Oct. 16, 2000

The next meeting of the Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI), an international donors' conference organised by the World Bank, is scheduled to take place in Tokyo on 17 and 18 October 2000.

Recent incidents in West Timor and other parts of Indonesia, such as the tragic killing of three UNHCR officials, the murder of Indonesian human rights lawyer Jafar Siddeq Hamzah, and the farcical disarmament of the militias, highlight the fact that conditions that would allow consolidation of Indonesia's democratic process are still not in place.

On 13 September, the National Council for Timorese Resistance (CNRT-CN) appealed to the international community for a postponement of the CGI meeting until the situation offered sufficient security for East Timor's people and territory.

In this context, the Commission for the Rights of the Maubere People (CDPM) calls upon the Portuguese Government to urge its EU partners to bring about a postponement of the CGI meeting until the Indonesian Government:

- disarms and disbands all militia groups in Indonesia, and removes them from the refugee camps; 

- brings to justice militia leaders and all those responsible for crimes committed in East and West Timor since last year; 

- ensures safe and unrestricted access to refugees camps by international aid workers; 

- guarantees the safe passage to East Timor of all refugees wishing to return there.

Comissão  para os Direitos do Povo Maubere 
Lisbon, 16 October 2000

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