We would like to appeal to your governments and to the international community in general, to exercise within your powers and resources in ensuring a violence-free, fair and honest presidential elections in East Timor. We urge you to support the government of Timor Leste and the people in their efforts at creating a conducive environment for a thorough democratic elections to take place in the country.
YOUR EXCELENCIES:
We, members of the Asia Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC), a regional solidarity movement supporting people’s issues and struggles for peace, justice, human rights and democracy, express our deep concern and support for the East Timorese at this critical juncture of their young nation’s history.
On April 9, 2007 the Timorese people will once again exercise its right to suffrage when the first ever self-governed Presidential elections will be conducted. After more than five years under the UN’s tutelage on elections and governance, East Timor’s capacities, resources and political maturity will be put to a test in the same way that the government and the people confronted the challenges of the recent political crisis that saw this fledgling nation suffer another violent turn of events.
The UN and the international community may have left East Timor too soon. East Timor was both a child of our solidarity and a UN progeny. We need to redeem ourselves and manifest a solidarity, support and accompaniment that is steady, firm and sustained.
We therefore, would like to appeal to your governments and to the international community in general, to exercise within your powers and resources in ensuring a violence-free, fair and honest presidential elections in East Timor. We urge you to support the government of Timor Leste and the people in their efforts at creating a conducive environment for a thorough democratic elections to take place in the country.
The struggle of the Timorese people for genuine freedom and democracy will never be complete without the support of the international community especially by its neighboring countries, Indonesia and Australia. The UN’s role in fulfilling its mission when democracy and human security are at risk should not be compromised. Timor-Leste should remain a UN priority mission. It should in fact be a case for the UN Peacebuilding Commission to address.
The East Timorese should never be abandoned again.
On behalf of APSOC,
AUGUSTON N. MICLAT JR.
Coordinator
The Asia-Pacific Solidarity Coalition is a regional formation started in May 2004 to forge solidarity for peace, justice and human rights in the Southeast Asian and Pacific region. APSOC has 13 founding organizations from 8 Asia-Pacific countries:
Indonesian Human Rights Committee (IHRC) – New Zealand
National Coalition for the Union of Burma (NCUB) – Burma
Alternative ASEAN Network for Bumra (ALTSEAN-Burma)
Timor Leste Coalition for the Asia-Pacific (TILCAP) – East Timor
Friends of the Third World/Center for Peoples Dialogue (FTW/CPD) – Sri Lanka
Asian Students Association (ASA) – Hongkong
Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) – Philippines
Mindanao Peoples Caucus (MPC) – Mindanao
Yayasan Anak Dusun Papua (YADUPA) – West Papua
Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) – Malaysia
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM ASIA) – Thailand
Solidarity Committee for Human Rights in Aceh (SCHRA) – Aceh
Philippine Solidarity for East Timor and Indonesia (PhilSETI) – Philippines
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