DON'T JUST BLAME THE EAST TIMORESE GOVERNMENT

Dear Sir/Madam RE: LETTER TO THE EDITOR - DON'T JUST BLAME THE EAST TIMORESE GOVERNMENT

Those who support the new nation of East Timor realise that its first government has made a number of mistakes. However, it is all very well for John Howard and other detractors to make scathing comments.

It must be realised that East Timor has inherited many dire problems which were not all of its own choosing.

For 24 years, while the Indonesian military was carrying out genocide that saw the one third of the population perish, the world community turned its back. The war on terror had not officially started!

When it was decided that the remaining two thirds of the Timorese who survived should have a democratic vote to determine their future, it was.

John Howard and Alexander Downer who insisted that the TNI should police the operation.

Viewers of the mini series "Answered by Fire" know what happened. The TNI with the militias they recruited, trained and armed, killed at least 2000 more Timorese, destroyed 80% of the country's infrastructure and put the lives of many UN personnel at risk.

Despite this, the courageous East Timorese gained their independence albeit with the country in ruins.

The TNI has never been forced to compensate for its murderous and destructive actions and the world community has stood by and allow the criminals to escape justice. These perpetrators are still committing crimes in West Papua and Acheh and they remain a great threat to the East Timor's fragile security.

Many wished the UN to extend its peace keeping mission longer and it was the Australian government was one of the strongest voices that argued that it should not continue.

Since the TNI departed in 1999, there has been much drilling of oil and natural gas in Timor's half of the Timor Sea. The Australian government has taken nearly $3 billion revenue that rightly belongs to ET. This money is needed to rebuild the nation's infrastructure, provide humanitarian programs and to maintain a viable defence force to maintain Timor's sovereignty.

The reduction in defence force numbers was a major causal factor in the recent unrest and, yes, the process could have been handled much more wisely by the Mari Alkatiri government.

However, it has to be said that , but some other players, including Australian leaders, could also have shown more wisdom, support and compassion than they did.

It is good that Australiais again playing a major role to restore security again in Timor. Let us make sure that this time, the support lasts longer to ensure that security is more viable and that the countries involved in this exercise respect East Timor's sovereignty on both land and sea.

Andrew (Andy)
Acock Information Officer
Australia East Timor Friendship Association (SA) Inc.