DILI,TIMOR-LESTE: Recently, thousands of U.S. military veterans travelled to North Dakota to support the peaceful struggle of the Standing Rock Sioux to defend their sovereignty and protect their land and water. I watched the veterans bend down to ask forgiveness from the many indigenous tribes gathered there. They apologized as veterans from the same military that has carried out genocide against Native Americans since before the U.S. achieved independence. In this way, they acknowledged the past and affirmed their commitment to ensuring the bitter past does not repeat itself.
![[]](https://etan.org/news/2016/images/invasion.jpg)
Invasion Day December 7 , l975 , East Timor . (Australian veteran journalist Roger East, who had worked in Darwin , was murdered by the invading Indonesians and thrown into the sea at Dili on December 8 , the atrocity re-enacted , below , in Darwin , agronomist Rob Wesley-Smith playing the part of East. )
This December 7, I bent down in Timor-Leste to apologize for
the crimes of my government against the East Timorese people. On that day in
1975, U.S. armed and trained Indonesian troops launched their illegal invasion.
I feel a deep sadness and shame that my government has not yet formally and
responsibly acknowledged its support for crimes committed here on that day and
the 24-year Indonesian occupation which followed. An important first step would
be for the U.S. to declassify and release all its records related to Indonesia
and its invasion and occupation of Timor-Leste.
As a citizen of the
United States, I have a responsibility to learn and respond to injustices done
by my own government. While my government would prefer not to emphasize or even
acknowledge this past, I can still access this information, and I can speak
freely. I am obligated to act when I see injustice – to use non-violent means to
prevent, reduce or acknowledge my complicity in my government's
actions.
In the U.S., most people know December 7 as Pearl Harbor Day,
the anniversary of the 1941 Japanese bombing of a U.S. Navy base in Hawaii. Japan's target was strictly military, and the pre-emptive strike was carried out
because Japan believed that the U.S. was close to joining the war.
In contrast, Indonesia's invasion of Timor-Leste was an attack on a civilian population who did not want war with Indonesia. Most people in the U.S. don't know about Timor-Leste, but the Indonesian invasion could not have happened without the military, economic and diplomatic backing of the U.S.
In contrast, Indonesia's invasion of Timor-Leste was an attack on a civilian population who did not want war with Indonesia. Most people in the U.S. don't know about Timor-Leste, but the Indonesian invasion could not have happened without the military, economic and diplomatic backing of the U.S.
From December 6,
1975, until 1999, the U.S. supported Indonesia's invasion and occupation. For
this, they are responsible for numerous serious crimes committed here. Some
basic facts:
December 6, 1975: President Gerald Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger met with Suharto in Jakarta and gave a green light to the invasion.
December 6, 1975: President Gerald Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger met with Suharto in Jakarta and gave a green light to the invasion.
December 7, 1975:
Indonesia launched the invasion; 90% of the weapons used came from the
U.S.
Dec 1975-1976: President Ford's Ambassador to the UN, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, wrote proudly that the U.S. wanted the UN to be "utterly ineffective in whatever measures it undertook [on Timor-Leste], …and I carried it forward with no inconsiderable success." From 1976 to 1983, the U.S. voted against every General Assembly resolution supporting Timor-Leste.
Dec 1975-1976: President Ford's Ambassador to the UN, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, wrote proudly that the U.S. wanted the UN to be "utterly ineffective in whatever measures it undertook [on Timor-Leste], …and I carried it forward with no inconsiderable success." From 1976 to 1983, the U.S. voted against every General Assembly resolution supporting Timor-Leste.
January 1976: A U.S. State Department official stated: "In terms of the
bilateral relations between the U.S. and Indonesia, we are more or less
condoning the incursion into East Timor.... The United States wants to keep its
relations with Indonesia close and friendly. [It's] a nation we do a lot of
business with."
1977: President
Jimmy Carter (known by many as ‘the human rights president’) increased
military aid to Indonesia, including authorizing an additional $112 million
worth of weapons. U.S. support for the occupation continued under the Reagan and
Bush administrations of the 1980s.
December 10, 1991: A month after the notorious Santa Cruz massacre in
Dili, capitol of Timor-Leste--– witnessed by U.S. journalists Amy Goodman
and Allan
Nairn -- U.S. officials met with Indonesian military leaders to reinforce
their support, telling them: "“We do not believe that friends should abandon
friends in times of adversity."
1992-1999: East Timor Action Network (ETAN) activists worked with
members of Congress to restrict U.S. government support for the occupation,
resulting in a decrease in military assistance, training and arms sales to
Indonesia. Despite this, President Clinton authorized hundreds of millions of
dollars in weapons sales and provided over US$500 million in economic aid.
Early September 1999: Despite the killings and massive destruction by the
Indonesian military and their militia which preceded and followed Timor'’s vote
for independence - the Clinton administration delayed ending military and
economic support for Indonesia. U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia, Stapleton Roy, told a
journalist: "The dilemma is that Indonesia matters and East Timor doesn'’t."
Finally, on September 10, in the face of strong public and Congressional
pressure, President Clinton suspended all U.S. economic aid and military ties to
Indonesia.
The U.S. government has not yet responded to the basic
recommendations presented in Chega !, the report of Timor’'s
truth commission. The commission called on the U.S.
and others to support an international tribunal to bring perpetrators of
crimes committed during Indonesian illegal occupation to justice. The commission
recommended reparations to the Timorese people from countries like the U.S. that
backed Indonesia.
Fidel Castro is now dead, and Donald Trump will be the
next U.S. president. People in Cuba have access to quality healthcare. In the
U.S., 17% of the population are food insecure and at least a million people have
no permanent home. While the health system does not yet cover everyone, many people's
insurance is now threatened with elimination by Trump.
While
Cuba has little money, they have
sent doctors and provide medical education to develop the health sector in
many countries, including Timor-Leste. The U.S., a far richer nation, gives
relatively small amounts in aid, largely focused on promoting private business
and supporting militaries.
As a U.S. citizen, I acknowledge this and
redouble my commitment and solidarity as an individual, as an activist, and as a
member of ETAN, to struggle to ensure genuine accountability and justice for
crimes committed in Timor-Leste. I will continue to push my government to make
people and their basic needs the priority, as opposed to corporate profits and
the rich. I will continue to demand that my government:
Release all U.S. government documents relating to Timor-Leste from
1974-1999, including intelligence files and intercepted communications between
different parts of the military and government.
Create an independent commission with the power to investigate, analyze and report on U.S. involvement in Indonesia'’s invasion and occupation of Timor-Leste.
Actively support the establishment of an international tribunal or other mechanism that can end impunity for those who committed crimes against humanity.
Follow through on all the recommendations laid out in the Chega! report, including continuing to block visas to military officers who are mentioned in the report as possible perpetrators or command officers, and stopping weapon sales to Indonesia if human rights violations continue (as they do in West Papua).
Apologize to the Timorese people for U.S. support for Indonesia and the crimes against humanity and war crimes carried out as part of the invasion and occupation. Begin discussions with Timorese people from various sectors about reparations from the U.S. government to the people of Timor-Leste.
A luta kontinua.…
Create an independent commission with the power to investigate, analyze and report on U.S. involvement in Indonesia'’s invasion and occupation of Timor-Leste.
Actively support the establishment of an international tribunal or other mechanism that can end impunity for those who committed crimes against humanity.
Follow through on all the recommendations laid out in the Chega! report, including continuing to block visas to military officers who are mentioned in the report as possible perpetrators or command officers, and stopping weapon sales to Indonesia if human rights violations continue (as they do in West Papua).
Apologize to the Timorese people for U.S. support for Indonesia and the crimes against humanity and war crimes carried out as part of the invasion and occupation. Begin discussions with Timorese people from various sectors about reparations from the U.S. government to the people of Timor-Leste.
A luta kontinua.…
*Pam Sexton currently lives and works in Timor-Leste. She is
a member of the Executive Committee of the U.S.-based East Timor and Indonesia
Action Network (ETAN), www.etan.org.
