (step-sister of Santa Cruz 
victim Kamal Bamadhaj) were among those who testified. Jos Ramos-Horta 
also presented CNRM's (National Council of Maubere Resistance) peace plan 
for East Timor. 

The testimonies lasted a day and a half, much to the annoyance of the 
Indonesian delegates who frequently disrupted the session with their 
statements of disapproval regarding hearings on East Timor. The Tunisian 
delegate also complained about petitioners' terms  "dictator" and "regime" as 
references to Suharto and his government. Indonesia testified before the 
committee in response to Portugal's petition, claiming falsely, as always, that 
the East Timorese voted for integration in 1976.

 Many petitioners requested the release of Dr Amos Wako's (the 
Secretary General's special envoy to East Timor earlier this year) report. The 
committee has not draw any resolutions and is expected to make 
recommendations to the General Assembley this September.


**Canada silent at Aid meet 

The July inaugural meeting of the Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI) 
gave the Indonesian government $4.94 billion in aid for the coming year, 
slightly more than the Indonesians had requested. The CGI is a new donor 
forum chaired by the World Bank that replaced the old Netherlands-based 
Inter-Governmental Group on Indonesia when Indonesia refused to accept 
further aid from the Netherlands (which has a policy of linking aid with 
respect for human rights).

Canadian representatives at the CGI meeting ignored appeals from ETAN 
and 16 Canadian Parliamentarians for East Timor that Canada use the forum 
to advance its stated policy of linking aid and human rights. Canada will give 
Indonesia another $46 million in aid this year, but is still maintaining its 
freeze on $30 million in future aid projects in Indonesia. The $30 million was 
frozen after last November's Santa Cruz massacre. Last year's $46 million aid 
package placed Indonesia third among all recipients of Canadian 
Development aid.


**Portugal blocks Indonesia-EC agreement !

Last July Portugal decided to halt EC negotiations on an ambitious new 
economic cooperation agreement with Asean countries on the grounds of 
what Portuguese foreign minister denounced on July 20 as Indonesia's 
"unacceptable violation of human rights" in East Timor. 

This fact sets a good precedence for other governments to start imposing 
sanctions on Indonesia after its cold-blooded murder of peaceful 
demonstrators in East Timor last November. Portugal's action is also timely 
given that this December will mark the 17th year of Indonesia's criminal 
occupation of East Timor. 

Portugal's decision to block the new EC-Asean pact  has embarrassed not 
only the EC Commission, which has been trying eagerly to develop EC-Asean 
relations, but also the British government which has promised to focus more 
attention on Asean and South Asian countries while it chairs the EC over the 
next few months.


**US Representatives Cut Military Aid to Indonesia

The House of Representatives voted unanimously on June 25 to stop  
funding the Indonesian military. The vote came on an amendment 
introduced by Ronald  Machtley (Republican-Rhode Island) and Tony Hall 
(Democrat-Ohio) which removes $2.3 million in International Military 
Education and Training (IMET) for Indonesia from the Foreign Operations, 
Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 
1993.

Although non-binding resolutions have passed at various times, this is 
the first time ever that Congress has taken substantive action to support  the 
East Timorese people. The arena now moves to the Senate, which will vote in 
September on cutting IMET to Indonesia.

The Indonesian Armed Forces commander, Gen. Try Sutrisno, attacked 
the House vote, saying "they should not use their yardstick to evaluate our 
performances (on human rights) because we have our own yardstick."   

 **Carrascalao replaced by thug.

Jakarta's newly appointed governor of East Timor, Mr Abilio Osorio Soares, is 
a "common criminal who personally tortured and murdered innocent 
civilians" according to CNRM overseas representative, Jos Ramos-Horta. 
Soares is a founding member of an organization that has always backed East 
Timor's integration with Indonesia, since before the 1975 invasion.

General Theo Syafei, commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces in East 
Timor said during the recent selection that "The new governor must fight for 
the integration of Timor" with Indonesia and "exterminate those who are 
two-faced."


** End of text from cdp:reg.easttimor **

/** reg.easttimor: 356.2 **/
** Written  7:09 pm  Oct  5, 1992 by web:etantor in cdp:reg.easttimor **
After the Massacre: Punishing the victims in East Timor

On Nov. 12, 1991, a crowd of thousands of unarmed Timorese 
civilians marched to the Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili to lay flowers on 
the grave of slain independence activist Sebastiao Gomes. Indonesian 
soldiers opened fire on the crowd without provocation, killing at least 
100 people. The Indonesian government promised to punish the 
guilty. Two generals were fired and replaced with more hard-line 
generals. Ten soldiers were court-martialled, and sentenced to jail 
terms ranging from eight to 18 months. Eight Timorese survivors of 
the Santa Cruz massacre, meanwhile, have been jailed for 
"subversion" or "anti-government activities" for periods ranging from 
five years to life.

Timorese students studying in Indonesia who joined a protest 
against the massacre in Jakarta on Nov. 19, 1991, have also been 
harshly punished with jail terms ranging from 6 months up to 10 
years. 

Sebastiao Gomes was killed on Oct. 28, 1991, when Indonesian 
soldiers entered to Motael Catholic Church in Dili and attacked 
civilians taking refuge there. No soldiers have been charged in 
connection with this murder, but five of the Timorese pro-
independence activists sheltering in the church have been convicted.

Western governments, including Canada, the United States, Britain 
and Japan, have accepted the Indonesian response as appropriate. 
External Affairs Minister Barbara McDougall told a news conference 
in February that "(Indonesia) is very clearly attempting to come to 
grips with the situation," and praised "the commitment of the 
Indonesian government to ensure the perpetrators among the 
military and civilians will be brought to justice." 

At the same news conference, Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali 
Alatas told reporters: "What is important is for people and 
governments abroad to evaluate the (Indonesian) governmentUs 
response, to judge us by what we are doing to overcome the 
incident."

A list of sentences in connection with the events around the Santa 
Cruz massacre follows. 

I. Court-martials of Indonesian soldiers
Pvt. Mateus Maya                8 months for disobeying orders
Pvt. Afonso de Jesus            8 months for disobeying orders
1st Corporal I.P. Marthin       17 months for torture (cutting off 
the ear of a demonstrator)
1st Sgt. Aloysius Rani          18 months
1st Sgt. Udin Syukur            18 months
1st Sgt. Petrus Saul Mada       12 months
2nd Lt. Sugiman Mursanib        14 months for failing to control his 
troops
2nd Lt. John Aritonang  12 months for opening fire 
without orders
2nd Lt. Hadrianus Eddy Sunaryo12 months for ordering troops to 
fire
2nd Lt. Yohanes Panpada 8 months for disobeying orders

II. Trials of East Timorese civilians
In Dili, in connection with Nov. 12:
Gregorio da Cunha Saldanha, 29          life sentence for subversion
Francisco Miranda Branco, 41            15 years for subversion
Jacinto des Neves Raimundo, 34          10 years for publicly 
expressing hostility 
Filomeno da Silva Pereira, 34           5 years, 8 months for 
conspiracy and hostility
Juvencio de Jesus Martins, 32           10 years for expressing 
hostility (prosecution had requested 6 years, 10 months)
Carlos dos Santos Lemos, 31                     8 years for expressing 
hostility
Bonifacio Magno Pereira, 35                     6 years for expressing 
hostility
Saturnino da Costa Belo, 21                     9 years for expressing 
hostility

In Dili, in connection with Oct. 28:
Bobby Xavier, 18                        3 years
Aleixo da Silva, 22                     2 years, 3 months
Jacob da Silva                          2 years
Joao dos Santos, 23                     1 year, 8 months
Bonifacio Bareto                                1 year, 8 months

In Dili, for sending "secret" documents overseas
Afonso Rangel                           5 years 
Felismina dos Santos Concei
ao      5 years 
Amarao de Araujo                        3 years 

In Jakarta, in connection with Nov. 19:
Fernando de Araujo, 26          9 years for subversion
Joao Freitas da Camara, 37              10 years for subversion
Virgilio da Silva Guterres              2 years, 6 months
Dominggus Barreto, 29           6 months for spreading hostility... 
(freed in May, 1992)
Agopito Cordoso, 25                     10 months for spreading 
hostility...
** End of text from cdp:reg.easttimor **

/** reg.easttimor: 356.3 **/
** Written  7:11 pm  Oct  5, 1992 by web:etantor in cdp:reg.easttimor **
Elaine Briere is extremely busy with her film on East Timor which is 
developing very positively into a unique tribute to East Timorese culture. is 
still involved in political work for East Timor. An interview with Elaine 
which was published recently by "Z Magazine" has been very successful in 
raising interest about East Timor and Indonesia; Elaine has been sending out 
numerous Indonesia Kits by request from people who read the article in "Z". 

Aze, our East Timorese refugee has just moved to Vancouver. He is attending 
ESL courses in Capilano college. Aze is coping well with his difficult situation 
thanks especially to the Wood family in Campbell River with whom he was 
living for the past year. ETAN is also grateful to many people in Campbell 
River who helped Aze during his time there.

Li-Lien Gibbons recently testified at the UN Decolonisation hearings on 
behalf of ETAN, Parliamentarians for East Timor and her family. "As It 
Happens" interviewed her in New York, marking the first time that the UN 
Decolonisation Hearings on East Timor have been aired on CBC radio. This 
October she will be leaving Vancouver temporarily to study Mandarin in 
China, but is due to return next summer.


**A Growing Interest in Vancouver...

Ever since the Santa Cruz massacre  of Nov. 12 various individuals in 
Vancouver have been contacting Elaine Briere for more information about 
East Timor and Indonesia. This is exactly what we like to see and encourage! 
It is a matter of time and effort before Canadians realise that they simply 
cannot actively ignore the issue. 

So far Tony Palma has begun to link ETAN to the Portuguese community in 
Vancouver, mainly through the Catholic church. We really appreciate the 
church's offer of its photocopying facilities to Aze. It is also likely that the 
church (on E. 12th, near E. Broadway) will hold a mass on November 12th in 
commemoration of the Santa Cruz victims.

ETAN would also like to thank Plamen Gantchev (our most fearless activist!), 
Nick Witheford and BC PIRG for helping to raise the issue of East Timor and 
university involvement with the Indonesian regime in the SFU community. 
SFU's CIDA funded East Indonesian Development Project has become quite an 
issue since last Spring's forum at which Elaine, Li-Lien and Svend Robinson 
spoke. 


**CBC French TV calls us !

Again, thanks mainly to Plamen Gantchev's fervent lobbying, CBC French TV 
aired a special feature on the SFU-Indonesian project and East Timor on its 
news program early in September. The feature included brief interviews 
with Elaine Briere, Li-Lien Gibbons and Christopher Dagg (administrator of 
the SFU project) and also footage of the Santa Cruz massacre last November. 
It might be a good idea to call or write to CBC (French TV) to thank them for 
their efforts and support. If only CBC national would show the same 
interest...


**SFU OUT OF INDONESIA!

The five year old East Indonesian Development Project is coming up for 
renewal after spending its $20 million from CIDA. The fundamental question 
is how can a Canadian university which is supposed to uphold and promote 
the values of academic and political freedom be involved with a government 
which is one of the worst human rights abusers in the world! As it so 
happens, SFU is involved with helping the Indonesian government "upgrade" 
the Eastern Indonesian region.

According to Liem Soei Liong of Tapol, "the development of East Indonesia 
through all kinds of projects World Bank, ADB, bilateral g to g or university 
projects like SFU do have one thing in common: not only do they enhance the 
image of the Suharto government, but even worse can support the further 
obliteration of the threatened cultures of the local people in the Moluccas 
and West Papua."

The SFU project is linked with three major state universities: Universitas 
Sam Ratulangi in Menado (Sulawesi), Universitas Pattimura in Ambon 
(Maluku) and Universitas Cenderawasih in Jayapura (West Papua).
The decision to choose for eastern Indonesia is most likely made through a 
process of discussions in higher spheres, World Bank and the Government of 
Indonesia (GOI). Many other donor countries like Holland and Australia have
also decided to focus on the development of Eastern Indonesia. It has 
become a kind of parole in the world of developmentalists to talk about 
Eastern Indonesia. They even developed an abbreviation IBT (Indonesia 
Bagian Timur, the Eastern Part of Indonesia).

SFU's project administrators claim that their involvement is "empowering the 
individual's academic freedom". There is no evidence of any such 
improvement; student councils and senates do not exist in Indonesian 
universities. Instead SFU is involved with universities which have been 
called upon by the Indonesian government "to provide research support, 
professional services and trained individuals with skills in production, 
processing and marketing" due to "an increased recognition of the market 
potential of the Eastern Islands' marine, forest and agricualtural resources." 
We must bear in mind also that human rights violations in the region and in 
particular in West Papua are appalling. In recent months many West 
Papuans have fled from their homes to the neighbouring PNG. The situation 
in West Papua can be compared in many ways with that in East Timor.
SFU's Student Resource Centre is producing a pamphlet titled "SFU and 
Indonesia: Complicity in Human Rights Abuse?" which will be distributed 
with the help of BC PIRG in the university. 


**Reaching out to youth

We have had a couple of great experiences talking to young students this 
summer. Li-Lien was invited to do a presentation on East Timor and "Student 
Activism" from her personal perspective at Pearson College in Victoria. 
About 200 Canadian and international students attended the talk and film 
"Cold Blood". Aze and Li-Lien also gave a workshop to some students who 
were participating in the YMCA "Right On!" human rights conference on the 
Sunshine coast. We hope to reach out more to high schools in the future 
because young students seem quite keen to get active and learn about issues 
these days. 
** End of text from cdp:reg.easttimor **

/** reg.easttimor: 356.4 **/
** Written  7:13 pm  Oct  5, 1992 by web:etantor in cdp:reg.easttimor **
**Activism spreads across Ontario

New East Timor support groups have formed around Ontario, and interest in 
East Timor in the province is running higher than ever. ETAN groups are 
planning many activities throughout the fall to try to raise awareness about 
East Timor in Ontario. 

An Ontario Regional East Timor Conference was held at thew 519 Church St. 
Community Centre in Toronto on Aug. 1, with keynote speakers Ab Barreto 
(speaking on behalf of the East Timor nationalist movement CNRM, National 
Council of Maubere Resistance), Liem Soei Liong of Tapol, the Indonesian 
Human Rights Campaign based in London, Li-lien Gibbons from 
ETAN/Vancouver and Peter Monet from ETAN/Ottawa. We were happy at 
the good tunout (31 people for a day-long meeting) and the wide 
representation from ten communities in Ontario. The conference got good 
media coverage, especially from the local Portuguese-language press and 
television and campus/community radio programmers who attended. Special 
thanks for making the day possible go to Maggie Helwig and ACT for 
Disarmament. 

-- A tour of Ontario universities will feature talks by Timorese refugee 
Ab Barreto and the first Canadian screenings of the full-length version of 
Cold Blood: The Massacre of East Timor. A forum has already been held at 
Wilfred Laurier University, and more are planned at McMaster in Hamilton 
(Oct. 12-13) ,Windsor (Oct. 14-15), York and Ryerson in Toronto (Oct. 27), 
University of Toronto (Oct. 28), Guelph (Nov. 3), Brock, Carleton, Ottawa, 
Queen's, Trent, Waterloo, and Western (dates still to be decided). 

-- ETAN/Ottawa is concentrating on lobbying on Parliament Hill and 
conducting a membership drive for Parliamentarians for East Timor (PET). 
There will be a demonstration in Ottawa on November 12, the first 
anniversary of the Santa Cruz massacre, starting at Parliament Hill and going 
to the Department of External Affairs. East Timor supporters from across the 
province are invited to attend. Ottawa contact: Peter Monet, (613) 283-6933.

-- In Windsor, an East Timor support group is just being formed, and has 
had very good response from local unions, churches, community groups, and 
the Third World Resource Centre. The group is lobbying the 3 local MPs to 
join PET, collecting signatures on a Free East Timor! petition, and working at 
the University of Windsor. In the summer, a picket was held in support of 
the Bata Shoes Boycott. Windsor contact: Jason Amyot, (519) 976-3166. 

-- The East Timor Working Group in Guelph keeps up its pressure on the 
Guelph University to end its sponsorship of the Sulawesi Regional 
Development Project, the largest aid to Indonesia project of any Canadian 
university. A talk and information display at the School of Rural Planning 
(responsible for the Sulawesi project) is planned for this month, along with 
petitioning, radio shows, newspaper articles and other events. An external 
review into the Sulawesi project ordered by the university Senate (the first 
to consider ethical and human rights concerns) should table its report in 
November or December. Guelph contact: Sheila Wilmot, (519) 824-2091.

-- ETAN/Toronto and ACT for Disarmament continue to promote the Bata 
Shoes Boycott and hold educational events. This month, a joint "benefit for 
boycotts" involved ETAN, the General Electric Boycott Boycott Committee, 
United Farmworkers, and other groups engaged in consumer boycotts. A 
petition calling on Bata to divest from Indonesia is now available. On October 
1 there will be a benefit screening for ETAN of the new film Manufacturing 
Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (Euclid Theatre, 7 pm, $10). This 
excellent film will also be screened at the Euclid Oct 2-7 and the John 
Spotton Theatre 29-Nov. 4. Peace vigils will be held on December 7 and other 
dates through the year. Toronto contact: David Webster, (416) 539-9589, or 
call ACT for Disarmament, 531-6154.

-- Groups and individuals are busy gearing up for fall campaigns in 
Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Oakville, Kingston and other 
communities. And ETAN has received inquiries from across Ontario, from 
Belleville to Thunder Bay. 
** End of text from cdp:reg.easttimor **

/** reg.easttimor: 356.5 **/
** Written  7:14 pm  Oct  5, 1992 by web:etantor in cdp:reg.easttimor **
What you can do

Lobby your Member of Parliament. Canada should be supporting the
rights of East Timor, not backing the Indonesian position. There
are now 21 members of Canadian Parliamentarians for East Timor,
representing all three major political parties. For more
information, contact Peter Monet at ETAN/Ottawa, or MPs Ray Funk
(NDP), David Kilgour (Liberal) or David MacDonald (Conservative).


Write to External Affairs Minister Barbara McDougall. Canada gave
Indonesia $46 million in economic aid last year (third among all
countries we gave aid to). Despite a freeze in $30 million of
future aid projects, Canada plans to give another $46 million in
1992-93. If our aid money is tied to human rights, all aid to
Indonesia should be suspended. Write Barbara McDougall (postage
free) c/o House of Commons, Ottawa Ont., K1A 0A6, and send copies
of your letters to External Affairs critics for the opposition
parties: Lloyd Axworthy (Liberal) and Svend Robinson (NDP).

Circulate a Free East Timor! petition. Activists in nine
communities (Guelph/Wellington County; Hamilton-Wentworth,
London/Oxford County, Oakville/Halton Region, Ottawa, Toronto,
Vancouver, Waterloo Region and Windsor) are carrying out petition
drives to collect 5,000 signatures each.  Get in touch with the
contact in your area to participate in petition drives ... or we
can make a personalized petition for your area (contact HANDS, PO
Box 1302, Main Station, Guelph Ont., N1H 6N6, (519) 767-0313).

Collect endorsements on an open letter. ETAN and the Canadian
Peace Alliance are hoping to publish an open letter to the
Canadian government about East Timor in the national press on
November 12, the first anniversary of the Santa Cruz massacre.
Contact ETAN/Toronto or the CPA (555 Bloor St.  W., Toronto, M5S
xxx, (416) 588-5555). Tax-deductible donations towards the cost of
this letter can be made to "BC Conference, United Church of
Canada" with a memo "For East Timor Relief," and sent to ETAN.

Organize a public forum. Show the film "Cold Blood" or
"Manufacturing Consent" and invite a speaker from ETAN, in your
town, church, university, school, community group, union or
whatever.

Boycott Bata Shoes and other Canadian companies involved in
Indonesia.  Over 300 Canadian companies have invested more than $2
billion in Indonesia, including Bata, Inco Inc., Gulf Canada
Resources Ltd., SNC-Lavalin Inc., Pratt and Whitney Canada,
General Electric Canada and many others.

Ask Canadian universities to divest from Indonesia. Simon Fraser,
Guelph, Dalhousie and other Canadian universities have major
projects in tandem with the Indonesian government.

Join an international day of action on November 12, 1992, the
first anniversary of the Santa Cruz massacre. Demonstrations will
be held in Ottawa (with participants from across Ontario) and
Vancouver. Or, organize a demonstration of your own.

Make a donation to ETAN. We are a grassroots organization
dependent on public support to pay for our campaigns. Please
consider a donation to ETAN Q no amount is too small! Or, organize
a fundraising event for East Timor.
** End of text from cdp:reg.easttimor **

/** reg.easttimor: 356.6 **/
** Written  7:15 pm  Oct  5, 1992 by web:etantor in cdp:reg.easttimor **
Abe and Aze, Canada's only East Timorese refugees would like to share some 
of their thoughts with us.

There Was Someone Picking Them Up...

Timor and its dreams, fears, sufferings
and beauty
already have you recorded
humming
in the pieces of verses 
lay down
in an untrodden path
There was a young poet passed
picking them up
and composed his verses
spoke through the mouth
of his verses


(Dedicated to an East Timorese poet, Fransisco Porja da Costa, killed in 1975 
by the Indonesian military)

Dancing Around  The Planet Earth

Walt Whitman and Pablo Neruda
were with me in the downtown of Montreal
spending the weekend
We exchanged views on democracy 
and freedom
    In a twinkling of an eye
    I imagined when
    the dream of my land comes true :
    holding the torch of freedom
    and dancing around the planet Earth
    with a smile on its face.

Abe Barreto Soares (Summer 1992, Kitchener, Ontario)


I DRANK BLOOD WATER

Oh Matebian
On top of you
There are thousands of corpses
Their blood colored the water
And I drank it
To hold my liberty.

N.B. Matebian is the mountain in East Timor which the Indonesian military 
surrounded and bombed, killing many people everywhere and all the water 
filled with blood and we just used it for cooking and drinking.
(Aze witnessed the Matebian massacre and lost many relatives during the 
incident)

BY BLOOD YOU BUILD

Indonesia,
In scenes of your
Buildings, television and asphalt
Drops of human blood
still stain them all.

Aze @ Jose Maria de Jesus Luis Gutteres (Summer 1992, B.C)
** End of text from cdp:reg.easttimor **

/** reg.easttimor: 356.7 **/
** Written  7:16 pm  Oct  5, 1992 by web:etantor in cdp:reg.easttimor **

Apologies for the numerous typos -- uploading was done off the unedited
version of the text. 
-- David Webster, ETAN/Toronto
** End of text from cdp:reg.easttimor **
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