By Nick Everett
Abel Gutterres is a leading representative of Fretilin, the liberation organisation of East Timor, based in Melbourne. He spoke to Green Left Weekly about the imprisonment of Xanana Gusmao by Indonesian troops and the December 17 UN sponsored negotiations on East Timor.
Gutterres explained that Fretilin is not sure where Gusmao is being held. "No one from any of the human rights organisations, like Amnesty International or the International Red Cross, the Indonesians haven't allowed anyone to physically see him. So we fear for his health."
Referring to the mounting international pressure on Indonesia to release Gusmao and the current focus on East Timor, Gutterres argues that it would be difficult for Indonesia to continue violations of human rights unnoticed.
"I don't think they are going to get away with it because Portuguese President Soares called for his release, the President of France, Mitterrand, also called for his release and United Nations Secretary General also has called for his release", he said.
"The international pressure is definitely mounting, but a lot more has to be done especially here in Australia. I think more and more people need to be pushing to find out what the Australian government is doing.
"The Australian government has been assured of Xanana's safety, but there is no proof, no observers from the Australian people in Jakarta, to really justify that Indonesia is really treating him well.
"We know that the Australian government put more importance on its economic interest with Indonesia than on East Timor, especially the East Timor Gap Treaty, which Australia is so eager to get the wealth and natural resources of the East Timorese.
"Their action is almost daylight robbery, piracy on the East Timor resources. But that is the government, I think the important thing is that Australians are the ones who will really maintain pressure on a persistent level.
"East Timorese have resisted for the last seventeen years despite the loss, the killing of 200,000 people. The younger generation especially are really standing up and raise their voices and defy the Indonesian occupation. That's exactly what happened on the November 12 last year, when the massacre took place.
"Australians can play a leading role and really put pressure on the government for a satisfactory answer from the Indonesian government."
"To have someone from Australia, or a government official to see or meet physically with Xanana", would be useful, "to althy condition."
Confirming that the negotiation process is still going ahead for December 17, Gutterres said it is urgent to secure Gusmao's release for the negotiations.
"The negotiation process is still going ahead, as scheduled, and so the whole process will still take place. One of the important things that we urge the government to do is to pressure Indonesia to release Xanana into United Nations custody. I think that will facilitate Xanana to join in the negotiation table.
"These talks are called the proximity talks, which means that Portugal and Indonesia will meet in the first phase and then at a later stage East Timor will be involved. But at the same time the UN Secretary General will also consult with East Timorese representatives."
Discussing Portugal's proposal that East Timor could become an autonomous state within Indonesia, Gutterres said that "the bottom line is that no one, not anyone can decide but the East Timorese people through referendum. If the East Timorese choose to be an autonomous state within Indonesia then so be it. But we are certain that 99.9% of East Timorese want independence. That is what the struggle and all this suffering has been for.
"In whatever shape or form the negotiations are conducted the very bottom line is that a referendum has to take place in East Timor for the population to freely vote without coercion".