Timorese

East part of Timor, a former Portuguese colony, was annexed by Indonesia in 1975. Opponents were persecuted, arbitrary imprisonments, assassinations, tortures, rapes… were common. We have been committed to defending Timorese’ rights:

• we have thus spoken in the United Nations Human Rights Council,
• we have organised many awareness-raising campaigns, press conferences, demonstrations, petitions,
• we have supported imprisoned opponents,
• we have spoken to the G7 heads of state, the French minister of Economy and Finances so as to ask them to grant financial aid to Indonesia only if the country respects human rights,
• we have spoken to Jacques Chirac during the 1996 summit in Bankgkok,
• we have spoken to the government, the French president and Koffi Annan to “make Indian authorities accept to implement a humanitarian aid” so as to help the population. We have sent observers during the referendum in August 2000,
• we have supported the independent Timorese press,
• Danielle Mitterrand attended the first National Council of Timorese Resistance congress in Dili in August 2000,
• we have funded school projects.