6-15-06, 9:01 am
The Communist Party of Australia fully supports the sovereignty and independence of East Timor (Timor Leste) and the right of its people and government to develop their economy and political system in accordance with their circumstances and wishes. We regard these to be the right of all nations and are non-negotiable. They are in accord with the principles and Charter of the United Nations.
It is in disregard of these rights that the Australian Government has for some time been interfering in the internal affairs of East Timor, has attempted to destabilise its democratically elected government, encouraged dissident military and political forces within East Timor to stage a military coup to overthrow the elected government headed by Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri.
Alkatiri’s Government adopted a policy for the debt-free development of East Timor and resisted pressure to accept World Bank loans. His Government opposed the privatisation of electricity and started to rebuild public institutions such as health and education systems. Mari Alkatiri fought hard to win a justified share of oil revenues in opposition to the stand taken by the Australian Government. His Government sought to build a state-owned petroleum industry. It adopted a poverty reduction program and accepted medical aid from Cuba.
The Australian Government opposed and attempted to reverse these social, economic and political policies and tried to impose its own policies which were not in the interest of the people of East Timor who, at this time, continue to suffer widespread unemployment and poverty.
When the coup attempt by some dissident military and police forces failed the Australian Government sent in a powerful contingent of military forces to help create a situation in which regime change could be brought about.
Before Australian military forces landed in East Timor the Australian and East Timor Governments adopted an agreement called the rules of engagement. It provided that Australian military and police forces would act to stem the violence, burning and looting, would cooperate with the East Timorese Government and would disarm the rebel military forces which had staged an armed revolt in Dili. This agreement has not been carried out by the Australian Government while an underhand campaign of propaganda has been carried on to discredit the Timor Government in an attempt to remove Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri. Far from disarming the rebel forces, they have been protected by the Australian military forces while the Government’s own army and police forces have been confined to barracks.
We demand that the Australian Government:
1. Commit to and support the independence of East Timor, cease interference in East Timor’s internal affairs and abandon plans to bring about regime change.
2. Respect and support the democratically elected Government of East Timor and its Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri.
3. Instruct the Australian armed forces and those from other countries under Australian command to abide by and carry out the rules of engagement agreed to with the East Timor Government including the disarming of the rebel forces.
4. Act immediately to put all foreign military forces in East Timor under United Nations control and direction and for the UN mandate to be extended by the Security Council for at least another year as originally requested by the East Timor Government.
5. Abandon plans to impose Australian economic, political and judicial personnel on East Timor, thereby establishing a de facto colonial administration.
6. Extend economic assistance to East Timor on the basis of mutual benefit.
From The Guardian
