I want to thank you for the establishment of the East Timor Support Group in Scotland. We are in a very critical time in the struggle for independence, for freedom in East Timor.
In spite of the promises made by the Indonesian government, the Indonesian military is now waging a dirty war against the people of East Timor. The situation is one of savage violence against innocent women and children.
Some of the countries that are for many years involved in support of Indonesia, of the Suharto dictator, in training the Indonesia military are the United Kingdom, the United States and others. Most of the western countries, Germany, France, provide weapons for the Indonesian army. It is their responsibility to put an end to this violence. They have not only an international moral obligation, they have a material obligation to put an end to this violence in East Timor because it was training provided by England, the United States, it was weapons sold by England, United States, by Germany that have built Indonesian army into such an arrogant institution that is responsible for genocide in East Timor, for the killing in many other parts of Indonesia.
So I think the establishment of a support group in Scotland is very important in joining the many 100's of support groups around the world that have made the cause of East Timor an international cause.