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Message of solidarity with Timor Leste students

Protesting Timorese students in 2008Action in Solidarity with Asia & the Pacific (formerly Action in Solidarity with Indonesia & East Timor) extends its strong solidarity for the students of Timor Leste who have been physically assaulted, teargassed and imprisoned for their protests against the Xanana Gusmao government.
We condemn the heavy police action against the students for simply exercising their right to peacefully express their political criticisms. We deplore the police attacks on students in their own campus, the East Timor National University in Dili on July 7, and on the next two days outside the Parliament.
The video footage and eyewitness reports tell the horrible truth about this repressive action against peacefully protesters. The whole world is watching this replay of state violence previously experienced by Timorese by the forces of the former Indonesian occupation.

* Click here to send your message of solidarity to the Timorese students c/-Tomas Freitas in Dili
* Watch BBC TV report on the student protest
* East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN)statement
* Amnesty International statement
ASAP, an organisation which played a major role over many decades in building solidarity in Australia for the Timorese people's struggle for independence, calls for the immediate and 1999 rally in solidarity with East Timor (Melbourne) unconditional release of all the students who were detained during the protest. We join Amnesty International in calling upon the government of Timor Leste to respect the freedom of assembly and the right to protest. ASAP notes that Timorese students have played a brave and critical role in the struggle for Timor Leste's independence. We express our extreme disappointment that a government led by Xanana Gusmao, a former national liberation movement leader, is now persecuting students for protesting.
ASAP calls upon all the individuals and organisations that have worked in solidarity with the Timorese people's long and heroic struggle for freedom to add their voices in support of the student protesters who are now under attack.
In solidarity
Pip Hinman
for Action in Solidarity with Asia & the Pacific (ASAP)
Sydney July 10, 2008

Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific (ASAP), formerly ASIET (Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor), is a network of solidarity activists campaigning for democratic rights, self-determination and other justice struggles in the Asia Pacific region.
ASAP's People's Power Fighting Fund runs appeals for material support for various democratic struggles in the region. To donate to this fund and to help maintain this website, you can deposit directly into the Commonwealth Bank Australia BSB 062026 Account number 1006 0743. Thank-you. Your help is appreciated.