Timor-Leste Government should use the Celebration of 20 Years after the Referendum to Call for Freedom for Bernard Collaery and “Witness K”

Events in northern California
August 29 and 30

Timor-Leste (East Timor): From Genocide to Democracy
Lessons on U.S. foreign policy, international solidarity and impunity

A talk by Janicia Maria de Jesus, Pamela Sexton and Curt Gabrielson

In the last week of August, friends in Timor-Leste (East Timor) will be having various events to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the historic referendum on independence, and to reflect on what we've all learned from East Timor about activism, solidarity, and justice. Here locally, my Timorese friend, Janicia Maria de Jesus, will be visiting us and we'll be having two events to mark this important commemoration. We hope that you can join us for one of them. Attached are fliers to both events, in case you want to print and share. The key details are also below. Please let me know if you have any questions. For peace and justice,

Pam; 831-254-0451, pamelabeth.sexton@gmail.com

Timor-Leste (East Timor): From Genocide to Democracy
Lessons on U.S. foreign policy, international solidarity and impunity
A talk by Janicia Maria de Jesus, Pamela Sexton and Curt Gabrielson

Thursday, August 29
7:00-9:00 pm
Monterey Peace and Justice Center
1364 Fremont Blvd., Seaside
Flyer for this event

Friday, August 30
7:00- 9:00 pm
Resource Center for Nonviolence
612 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz
Flyer for this event

Free admission for both events.

About the Events:

The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste gained independence in May 2002, following centuries of Portuguese colonialism and a 25-year illegal Indonesian military occupation. While the U.S. government gave the green light and key military and diplomatic support to Indonesia’s invasion and genocidal occupation, a small group of U.S. activists challenged these policies. Led by the incredible courage, determination and actions of the Timorese people, international solidarity for Timor-Leste grew and honed its strategies.

20 years ago, on August 30, 1999, despite widespread Indonesian military intimidation and violence, the East Timorese people declared their sovereignty to the world in a U.N.-sponsored referendum on independence. The Indonesian military responded by unleashing a scorched earth campaign which left thousands dead and hundreds of thousands displaced. Much has happened during the past 20 years, including a national truth and justice commission report, Chega!, calling for justice for crimes against humanity committed from 1975 to 1999.

While efforts to end impunity for past crimes have been unsuccessful thus far, there is still much to celebrate today. Timor-Leste stands as an example of democracy and tolerance to many of its neighboring nations. Timor-Leste is one of the most oil-dependent nations in the world, but local organizations are demanding a sustainable, diversified economic future. Timorese feminist and LGBTQ movements continue to grow, with support from national leaders, and Timor-Leste leads the world in its inclusion of permaculture school gardens in the national school curriculum.

About the Speakers

Janicia Maria de Jesus was born in Maliana, Timor-Leste and has studied in the U.S. for the past four years. She studied architecture at the California College of the Arts, and is currently studying electronic music production in Pyramind, San Francisco. She will return to Timor-Leste to help preserve and develop Timorese culture through art, design, and music, to gain recognition of the Timorese identity around the globe.

Pamela Sexton is a local educator who has worked for 25 years with ETAN, and lived for 10 years with her family in Timor-Leste. In 1999, Pam was an election observer in Timor-Leste and U.S. Coordinator for an international solidarity observer project.

Curt Gabrielson has been a science educator for more than 20 years, with positions in California public schools, the National University of East Timor, UNESCO and San Francisco's Exploratorium Teacher Institute.

Connect with ETAN

Sponsors:

East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) is a U.S.-based grassroots organization working in solidarity with the peoples of Timor-Leste (East Timor), West Papua and Indonesia. ETAN provides information about, and ways to help, Timor-Leste, which was invaded and subjugated by U.S. ally Indonesia in 1975, and which finally attained independence on May 20, 2002. ETAN educates, organizes and advocates for justice for historic and ongoing crimes against humanity; for human rights and democratic development.

Monterey Peace and Justice Center's mission is to inspire and mobilize the people of Monterey County to cultivate peace, social justice, nonviolence, democracy, and environmental sustainability in our community and the world through education and advocacy.

Peace Coalition of Monterey County (PCMC) was founded in 1991 to promote nonviolent resolutions in world conflicts and advocate for policies that will create a more peaceful world.

Veterans For Peace (VFP), Chapter 46 is the Monterey County chapter of a global organization of Military Veterans and allies whose collective efforts focus on building a culture of peace by using their experiences and voices to expose the true causes of war and the enormous costs of wars, with an obligation to heal the wounds of wars.

The Resource Center for Nonviolence in Santa Cruz, California is a peace and justice organization promoting the practice of nonviolent social change.

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) was founded in 1915 during World War I with Jane Addams as its first president. WILPF works to achieve through peaceful means world disarmament; full rights for women; racial and economic justice; an end to all forms of violence; and to establish those political, social, and psychological conditions which can assure peace, freedom, and justice for all.

IF is a nonprofit humanitarian, educational and social change organization located in the Santa Cruz, CA, area. IF is a community of friends seeking hopeful alternatives to the violence, greed and destructiveness of our world. In 2010 and 2012, IF supported Pam and Curt's work in East Timor.

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