LABOR R-KERR Last Friday the Revolutionary Front for Independent East Timor (Fretilin) declared the country independent from Portuguese colonialism.
The declaration came after Timorese (UDT) in early August.
ly pro-Indonesian Timorese Popular Democratic Association almost to the Indesian border.
agreement of not only the Portuguese but also the Whitlam and Fraser Governments in Australia Timor's independence.
shipping and trade routes. But outright invasion-including the Australian journalists were killed to see a more 'peaceful' handover to Indonesia.
for a political alternative based on an 3 lance With the working cass alone will enable students to defend and fight for the democratic structures against me aca mat me err must our eaucratically defend its control of stucent unIon stuctures all the left tendencies in the NUS to agree to a joint public meeting at the months of severe fighting following an abortive coup by the right-wing forces of the Democratic Union of Since then the UDT and the naked(APODETI) have been driven back It is Indonesia - with the tacit - which poses the major threat to Timor is strategically situated near to major whereas Indonesia has launched an shelling of Timor by nine warships from the sea, an action in which five - Portugal and Australia would like Why Fretilin poses a threat to way to combat the right wing is to fight their interests against ruling class attacks which are most suitable for that struggle, all imperialist interests in the area is clearly seen by the way it is organising in liberated East Timor. In all areas village councils meet regularly to discuss and organise the produc tion of staple crops. Despite the fighting, the March harvest of corn and rice is expected to be bigger than any under 450 years of Portuguese domination. The stores abandoned by the Chinese merchants are now run under workers control, and all commanders in the army are elected by the soldiers.
It still remains to be seen what overall conception Fretilin has of these developments towards self-organisation by the Timorese masses, and whether it helps to build them into organs with real power. But even now such developments show to the masses of South Asia an alternative to the brutal Indonesian regime of Suharto - which murdered a million communists in 1965 and still fills its prisons with political opponents - and so poses a threat to , all Indonesian ships and war material Imperianst interests Confronted with the biggest ever ruling class attack at home with the sacking of the Whitlam Government, it is Australian workers who have Manit 0 Mi. 500 PHILIPPINES Pacific Ocean JAVA (Indonesian)
Indian Ocean taken the first steps in solidarity with the Timor liberation struggle Australian maritime and waterfront unions have banned the handling of destined for Indonesia. This solidarity must now be extended to make sure that Indonesia can't suc ceed for imperialism where Portugal failed.
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- INDONESIA a (Portuquese)