Timor-Leste ten years after the referendum

Come celebrate our solidarity and strategize how to achieve justice and genuine self-determination

Timor-Leste sepuluh tahun setelah referendum

Mari datang merayakan solidaritas kita dan menyusun strategi bagaimana mencapai keadilan dan penentuan nasib sendiri yang sejati

Updated 16 November 2009

Link to / liga ba Conference Declaration, Conference Report and Exhibition details.

Links to Klibur Solidaridade project final narrative and financial reports.

Klibur Solidaridade Timor-Leste / Timor-Leste Solidarity Group

Dili, June 2009

Dear Solidarity Friends,

Warm Greetings from Dili, Timor-Leste!

As you know, this year will mark the 10th anniversary (30 August 2009) of the independence referendum of Timor-Leste. It was and will be a great moment for all who were involved in the Timorese cause for many years, to commemorate it with a great joy along with our fellow Timorese in Timor-Leste and elsewhere.

To celebrate the anniversary, we are organizing a number of activities, mainly in Dili, during August and early September 2009. We hope to recreate and strengthen the strong sense of solidarity among activists from around the world, including Timorese and people from other countries. Some of us live in Timor-Leste or visit regularly; others may not have been here for a decade, or perhaps never.

We will reflect on and strengthen the victories and friendships during the long struggle against Indonesian occupation that gave people here and around the world so much hope a decade ago. Learning from the past and building on our experiences, we also will explore how we can work with Timor-Leste's people to address the challenges facing this ten-year-old nation, trying to overcome a legacy of trauma, repression, colonialism, poverty, impunity and underdevelopment in an increasingly interdependent world.

We invite you to join these events not as a guest or visitor, but, in the spirit of solidarity, as hosts and organizers, sharing ideas, responsibilities and collective work not only in August but in the years to come.

We hope that you will share your joy with us in Timor-Leste this August. Although we are not able to provide financial support for travel to Timor-Leste, we will try to make your stay here as comfortable, interesting and Timorese as possible.

Please send your feedback, ideas and suggestions to timorsolidarity@gmail.com.

We look forward to hearing that you are coming, and will keep you informed as developments progress. Check our website www.laohamutuk.org/solidarity/index.htm for the latest information.

A luta continua!

Charlie Scheiner, Abe Barreto Soares and Sisto dos Santos
On behalf of the organizing committee, including dozens of activists from Timor-Leste and around the world.

Member groups include Asosiasaun HAK (TL), Australia East Timor Association, Dewan Solidaritas Mahasiswa (TL), East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN/USA), East Timor Ireland Solidarity Campaign, Estudante Universitarius Timor-Leste (TL), Fortilos (Indonesia), Free East Timor Foundation (Netherlands), Free East Timor Japan Coalition, GFFTL (TL), Haburas (TL), Institutu Edukasaun Popular (TL), International Federation for East Timor (IFET), International Platform of Jurists for East Timor (IPJET), KSI (TL), La'o Hamutuk (TL), PARCIC (Japan), Peace center (TL), Timor-Leste Media Development Center (TL).  List in formation. Supporting groups are asked to contribute USD $100 toward the events.

Komite Solidaritas Timor-Leste

Dili, Juni 2009

Teman-teman Solidaritas Sekalian,

Salam hangat dari Dili, Timor-Leste!

Seperti yang kita ketahui, tahun ini adalah ulang tahun ke-10 (30 Agustus 2009) referendum kemerdekaan Timor-Leste. Hari itu adalah dan tetap akan menjadi saat yang hebat bagi semua yang terlibat dalam perjuangan Timor-Leste selama bertahun-tahun, yang perlu dirayakan dengan kegembiraan besar bersama kawan-kawan Timor-Leste di Timor-Leste dan di tempat-tempat lain.

Untuk merayakan ulang tahun ini, kami menyelenggarakan sejumlah kegiatan, terutama di Dili pada bulan Agustus dan awal September 2009. Kami berharap bisa menciptakan kembali dan memperkuat perasaan solidaritas yang kuat antar aktivis dari seluruh dunia, termasuk rakyat Timor-Leste dan rakyat negeri-negeri lain. Sebagian dari kita tinggal di Timor-Leste atau berkunjung secara teratur; lainnya mungkin selama sepuluh tahun tidak berkunjung ke sini atau bahkan belum pernah ke sini.

Kita akan meninjau kembali dan memperkuat kemenangan dan persahabatan selama perjuangan panjang melawan pendudukan Indonesia yang telah memberi banyak harapan kepada rakyat di sini dan seluruh dunia sepuluh tahun yang lalu. Belajar dari masa lalu dan membangun dari pengalaman-pengalaman kita, kita juga akan menjajaki bagaimana kita bekerja sama dengan rakyat Timor-Leste untuk menghadapi tantangan-tantangan yang dihadapi negara yang baru 10 tahun merdeka ini, berusaha mengatasi warisan trauma, penindasan, kolonialisme, kemiskinan, kekebalan hukum, dan keterbelakangan di dunia yang semakin saling tergantung ini.

Kami mengundang anda untuk berjabung dalam kegiatan-kegiatan ini tidak sebagai tamu atau pengunjung, tetapi dalam semangat solidaritas, sebagai tuan rumah dan organisator, berbagi pemikiran, tanggungjawab dan kerja bersama tidak hanya dalam bulan Agustus tetapi juga dalam tahun-tahun mendatang.

Kami berharap bahwa anda akan berbagi kebahagiaan dengan kami di Timor-Leste bulan Agustus ini. Meskipun kami tidak bisa memberikan dukungan finansial untuk perjalanan ke Timor-Leste, kami akan berusaha membuat anda senyaman, setertarik, dan seTimor-Leste mungkin selama tinggal di sini.

Silakan mengirimkan masukan, gagasan, dan usulan ke: timorsolidarity@gmail.com.

Kami menunggu kabar kedatangan anda, dan akan selalu mengabari perkembangan. Lihat situs jaringan kita www.laohamutuk.org/solidarity/index.htm untuk informasi terakhir.

A luta continua!

Charlie Scheiner, Abe Barreto Soares, dan Sisto dos Santos
Atas nama komite penyelenggara, yang terdiri dari puluhan aktivis dari Timor-Leste dan seluruh dunia.

Kelompok-kelompok anggota mencakup Asosiasaun HAK (TL), Australia East Timor Association, Dewan Solidaritas Mahasiswa (TL), East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN/USA), East Timor Ireland Solidarity Campaign, Estudante Universitarius Timor-Leste (TL), Fortilos (Indonesia), Free East Timor Foundation (Netherlands), Free East Timor Japan Coalition, GFFTL (TL), Haburas (TL), Institutu Edukasaun Popular (TL), International Federation for East Timor (IFET), International Platform of Jurists for East Timor (IPJET), KSI (TL), La'o Hamutuk (TL), PARCIC (Japan), Peace center (TL), Timor-Leste Media Development Center (TL).  Daftar sedang disusun. Kelompok pendukung diminta menyumbang USD $100 untuk kegiatan ini.

Preliminary schedule of events

24 August - 5 September

Exhibition of photos, memorabilia and actions of the international solidarity movement for Timor-Leste, 1975-1999.
At Fundação Oriente (formerly Manuel Carrascalão's home, site of 17 April 1999 massacre).

An event opening the exhibition was held at Fundação Oriente on Monday, 24 August.

Click here for more information on the exhibition and photos of solidarity actions.

23-25 August

Groups of international solidarity activists travel to rural areas to go to historically significant sites and currently inspiring communities and solidarity projects, meet with families of survivors, and/or do some "constructive work" in the community.

Visits went to Ermera (focus on agrarian reform) and Maubisse (coffee cooperatives).

People interested in this should send their schedules (and, optionally, where they want to visit) in advance to timorsolidarity@gmail.com.

26 August

Reception/open house at La'o Hamutuk office in Farol, Dili, 4:00 pm.

27-29 August

Hametin Solidaridade: Luta Nafatin Ba Justisa
Strengthening Solidarity: The Struggle for Justice Continues

Three-day Conference at Salao Joao Paolo II, Comoro, Dili.   Click here for agenda, photos and presentations.

First day: Opening with President Ramos-Horta and former Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, panels on solidarity movements worldwide and for Timor-Leste through 1999.

Second day: Panel on solidarity for Timor-Leste today: justice and other issues. Small group discussions on current issues in Timor-Leste in a global context.

Third day: Small group discussions continue, with reports back, interactive drama, and writing and release of conference declaration. Closing with Secretary of State for the Council of Ministers Agio Pereira.

Sunday, 30 August

Unscheduled to allow participation in official and other events

31 August - 1 September

Flexible for follow-up meetings or working sessions to begin to implement projects coming out of the conference.

Wednesday, 2 September

Participate in Timorese National Congress of Victims’ Families

Monthly meetings

As part of the lead-up to the August events, we organized a series of meetings at the National University of Timor-Leste to help students and others learn more about international movements that supported Timor-Leste's self-determination.

6 February: Reflections on 10 years after the 1999 referendum. Wilson B. Nurtias (Solidarity of Indonesian Peoples’ Struggle with Maubere People, SPRIM), Mariano Sabino (Renetil) and João Sarmento (Student Solidarity Council).

17 April: Solidarity for Timor-Leste from Japan and the USA. Sr. Monika Nakamura (Free East Timor Japan Coalition) and Charles Scheiner (East Timor Action Network/USA). Download Charlie's presentation (2 MB, Tetum)

8 May: Solidarity from Indonesia and within Timor-Leste. Nug Katjasungkana (FORTILOS) and Lita Sarmento (KSI)

27 June: Solidarity from Europe. Tom Hyland (East Timor Ireland Solidarity Campaign) and Endie van Binsbergen (Free East Timor Foundation, Netherlands)

26 July: Solidarity from Australia. Joaquim Santos and Zelda Grimshaw