[Marxism] April 9, 2005 - East Timorese demonstrators attacked at Santa Cruz cemetery

["Clinton Fernandes" <cfer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

April 9, 2005 - East Timorese demonstrators attacked at Santa Cruz cemetery

 

Around 200 East Timorese protesters were attacked this morning (April 9) by 
East Timorese police, including special branch paramilitary forces. 

The protesters had gathered at the Santa Cruz cemetery, the site of the 1991 
demonstration and massacre by Suharto's military, 

to commemorate the massacre but also to protest the decision by the government 
of Xanana Gusmao and Mari Alkatiri 

to invite President Yudhoyono to visit East Timor. Yudhoyono was scheduled to 
visit Santa Cruz cemetery.

 

The police stated that the demonstrators had no permit for a demonstration at 
the cemetery, 

although a law requiring such permits had not yet been passed by parliament. 

After seizing banners and using force to disperse the demonstration, the 
demonstrators relocated to the offices of the Socialist Party of Timor. 

They are now sealed off inside the offices of the PST which have been 
surrounded by police and vehicles from the Rapid Response Unit. 

The Secretar-General of the PST, Avelino de Silva, told APISC that he had tried 
tghree times now to enter his office but had been stopped. 

 

Meanwhile inside the offices, students and youth from activist NGOs and from 
the Socialist Youth Organsaition 

are putting up a banner outside the office which reads: "No Impunity - Justice 
for the Victims".

 

Now inside the PST office, Tomas Freitas, from the Lao Hamatuk organization, 
told APISC contacts in Darwin 

that the demonstration was protesting against the East Timorese government's 
policy of "reconciliation" with the Indonesian 

government, because it involved dropping the demand for an international 
tribunal to judge human rights violators during the period of the Indonesian 
occupation.

 

"Democracy is dead in East Timor," Avelino told APISC Covenor, Max Lane, by 
phone. 

"In Jakarta you can demonstrate against SBY, but they have made him a god here. 

They have allowed no banners anywhere protesting SBY's visit but have forced 
people to put up welcome banners everywhere. 

When people gathered outside our office just a while ago, they too were 
dispersed by force."

 

For further information contact:

 

Tomas Freitas: 670-7245063

 

Avelino da Silva: 670-7237664

 

+++

 

This release issued by Max Lane, Convenor, Asia Pacific International 
Solidarity Conference - 0415 678 322
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