Emailed to: Emailed to

His Excellency Mr S. Wiryono
Indonesian Embassy
Canberra
AUSTRALIA

Dear Sir,

I have watched and listened with mounting horror to the reports of the
situation in East Timor. I cannot express too strongly my disgust at the
cynical manner in which your government has allowed the so-called
militias to loot, burn and murder those who object to Indonesian
imperialism.

Granted, so-called “Imperialists” have not always withdrawn from their
former colonies peacefully. Some of the things the British have done in
India and Ireland (or, for that matter, the Australian authorities have
done to our aboriginal people) are reprehensible. And the protests were
often justified. I am old enough to remember how a mob burned down the
British embassy in Djakarta in protest against alleged imperialism by
Britain and the United States. But nothing that was done by these
countries can compare with the vicious behaviour of your army and police
forces in East Timor.

I wish also to point out to you that you have not only brought disgrace
upon Indonesia; you are bringing disgrace upon Islam. We in the West
have been bitterly ashamed of the behaviour of so-called Christians in
Bosnia and Kosovo, a shame that has only be redeemed by the fact that it
was other Christians who came to the rescue of the oppressed Muslims in
those countries.

Now we see Muslims behaving with equal cruelty and callousness towards
Christians – and where are the Muslims coming to the rescue of the
Christians of East Timor? Where, even, are the Muslim voices raised in
protest against the behaviour of your troops and your government?

I urge you to facilitate the arrival of UN troops and to withdraw with
all
possible speed from East Timor. It is the very least you can do to
mitigate the shame which now attends the name of Indonesia.

Yours sincerely,

Rev. Dr. Rowland Croucher