Â鶹´«Ã½

Support is growing for the call by East Timorese resistance organisations and several Australian supporters for a national day of solidarity with East Timor to demand withdrawal of Australia's de jure recognition of Indonesia's illegal takeover of East Timor. The call was issued by the East Timorese resistance organisations and several Australian supporters. The action is proposed for the weekend of August 18, 1996. The Committee for an Independent East Timor (CIET) in South Australia and also in the ACT, and the Hobart East Timor Committee have met and joined in supporting the action. The Australia West Papua Association (NSW) has also endorsed the national day of solidarity. Senator Vikki Bourne, foreign affairs spokesperson for the Democrats, Bob Brown, national spokesperson for the Australian Greens, and Senator Christabel Chamarette from the WA Greens have also all endorsed the action. The Democratic Socialists have endorsed the campaign and action. The Asia Pacific Coalition for East Timor (APCET), based in Manila, has sent a message of support. At its last steering committee meeting in Malaysia, it adopted a position of focusing attention on the role of the Australian government as well as the Indonesian government. The current list of sponsors includes Jose Ramos Horta, special representative, National Council for Maubere Resistance (CNRM); Joao Carrascalao, coordinator, Committee of the Resistance Diplomatic Front and president, Timorese Democratic Union (UDT); Estanislau da Silva, Australian representative for FRETILIN (Revolutionary Front for the Independence of East Timor); Gil Scrine, Australia East Timor Association (NSW); Sister Kath O'Connor, Christians in Solidarity with East Timor; Max Lane, national coordinator, Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor; Wendy Robertson, Resistance East Timor campaign; Leah Anderson, activist in Australia Services Union (WA); Australia West Papua Association (NSW); Building and Construction Division, Construction, Forestry, Mining and Engineering Union (SA); Catholic Workers (Queensland); Claire Moore, Queensland branch secretary, Community and Public Sector Union; Campaign for an Independent East Timor (ACT); Committee for an Independent East Timor (SA); Joan Coxsedge, ex-member of Legislative Council, Victoria (ALP); John da Silva, industrial officer, Meatworkers Union (WA); Sara Dowse, novelist; Jim Dunn, author and former Australian consul in Dili; Bill Ethel, secretary, WA branch, CFMEU; Yvonne Francis, Canberra Programme for Peace (CPP); Jose Gusmao, CNRM representative for south-east Asia; Moses Havini, human rights advocate, Bougainville Interim Government; Tim Kucera, industrial officer, Meatworkers Union (WA); Rodney Lewis, Dili trials observer for International Commission of Jurists and International Bar Association; Wendy Lowenstein, writer; Humphrey McQueen, historian and writer; May Mackay, United Nations Association (ACT); John Molony, historian; Melbourne University Students Union; Barbara Meyer, CPP; Jenny Munro, chairperson, Metropolitan Aboriginal Lands Council; Satendra Nandan, writer, former minister in Fiji government; vice-president PEN (ACT); Prof. Garth Nettheim, Human Rights Centre, Faculty of Law, University of New South Wales; Domingos de Oliveira, secretary-general, UDT, Australian representative, Resistance Diplomatic Front; David Scott AO; Shirley Shackleton, East Timor campaigner, wife of slain journalist Greg Shackleton; Peter Slezak, senior lecturer, UNSW; Gareth Smith, CPP; Dr Keith Suter author on East Timor issues and president, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney; John Tomlinson, East Timor activist (Qld); Will Tracey, industrial officer, CFMEU (WA); Bill Tully, secretary, Committee for an Independent East Timor (ACT); University Student Supporters of East Timor (USSET), Melbourne University; Chris Warren, editor, News Extra (Canberra); Sam Watson, Aboriginal film maker; Indigenous Peoples Party; Ellen Whelan, editor, Pacific News Bulletin (published for NFIP).