BRASILIA, Sep 13 (ALC). Brazil, the largest Portuguese-speaking country in the world, must take decisive action in favor of the people of East Timor, said the regional secretary of the Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI).

In a letter addressed to President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, the Rev. Luiz Caetano Grecco Texeira, asked that Brazil adopt an energetic position in the international field in favor of the end of violence that has broken out in East Timor.

A total of 75.8% of the East Timor voting people voted for Indonesia independence in a referendum held under the auspices of the United Nations. Timor was a Portuguese colony until 1975 but the following year was invaded by Indonesia.

Are the people of Timor less worthy of international aid than the people of Kosovo? Aren't the Timor people suffering an extermination war? What is the reason for Brazil's silence?, asked Grecco Teixeira in his letter.

The current situation in East Timor is very worrying. After it was annexed by the Suharto regime more than 250,000 pro-independence activists were executed. In recent days, Pro-Indonesia militia have imposed terror in this part of the small island of 600,000 habitants, in particular in the capital Dili.

The Makhota hotel, where the results of the referendum were announced, was destroyed. Some 4,000 people have sought refuge in UN offices and according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees some 150,000 people fled to West Timor. A woman who reached Australia described hundreds of decapitated pro-independence activists.