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Subject: Indonesian withdrawal sham
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 1998 13:29:33 +1000
From: gheard@surf.net.au (Geoffrey Heard)
União Democrática Timorense TIMORESE DEMOCRATIC UNION MEDIA RELEASE For immediate release: 11.30am AEST, Sunday 26/7/98 Indonesian troop withdrawals from East Timor are sham SYDNEY: Indonesia's announcement that it will reduce military numbers in East Timor by 1000 is a sham; it is a smokes screen to cover-up a massive build-up over recent weeks, according to the World President of the Timorese Democratic Union (UDT), Mr João Carrascalão.
"Our information is that in the past few weeks, Indonesia has moved around 10,000 extra troops into West Timor and transported them by land into East Timor. "Now the army has announced in Jakarta that it will very publicly ship 1000 troops out of East Timor tomorrow or Tuesday. "But when that 1000 sails away, there will be around 9000 more Indonesian soldiers in East Timor than there were previously. They are all there with a single mission - to brutally repress the East Timorese, to rape, torture and murder innocent people who simply want the ordinary, democratic right to have a say in their own future."
Mr Carrascalão said this showed yet again Indonesia's President B J Habibie was either a duplicious schemer and liar, or was simply powerless in the hands of the murderous military.
"Earlier this month, we had weeks of violence and threatened violence where the army was clearly a law unto itself in East Timor - acting in direct contradiction to President Habibie's words. If you like, you could put that down to pumped up local commanders who haven't yet got the picture about the political changes in Jakarta. "But this military build-up is at senior army command level. Either President Habibie has sanctioned it or he has no control over it. Either way, it is a signal that there is more suffering for the people of East Timor before things get better."
FURTHER INFORMATION: João Carrascalão, President, UDT % +61 2 9823 5616 % 0418 767 101 Issued on behalf of UDT by Geoffrey Heard & Associates Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
Geoffrey Heard MarketNOW Marketing - PR - Advertising that sells like crazy. Tel: +61 3 9583 0788 Email: gheard@surf.net.au