Re: AUT: WSW article on East Timor/Indonesia

[billbartlett@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (Bill Bartlett)]

Angela,

I am also a bit wary of any Australian military intervention in East Timor.
While  the Indonesian military hangs on there it would be incredibly
dangerous and of course if they agree to leave it would simply be
unnecessary.

But the Timorese are entitled to defend themselves and the least we can do
is supply them with the means necessary to do that. We should do what we
can to divert the economic and military aid currently going to the
Indonesian state, to the Timorese, perhaps a combination of economic
sanctions and the prospect of a well armed and well supplied resistance
might do the trick.

Doing nothing is evil.

All the talk about opposing capitalist interests is just fantasy though.
Indonesia itself is semi-feudal, Timor being essentially a feifdom
controlled by elements of the military, both East Timor and Indonesia would
surely be better off with a functional capitalist economic system and some
measure of political democracy? Doesn't give me any pleasure to say that
though.

Bill Bartlett
Bracknell tas





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