East Timor: Call for Financial Support and end to military/militia actions against refugees

	Extract from Hansard Legislative Council 17 November 1999

Ian Gilfillan Australian Democrats Member of the Legislative Council		Parliament Index 1999 Spring Session Index Browse by Subject About the SA Parliament Hansard on line

I. Calls on the federal government to take those steps required to counter the destabilisation of the ungoverned province of East Timor in the lead up to independence.

II. Commends the United Nations for the establishment of an international inquiry into gross human rights violations and atrocities in East Timor.

(a) organise an immediate United Nations supervised repatriation of East Timorese refugees from West Timor and other parts of Indonesia; and

(b) demand the immediate withdrawal of all Indonesian military and militia personnel from East Timor.

(a) urgently increase the emergency release of food and other humanitarian supplies to refugees in remote areas of East Timor to prevent starvation; and

(b) urge all governments, the World Bank and the IMF to ensure that economic assistance to Indonesia supports democratic and economic reform.

V. Commends the Australian government for providing sanctuary to East Timorese refugees.

(a) expand that sanctuary to East Timorese refugees who are being targeted by the Indonesian military and militias;

(d) thank the East Timorese people for their great sacrifice and support during World War II and to welcome the decision of the Indonesian government in recognising the referendum outcome which granted autonomy and independence to East Timor; and

(c) demand that Indonesia ceases all military and militia activity that is being directed against East Timorese independence activists and refugees who are trapped in West Timor and other parts of Indonesia; and

(d) call on the United Nations to organise a boycott of all military cooperation with the TNI unless this harassment and terror are immediately stopped.

(ab) urge all governments, the World Bank and the IMF to ensure that urgent economic assistance will be given to East Timor to assist in its redevelopment and reconstruction to promote recovery from the 24 years of slaughter and destruction and to request that the assistance will be in the form of grants; and

(a) expand that sanctuary to East Timorese refugees who are being targeted by the Indonesian military and militias and to those refugees who have recently come to Australia whose homes have been destroyed and for whom an early return to their homeland at the beginning of the monsoon season without adequate shelter will cause further undue hardship and suffering;

VII. That this Resolution be forwarded to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

In moving these amendments, members will note that they in no way contradict the original motion: in fact, they pick up the contemporary situation. The circumstances have moved forward from the time the Hon. Terry Roberts moved the original motion. I also consulted with members of Campaign For An Independent East Timor, in particular Mr Andrew Alcock- Andy Alcock as he is known to many people in that movement. I pause to pay credit in this place to the untiring efforts and selfless work that has been done in pursuing the campaign for an independent East Timor by Andy Alcock and Bob Hanny, both of whom have served in various capacities without a break, to my knowledge, for over 20 years.

Certainly, Dr Richie Gunn has been active and has served as chairman at various times. I would like particularly to emphasise my appreciation and the appreciation of what I think should be all South Australians for the courage and determination shown by Andy Alcock and Bob Hanny at times when there was vast indifference-in fact, even hostility-to the demonstrations pushing for recognition that the East Timorese were suffering cruel and unacceptable oppression from the Indonesians. It is therefore appropriate for me to comment on the reason that I have deleted paragraph (da) from my original intended amendment. Paragraph (da) states:

Extend a formal apology to the East Timorese leadership and people for the betrayal of them by Australian governments over the past 24 years.

I will not move that amendment because I think it is essential that this place passes a unanimous resolution and, as I understand it, the amendments which I have moved enjoy the support of all members. In that sense, it is belatedly a very strong expression of support, friendship and sensitivity to the plight of the East Timorese. It is, I think, interesting to reflect that our Prime Minister has just, in the past couple of days, bestowed the Order of Australia on Nelson Mandela. It is not so long ago that I can recall the party to which John Howard has linked his political life and which he has led deriding the role of the ANC, mocking the activities of the ANC and its leadership and paying tacit support to apartheid. It is a shame that we have that recollection.

The Hon. IAN GILFILLAN: It is a shame that we have that past, but we do change and that is the point I am raising.

The Hon. IAN GILFILLAN: I notice that there is hypersensitivity on the government side. Anyone who is keen to interject could indicate the times they participated in the rallies against apartheid; the times they were there when the ANC was appealing for funds; and the times when South Africa was appealing to people of good spirit in South Australia to rise in its cause. For anyone who is in that category and who is interjecting, I welcome their interjection, but it is a great success for us to have seen that at last we have welcomed and recognised the role of Nelson Mandela, and the fight against apartheid was supported.

The Hon. IAN GILFILLAN: I wish that the interjectors would listen more to the intention of the motion: we must recognise that for years Australian governments of both Labor and Liberal persuasion turned their face stonily and ruthlessly away from the suffering that was occurring in East Timor. That is historically irrefutable. But, there is no reason why we cannot now acknowledge that we made mistakes and that the country made a mistake in not rising to this call before. It has had a wonderful period-and I indicated this in my earlier remarks when I spoke to the matter last week- and it is a moment of great pride for me as an Australian to have seen, and to continue to see, the role that the Australian troops and the Australian Government, supported by the opposition and certainly the Democrats, are now playing in East Timor.

Therefore, I think it is important to still confess that in previous years we have not had that charity and that positive role towards those poor benighted people. We lost five journalists: the East Timorese lost 60 000 in a war that they did not start when they were helping us. I think when we look to our grades and categories of sympathy, empathy and support for the East Timorese, it is just as well as to recognise how much they have suffered-and they have suffered right up to this day.

Therefore, this motion is still alive in its potential to urge those Australians who are in a position to make decisions to continue to give the help, to give the support, and to push the United Nations to make their lot easier and to correct what is still intimidation and oppression in West Timor as well as the role of the militia and portions of the Indonesian military.

I move the amendments so that the motion as amended-and I have discussed the matter with the mover of the motion-will be relevant to today's situation in East Timor. I again congratulate the Hon. Terry Roberts for moving it. I look forward to a successful and unanimous vote of support by this Legislative Council and its transmission to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Sandra Kanck also spoke to this motion before it was passed, on 23 November 1999