Subject: AN: Pro-Indonesia leader condemns Portugal
Date: Sat, 20 Mar 1999 09:24:07 -0500
From: "John M. Miller" <fbp@igc.apc.org>BBC Summary of World Broadcasts
March 19, 1999, Friday
Pro-integrationist cautions on Lisbon "sweet talk" Antara news agency,
Jakarta, in English 17 Mar 99
Text of report by Indonesian news agency Antara web site
Dili, East Timor, 17th March: A pro-integration East Timorese figure here Wednesday
[17th March] warned fellow East Timorese to be on guard against Portugal's stratagem of
changing its image "from inhumane colonial to angelic donor" . "This
political manoeuvre may throw East Timor into a new civil war," Francisco de Carvalho
said.
He was commenting on a recent statement by the head of Portugal's Interest Section, Ana
Gomes, that her government was ready to send medicines and medics to East Timor.
"Portugal wants to change its image: formerly an inhumane colonial power and now
an angelic donor. Portugal is conveniently forgetting that it colonized East Timor for 450
years and abandoned it in 1975 while a civil war was raging," Carvalho said.
According to Carvalho, Anna Gomes made the promise of medical aid during a meeting with
the leadership of the National Council for East Timorese Resistance (Concelho Nacional
Resistencia de Timorese -CNRT).
He said the promise was "just sweet talk" . Portugal could not possibly
fulfil its promise because it did not have the necessary resources, while many of its
former colonies - such as Angola, Mozambique and Guinea Bissau - were still in desperate
conditions.
Carvalho called on East Timorese to take Portuguese promises with a big dose of
scepticism or else they could again wage a civil war.
"Don't let ourselves be deceived by Ana Gomes's promises about a saviour to come
and improve our plight overnight," Carvalho warned.
He urged all East Timorese to realize that Portugal's programme for decolonization had
been pursued without a clear concept, thus resulting in the civil war in 1975.
"Nationally, Portugal incorporated the programme for East Timor decolonization
into its constitution as a matter of pride. But, in reality, this was mainly directed for
its own benefit," Carvalho said.
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