BBC - Domingos Sarmento Alves Interview (spokesman for the 29 East Timorese students who occupied the grounds of the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta)

Written 7:27 PM Nov 29, 1994 
by chucko@eskimo.com in igc:reg.easttimor
"BBC Interview with Embassy Protesto"
From: Charles Albertson <chucko@eskimo.com> 
Subject: BBC Interview with Embassy Protestors 

ITEM: Interview with Domingos Sarmento Alves, spokesman for the 29 East Timorese students who occupied the grounds of the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta during the APEC summit

SOURCE: "Newshour," BBC World Service
DATE: 29 November 1994, 0500 GMT

Transcriber's note: I took some liberties [shown in brackets] with Mr. Sarmento's remarks to improve their readability, but believe the final version captures his intended meaning.

INTERVIEWER: The group of students from East Timor who staged a sit-in at the American embassy in Jakarta say they are determined to continue their fight against Indonesian occupation of their territory. The group, who've now been granted refuge by Portugal, spent almost two weeks inside the embassy in a protest to demand the release of Xanana Gusmao, the leader of the Fretelin guerilla movement which is fighting for the independence of East Timor. But, given that the Portuguese [sic] authorities are still refusing to release Mr. Gusmao, I put it to the students' spokesman, Domingo Sarmento on the line to Lisbon, that their protest had been unsuccessful.

SARMENTO: We [were] successful enough to the world, [in showing that] the people of East Timor are still suffering, that there is a small country in this part of the globe still suffers. The right of the people of East Timor to self-determination [has been] denied for nineteen years. We want to remind the international community to pay attention to our case. I think we succeeded in this part, even though we didn't succeed in our demands, in releasing Xanana.

INTERVIEWER: Is the position of the resistance still that you wish to achieve autonomy, and hold a referendum on the future of East Timor, or might you be prepared to accept a special status for East Timor within Indonesia?

SARMENTO: We reject a special status within Indonesia. Actually, we want to [pass?] through autonomy and then have a referendum for self-determination.

INTERVIEWER: Is the resistance still committed to an armed struggle as a part of your opposition to Indonesian rule?

SARMENTO: As long as there is a popular resistance, we are going to resist. The resistance will never die.

INTERVIEWER: But it does seem that, nineteen years after Indonesia occupied East Timor, they are showing no greater willingness to leave the territory. How are you going to persuade them to change their minds?

SARMENTO: If they will apply the concepts of human rights and to fight for the rightness of human rights in the world, I think it will be possible to establish peace in East Timor.

http://www.library.ohiou.edu/indopubs/1994/11/30/0000.html
BBC: Alves Interview
From: apakabar@clark.net
Date: Wed Nov 30 1994 - 06:00:00 EST