This document is an excerpt from the Asia-Pacific Conference on East Timor (APCET) Report and Proceedings. The conference was held from May 31 – June 5, 1994.
This document contains:
Former Bishop Emeritus of the Japanese Catholic Council for Justice and Peace, Bishop Aloisius Nobuo Soma begins his address by emphasising the UN’s primary role in facilitating self-determination and the independence of former colonies. He argues that the Indonesian government’s behaviour towards East Timor has completely gone against this priority and has deprived Timor of its rightful independence from Portugal. The Bishop emphasises the eight resolutions passed by the UN and Indonesia’s ignorance of them. Next, the Bishop makes an appeal to Indonesia and its core principles asking it to respect the rights of the Timorese and establish peace. The Bishop then explains that despite the treatment the people of East Timor have received from Indonesia, the former do not intend to cause any issues for the latter should they become independent. The Bishop then appeals to the UN to use its power to rectify the situation of the East Timorese while emphasising a Timorese Bishop’s call for decolonisation. He describes the transnational religious advocacy network surrounding the plight of the Timorese. He discusses the importance of NGOs in educating the public and pressuring governments to act. The Bishops ends his speech with a pledge of solidarity with the East Timorese.
The Report and Proceedings of APCET was published by the University of the Philippines in Dilman, Quezon City, Philippines.