TIMMAS30 94-07 UN Hearings.DOC
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Documents on East Timor Volume 30: July 13-14, 1994 Special Issue: United Nations Decolonization Committee Hearings on East Timor Published by: East Timor Action Network / U.S. P.O. Box 1182, White Plains, NY 10602 USA Tel: 914-428-7299 Fax: 914-428-7383 E-mail [email protected] These documents are produced approximately every two months and mailed to subscribers. For additional or back copies, send US$25. per volume; add $3. for international air mail. Discounts: $10 for educational and non-profit institutions. Activist rate: $6. domestic, $8. international. Subscription rates: $150 ($60 educational, $36 activist) for the next six issues. Add $18 ($12 activist) for international air mail. Further subsidies are available for groups in Third World countries working on East Timor. Checks should be made out to “ETAN.” This material is also available on IBM-compatible diskette, in Word for Windows or ASCII format. Reprinting and distribution without permission is welcomed. TABLE OF CONTENTS BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................................. 2 WORKING PAPER PREPARED BY THE U.N. SECRETARIAT ......................................................................... 3 I. GENERAL...............................................................................................................................................3 II. CONSIDERATION BY THE UNITED NATIONS 2 ......................................................................................3 III. POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS ................................................................................................................4 IV. HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION ................................................................................................................6 V. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS ................................................................................................7 VI. HEALTH AND EDUCATION ...................................................................................................................8 U.N. PRESS RELEASES................................................................................................................................. 8 TESTIMONY BY PETITIONERS ................................................................................................................... 15 UNIÃO DEMOCRÁTICA TIMORENSE (TIMORESE DEMOCRATIC UNION).......................................................15 HOBART EAST TIMOR COMMITTEE...............................................................................................................15 AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: EAST TIMOR: WHO IS TO BLAME? ....................................................................17 1. TORTURE AND ILL-TREATMENT...........................................................................................................18 2. POLITICAL IMPRISONMENT AND UNFAIR TRIALS ...............................................................................20 3. EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTION AND “DISAPPEARANCE” ........................................................................22 4. THE QUESTION OF ACCESS.................................................................................................................23 5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.........................................................................................24 EAST TIMOR ALERT NETWORK/CANADA......................................................................................................31 FREE EAST TIMOR JAPAN COALITION..........................................................................................................33 JAPANESE CATHOLIC COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE..........................................................................34 PARLIAMENTARIANS FOR EAST TIMOR........................................................................................................35 PAX CHRISTI INTERNATIONAL ....................................................................................................................37 EAST TIMOR ACTION NETWORK / UNITED STATES ......................................................................................37 Page 2 East Timor Documents, Volume 30. July 13-14, 1994. AGIR POUR TIMOR ......................................................................................................................................39 BRITISH COALITION FOR EAST TIMOR ........................................................................................................40 INTERNATIONAL PLATFORM OF JURISTS FOR EAST TIMOR.........................................................................42 ASIA-PACIFIC COALITION FOR EAST TIMOR (APCET) ...................................................................................43 PHILIPPINE SOLIDARITY FOR EAST TIMOR AND INDONESIA......................................................................45 U.S. REPRESENTATIVE NITA M. LOWEY (D-NY) ............................................................................................45 INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS...........................................................................................46 NATIONAL COUNCIL OF MAUBERE RESISTANCE .........................................................................................47 MAUREEN TOLFREE .....................................................................................................................................49 UNREPRESENTED NATIONS AND PEOPLES ORGANIZATION .......................................................................50 CATHOLIC INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS.............................................................................51 ELISA DAMIÃO, PORTUGUESE DEPUTY FROM SOCIALIST PARTY .................................................................52 FRANSISCO XAVIER AMARAL.......................................................................................................................53 PAULINO GAMA ...........................................................................................................................................54 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH/ASIA.....................................................................................................................55 JOSÉ MARTINS III .......................................................................................................................................57 COORDINAMENTO ITALIANO DEI GRUPPI DI SOLIDARIETÀ CON IL POPOLO TIMORESE............................58 FRETILIN .....................................................................................................................................................59 STATEMENTS BY GOVERNMENTS ............................................................................................................. 60 ABDUL NASIER, INDONESIA........................................................................................................................61 RUI QUARTIN SANTOS, PORTUGAL............................................................................................................62 or all other Territories that have not yet impeding the process towards complete BACKGROUND attained independence, in accordance with decolonization, their freely expressed will and desire. · examines the assistance provided to the Extract from “Decolonization -- the Task In 1961, the General Assembly estab- people of the Territories by specialized Ahead,” a book published by the U.N. in lished the Special Committee on the Situa- agencies and other organizations of the April 1991. tion with regard to the Implementation of United Nations system, and SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON the Declaration on the Granting of Inde- · examines the items on its agenda in ple- DECOLONIZATION pendence to Colonial Countries and Peoples nary meetings or assigns them to one of (Special Committee on decolonization) as the two sub-committees – the Sub- Chapter XI of the Charter (Declaration the main United Nations body concerned regarding Non-Self-Governing Territories) Committee on Small Territories and the with the progress of all people under co- Sub-Committee on Petitions, Information sets out the obligations of administering lonial rule towards self-determination and Powers for the Non-Self-Governing Territo- and Assistance. independence. The work of the Special Committee is re- ries. Those States recognize that the inter- The Committee: ests of the inhabitants of the Territories are viewed by the General Assembly at its ple- · studies information submitted under nary meetings and through its Fourth Com- paramount, and accept as a sacred trust the Article 73 e, obligation to promote to the utmost their mittee. The Fourth Committee’s recommen- · regularly examines the application of the well-being. Under Article 73e of the Charter, dations serve as a basis for Assembly deci- Declaration and makes recommendations they transmit to the Secretary-General in- sions on decolonization. to facilitate its implementation, formation on economic, social and educa- The Special Committee consists of 25 tional conditions in the Territories for which · dispatches missions to Territories to Member States: Afghanistan, Bulgaria, they are responsible. obtain first-hand information, Chile, China, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, To accelerate the process of decoloniza- · calls the attention of the Security Council Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia, Fiji, India, Indo- tion, the General Assembly in 1960 adopted to colonial