CNRT
National Council for Timorese Resistance
MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release: 0930 AustralianEST, Wednesday 8 September 1999
Indonesia's ethnic cleansing target: kill 344,580 East Timorese
STATEMENT BY: JoÔo CarrascalÔo Head of CNRT in Australia President of UDT (Timorese Democratic Union)
Hitler would be envious -- just 96 hours after the United Nations declared that 78.5 per cent of East Timorese had voted for freedom from Indonesian oppression, the fascist Indonesian military machine and its civil government collaborators like Foreign Minister, Ali Alatas, are well on their way to their target of exterminating 344,580 East Timorese.
They will also kill tens of thousands more -- innocent children.
These people will die, shot, hacked, tortured, raped and starved to death, unless the free, democratic nations of the world confront Indonesia today, in every international forum and on the ground in East Timor.
The figure of 344,580 is the number of people who voted for independence in the UN ballot, trusting in the assurances of sincere workers for the United Nations and from governments, including Australia and Portugal, that they could vote in safety and live to enjoy freedom afterwards.
But documents circulated in the Indonesian military and auxiliary pseudo-militia forces before the ballot said that those voting should be carefully noted, and every voter for independence should be wiped out after the ballot ... regardless of the result.
Those plans were put into action within an hour of the declaration of the ballot.
In the 1970s, 200,000 East Timorese died when the the Indonesian military dictatorship launched an all-out campaign against the independence movement. That kept the lid on the movement for two decades.
There can be no doubt that this time, their aim is more ambitious -- to wipe out the East Timorese independence movement for ever. That means wiping out every East Timorese who voted for independence.
We reiterate Taun Matan Ruak's appeal to all nations -- please help now. If you don't, there will be no East Timor tomorrow.
FURTHER INFORMATION: JoÔo CarrascalÔo, CNRT Spokesperson in Australia. TEL: (02) 9823 5616, Mobile: 0418 767 101
Issued on behalf of CNRT by Geoffrey Heard & Associates Melbourne, AUSTRALIA GH&A provides this service free to aid the suffering people of East Timor.
Geoffrey Heard GH&A Public Relations Tel: +61 3 9583 0788 Email: gheard@surf.net.au GH&A provides a free PR and information service to CNRT to support the people of East Timor in their struggle for freedom.
** End of text from cdp:reg.easttimor **