[Last month's International Viewpoint carried an interview with the PST secretary-general Avelino dos Santos, also known as Shalar Kosi].
Gusmao and Rodrigues returned to Dili on October 22. Taur Matan Ruak, Avelino dos Santos and Felicadade Guterres are currently based in Dili.
The Transition Council has established an Emergency Commission to organise humanitarian activities and to identify qualified Timorese for the UN transitional administration.
Jose Ramos Horta will be responsible for diplomatic issues, and Mario Carrascalao will look for overseas commercial investment.
CNT leaders say that a united front of all groups is necessary during the transitional period under UN administration, in order to detend the interests of the East Timorese people.
According to Jose Ramos Horta, political parties will now begin their own educational and mobilising activities as part of the preparation for the establishment of a democratic political system.
According to Roque Rodrigues, the CNRT supports the use of the Portuguese escudo as the currency for the period of transition as well as Portuguese as the adminstrative language. But the CNRT accepts that the main local language, Tetum, will gradually become the national language.
CNRT continues to maintain an office in Darwin, Australia. [JP/JD] * For further information see www.asiet.org.au. For more information on the Socialist Party of East Timor see women. Solidarity still necessary Edi Ruslan talks to Antonio Makuit, research and development coordinator for Renetil, the East Timorese National Student Resistance. Many East Timorese living within Indonesia's borders want to return to their homeland but are fearful of retaliation from Indonesian authorities if they attempt to do so. "This problem is particularly acute for the 130,000 East Timorese in refugee camps in which militia units remain active", Makuit said
While Interfet now has a presence in most regions, its deployment outside the capital, Dili, was very slow.
"Conditions of absolute poverty persist throughout East Timor... Aid from organisations such as the International Red Cross and the UNHCR is not yet sufficient to relieve the shortage of food, medical supplies and other essential items. Continued pressure is needed, for a stronger relief effort."
Accordint to Makuit, the "CNRT agenda is as follows: first to secure recognition of the ballot by the Indonesian govern12 International Viewpoint #316 November 1999 ment and a withdrawal of all Indonesian troops; secondly to hold a conference of prospective forces to form a transitional government".
The CNRT will work with Interfet "as long as it is required to create secure conditions for such an election," Makuit said. The CNRT's armed wing, Falintil, will disarm "only after the threat of militia violence has ceased and security can be assured", he added
"The priority is an economy that fulfills people's needs. The agricultural sector, especially the coffee plantations, must be owned and managed by East Timorese We will enact land reform as soon as possible."
Renetil advocates the nationalisation of foreign-owned land, to be allocated to East Timorese for their cultivation on a colective basis. While foreign investment will be sought, Makuit wants to see "sufficient restrictions" on investors, to safeguard the welfare of East Timorese agricultural workers. "We will work to develop our own economy and not invest in infrastructure projects that will force www.dsp.org.au/etimor us into dependency on the IMF and the World Bank."
The CNRT wants East Timor to get 50% of revenue from oil exploration in the Timor Gap. The current agreement between the Australian government and Indonesia gives Australia a larger share.
"International solidarity continues to be of vital importance. We will continue to work in regional networks such as the Asia Pacific Coalition on E. Timor and the Asian Students Association to build solidarity amongst the people of the region."
Renetil will continue to support the struggles for self-determination in Aceh, West Papua, Sri Lanka and Tibet. "The movement in Indonesia for democracy and against militarism is of special significance to us" , he said. "We must do whatever we can to help their struggle."
Makuit also stressed that the work of solidarity activists in Australia, in organisations such as ASIET, had played a critical role in securing a referendum and, more recently, a peacekeeping force. * Renetil has branches in several countries and a strong presence amongst the 500 East Timorese students sti living in Indonesia. It supports the National Council of Timorese Resistance (CRT). This article first appeared in Green Left Weekly
4 International document
Solidarity with East Timor
After terrible massacres and destruction by terrorist militias under the auspices of the Indonesian Army, the United Nations has finally sent troops to East Timor and the Indonesian government has had no choice but to retreat. This was only possible because of the heroic resistance of the people of East Timor and their decades-long fight for self-determination and independence. A massive mobilisation and the results of the referendum held on August 30 made it absolutely clear—if it was not already-that the choice of the East Timorese people is for independence.
This was also made possible through the mobilisations and the pressure of international public opinion in many countries in the previous few weeks. In spirit of international solidarity tens of thousands took concrete action as a way to stop the slaughter and took to the streets in indignation.
This forced the most powerful imperialist governments in the world-especially the United States-and the UN to take a distance from the Indonesian generals whom they have been supporting for decades.
This solidarity movement shows once more that the mobilisation of public opinion is the strength through which the course of events can be changed.
And that is the most important lesson that the East Timor events can teach us in our global struggle against injustice: we have to demand and create a new politics of solidarity, of popular action, of lived democracy.
That is also why we have the responsibility to continue to struggle for freedom for East
Timor. The presence of the UNmandated forces in the country should not and cannot be a substitute for this task of solidarity.
The East Timorese people are suffering from lack of supplies and medical and humanitarian assistance. The killers are still there, having applied a policy of scorched earth, forced deportations of thousands of Timorese and physical elimination of the leaders and fighters of the resistance, of the National Council of the Timorese Resistance (CNRT) and the Armed of East Timor (the FALINTIL guerrillas) nevertheless are still fighting
In fact, the massacres were the consequence of organising a referendum under the control of the Indonesian army with the maintaining good relationships between imperialist countries and the Indonesian ruling class.
Fourth International demands the immediate withdrawal of all Indonesian forces. The UN-mandated forces must guarantee the safe return of the thousands of refugees-those who escaped to the East Timor mountains and also those that were deported to other Indonesian territories, the leaders and representatives of the Timorese resistance, as well of Commander Xanana Gusmao.
The UN-mandated forces must also guarantee the immediate disarmament of the civil militias created and backed by the Indonesian army, and the arrest of all its leaders, so that they can be judged for all the massacres, murders and deportations that they are responsible for.
At the same time, the coun tries that have supported the Indonesian government must economically support the reconsdestruction and suffering imposed on this people.
The Fourth International cannot accept any eventual position of the UN-mandated forces on the ground that means the disarmament of the
FALINTIL. If it is a question of respecting the popular will then Interfet must put itself at the disposal of the National Council of Timorese Resistance and recognise the guerrillas of FALINTIL as the sole legitimate armed force to assure the security of the territory of East Timor. We absolutely reject any idea of partition imposed on the majority of the people.
The Fourth International equally cannot accept the idea under UN mandate should be used as a force to guarantee the maintenance of capitalist interests in East Timor as, for example, with regard to the oil of the Timorese sea, which is today exploited by
Indonesian and Australian states, through a shameful agreement signed between these countries
The Fourth International will continue to denounce the death traders that still sell arms to the Indonesian generals, in spite of their promises to the contrary, as in the case of the Blair govern-
At the same time, we will continue solidarity with all the progressive forces that struggle for liberation and democracy in Indonesia and other oppressed territories within Indonesia.
The Fourth International considers these are the minimum conditions for the beginning of the process of reconstruction of this new country and stands in solidarity with the East Timorese resistance, develop all efforts, on a national or international basis, for the victory of the independence of the people of East Timor.
The Fourth stands for the immediate recog nition, by all countries, of the independence of East Timor and of its provisional government, as soon as the National Council of the Resistance decides that the conditions are right to proclaim this new country to the whole
International Executive Committee Fourth International September 1999
International Viewpoint #316 November 1999 13