5-31-06, 10:01 am
The Australian Government made clear its intention to send troops into Dili well before any invitation to do so was received. Pressure was put on the East Timor Government to agree to the entry of Australian and other foreign troops by the rampage of rebel soldiers many of whom were trained by the Australian military and whose commander, Colonel Alredo Reinado, was trained at Australia's Military Academy in Canberra. His father and sister both live in Australia while Alfredo Reinado lived in WA for nine years.
Prime Minister Howard declared that he was 'not surprised' at developments indicating that Australian authorities were in touch with the rebel forces and were aware of their intention to launch military actions.
Speaking on East Timor radio, Prime Minister Marti Alkatiri said: 'In the past I have called the violence an attempt at a constitutional coup d'tat. Today it is clear that there was a real effort to launch an outright coup against the government.'
Rules of engagement
With the arrival of Australian troops a document setting out the rules of engagement was signed by the leaders of the East Timor Government.
In a statement on ABC radio Defence Minister Brendan Nelson listed the rules of engagement and the tasks of the Australian military forces. They were to bring peace and security to East Timor, to work with the East Timorese authorities to disarm the rebel and rogue elements, and to use an appropriate level of force to negotiate peace between the warring groups.
Brendan Nelson also said that an audit of armaments which are currently in East Timor will be undertaken and that the Australian forces will see to it that the remaining police and army and indeed rogue elements are returned to their appropriate garrisons and bases.
But these rules of engagement were no sooner agreed than they were being torn up by Prime Minister John Howard, the military authorities and a number of ignorant and irresponsible media commentators who systematically distorted the agreed terms of the rules of engagement. Far from disarming the rebel forces, the authorities are interpreting rules to mean the disarming of 'both sides', that is the government's forces as well. There is no mention of disarming the rebel forces but only of negotiating with the very forces responsible for staging the armed coup.
Media commentators
Media commentators and the daily newspapers repeatedly raise the question of the removal of Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri. Such speculation and gross interference in the internal affairs of East Timor has been encouraged by comments by Howard. He is reported as saying, 'The real challenge in East Timor is to get a government that has the confidence of the local people. The government has obviously lost a lot of authority and confidence. The way in which the country has been governed in the last few years has left a lot to be desired.'
By such statements, Howard is justifying 'regime change' by throwing out the democratically elected government and imposing a government of those acceptable to and willing to carry out policies called for by the conservative Howard Government.
In just the same way that the US is attempting to set up a puppet government in Iraq, the Howard Government wants to establish puppet governments in East Timor and the Solomon Islands.
The media is also almost totally ignoring the fact that other nations have forces in East Timor and give the impression that Australian forces alone are the heroes saving East Timor from itself.
No UN blue helmets
In its rush to intervene the Australian Government did not wait for any referral to the United Nations although the UN mission remains in Dili. That the matter should be referred to the UN is a point that has been raised by the Malaysian Government which has also sent a force of 500 to East Timor.
There are to be no blue helmets on this occasion as there were in 1999, nor any decision by the UN Security Council that some action be taken. There is just a precipitate action by Australia with several other countries being invited by Australia to take part to give some semblance of a coalition.
The media comments and Howard's critical remarks ignore the hundreds of years of Portuguese colonialism, the years of Indonesian occupation and the long armed struggle for independence. The grinding poverty is also ignored.
This newly established independent state is expected to have achieved a level of sophistication and provision of services that many other countries have also not yet achieved. If it is merely a case of the popularity of the leaders of government then Bush in US at 33 percent and Blair in Britain at 22 percent should also be removed.
Regime change
Australia's plans for a regime change are aimed particularly at the removal of Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri who faced down Alexander Downer during acrimonious negotiations over East Timor's share of Timor Gap oil. It is money from oil sales that could start to give the East Timorese people better services, jobs and the necessary infrastructure to provide economic development, but this money is still holed up in a US bank. Given that the Australian action followed Howard's most recent visit to Washington during which East Timor was discussed, it is unlikely that these funds will be released any time soon to the East Timor Government.
A regime change or the establishment of a government of 'national unity' which is now being touted would bring to power the former East Timor ambassador to the US Jose Luis Guterres and his military ally Alfredo Reinado. Both have declared their anti-communist sentiments. They would implement the same economic rationalist policies as those of the Australian Government which will keep the East Timorese people in poverty. Such an outcome would be disastrous for the East Timorese people and would almost certainly also mean that East Timor's oil resources would quickly fall into the hands of the big oil corporations.
From The Guardian
