John Barr
Indonesia Area Secretary
National Assembly

Dear Friends,

The Mary MacKillop Institute for East Timorese Studies along with Christians in Solidarity with East Timor, Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace and many other groups supporting the struggle for justice and peace in East Timor will be staging a RALLY:

Hyde Park North (near the Archibald Fountain)
Saturday, 11th September, 1999 at 11am.

The rally will be calling on the Australian Government to:

• call for all Indonesian troops to leave East Timor and the militia to be disarmed
• end military ties with the Indonesian regime
• withdraw recognition of Indonesia's sovereignty over East Timor

The situation in East Timor is critical. Joy Balazo (National Secretary for International Human Rights) and Rev John Dunn (Moderator, Synod of Western Australia) are currently in Dili, East Timor as representatives of the Uniting Church and official observers with the United Nations. Joy and John report that armed pro-Indonesian militia are roaming the streets. A UN organised vote took place last Monday giving the Timorese the opportunity to decide if they wish to remain part of Indonesia or become an independent nation. Most East Timorese do not support the militia and the result of Monday's vote will most certainly favour independence. The militia are not prepared to accept independence and there is a great fear that these militia (who are supported and armed by Indonesian intelligence) will go on a killing spree as they target local people who have worked with the UN.

Please consider participating in this rally. East Timor is part of our neighbourhood and the people there face continuing terror. The Uniting Church in Australia has partnership relationship with the GKTT (Protestant Church in East Timor). We are also supporting refugees who have fled the violence into West Timor.