This document was sourced from Pacific Peoples’ Partnership (PPP).
Titled, Death in East Timor, the document is part of Third World Network Features and was received February 10th, 1992. It is an account of the experience of a mother, Helen Todd: a Malaysian freelance journalist whose son was killed by the November 12th, 1991 Santa Cruz massacre in East Timor. Her son, Kamal Bamadhaj, was the only foreigner killed during the shooting. Helen Todd emphasises her difficulty in discovering the reason for the fate of her son and expresses her belief that it demonstrates the misinformation and mendacity of Indonesia’s government. She also discusses Kamal’s observations of the Indonesian regime’s tactics to hide realities when discussing East Timor with foreigners. Next, she provides eye witness accounts of the shooting of the procession to the Dili cemetery. Finally, she presents Kamal’s observations of the attitudes of the Timorese, especially Timorese youth, before the march.

Titled, East Timor: From ‘slavery & oppression & tyranny to freedom, it was presented by Abé Barreto Soares during the National Council of Maubere Resistance (CNRM) tour of North America, April 1993. It begins with Soares’ description of his experience and observations after the Indonesia military invaded East Timor in December of 1975. Soares explains his decision to join Renetil, the East Timorese students’ resistance organisation at Java’s Gadjah Mada University. He explains that the Santa Cruz massacre and subsequent arrest of his friends of Renetil compelled him to seek asylum in Canada. Next, he explains that although he does not fear arrest for speaking out, he worries about repercussions for his family and friends in East Timor. He then dispels the Indonesian narrative that the Timorese voted to become the 27th province of the Republic of Indonesia. Finally, Soares discusses the legacy of the Santa Cruz massacre and reminds listeners that the struggle against Indonesian occupation and human rights abuses will continue in East Timor so long as the Indonesian military remains in there.