A useful tool for East Timor activists

East Timor Activist Kit
Published by Resistance. $3.00
Available from Resistance bookshops
Reviewed by Arun Pradhan

This booklet is worth getting for the first section alone. “20 years of resistance” provides a concise overview of the East Timorese struggle.

Springing from a general background of pre-invasion East Timor, it outlines the main developments since 1975. This includes details of the Timor Gap Treaty, the November 12 Dili massacre and the arrest and trial of Xanana Gusmao. The section ends on an optimistic note as it lists events such as the release of John Pilger's film Death of a Nation and the Asia Pacific Conference in Manila, and points to the growing wave of solidarity internationally.

The introduction and accompanying chronology provide a perfect introduction to the East Timor struggle. This is complemented well by the second section, which consists of reprinted Green Left Weekly articles.

The articles provide a more detailed insight into many areas. “Blood on the Hands of the mates” by John Pilger describes the shameless complicity of the Australian government, from Whitlam to Keating, in actively supporting the Indonesian regime. Other articles by Green Left Weekly's Jon Land expose the close military links between Indonesia and the West (Australia in particular).

Some of the other subjects covered include the role of the church in East Timor, the pro-democracy movement within Indonesia and campaigns against the Timor Gap Treaty.

With the inclusion of cartoons, photos from demonstrations (here and in Indonesia) and even poetry by Xanana Gusmao, the booklet becomes an accessible reference. But it is more than just a source book. As its title implies, the Activist Kit presents information to arm activists and inspire the solidarity movement.

The kit encourages people to join campaigns. It includes information on Resistance, the national youth group which published the booklet, as well as East Timor solidarity and Aksi (Indonesian solidarity action) groups around the country.

Like Green Left Weekly, the Activist Kit does not just report on what has happened in an academic sense, but rather with the aim of changing things. This makes it a valuable weapon for those already active and a convincing argument for others to join the struggle for self-determination in East Timor.

This article was posted on the Green Left Weekly Home Page.
For further details regarding subscriptions and
correspondence please contact glw@greenleft.org.au

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