Regime change in East Timor By William Hardiker

Regime change in East Timor

By William Hardiker

Al-Jazeerah, June 30, 2006

The forced resignation yesterday of East Timor’s Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri is a travesty of justice and a direct result of the Australian Howard governments neo-colonial policy in the region. Following on the heels of the Solomon Islands intervention, the Howard government has instigated regime change in East Timor. It is also a resignation for which all opposition political parties in Australia need feel guilty and ashamed. Not a voice of dissent was to be heard in the political landscape of this country to condemn the interventionist actions of the Howard government. Throughout the entire process of Canberra’s carefully orchestrated strategy to remove Mari Alkatiri the mainstream media, as well as the national broadcaster failed to tell the truth in regards to this transparent injustice. The alleged “crimes” of Alkatiri have no substance. Quite simply his political ideology did not suit the Canberra and the option of placing Alkatiri’s government under impossible duress in order to effect regime change the chosen option. This is an Australia playing bully - boy tactics in the region. The Prime Minister has been the victim of a smear campaign by the Australian media and his government the target of false and misleading propaganda.

The Howard governments real objection to the government of Mari Alkatiri was that he had taken a position whereby Australian ambitions to bring East Timor securely under its political and economic wing were threatened. Australia has been in fear of East Timor’s natural resource wealth – oil and gas in the Timor Sea, falling into other hands, particularly Portugal. The Alkatiri government had strengthened ties with China and Malaysia and this has been a thorn in Australia’s side.

The underhanded methods used to bring down the government of Alkatiri are clearly immoral, unjust and unethical. We have witnessed a clear case of a greater regional power bullying a weaker state into submission. This has been diplomatic and political coercion typical of the Bush administration foreign policy methodology. The deployment of Australian troops ostensibly as a peace keeping force and the false representation of Alkatiri in the Australian media show a willingness for the Howard government to stoop to new depths of foul play. The truck loads of protesters were escorted by the Australian “peace keeping” force into the capital and numbers were over estimated by foreign media.

PM John Howard could barely contain his glee after the resignation and cynically stated that he is pleased with the outcome but is not in any position to comment on who governs East Timor. However one thing is assured, Australia will make sure it acquires the lions share of the Timor seas oil and gas, which if international law were applied would belong solely to East Timor. Journalist Mark Dodd from Rupert Murdoch’s “Australian” newspaper stated yesterday that “Alkatiri’s departure should spell good news for Australian companies wanting to do business in Dili. Too many were scared away when he was in charge”. The Australian also reported that Australia will have to keep troops on the ground for the foreseeable future.

Retired Portuguese general Alfredo Assuncao, previously in charge of the UN military force in East Timor during 2000 -2001,denounced Australia’s aims stating, “what interests the Australians the most is oil and gas….so what better way to control these enormously rich resources than to be physically present and control the country’s political system. He went on to describe Australia as “the main enemy of the country.” (East Timor).

It is clear that the Howard government will ensure and accept nothing less than a puppet government in East Timor. Instead of ending the political chaos in East Timor, the forced removal of Alkatiri can only add to more social and political tension. The media has portrayed the unrest as a struggle between those from the east of the country and those from the West, but in actual fact it is a conflict between two factions of the ruling elite. Australia is occupying a sovereign State after Alkatiri was forced to ask for International assistance. Australia manoeuvred itself to fulfil this role. That which we witness in East Timor today is a clear case of Australian neo-colonialism.

Prime Minister Alkatiri is a man with a sound political and social ideology. Clearly he was a man of the people with a deep social conscience. Unfortunately economics and idealism do not mix without great support from the people, as is the case of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. With the ousting of Mari Alkatiri, East Timor has lost a good leader.

Earth, a planet hungry for peace

Apartheid Wall


The Israeli Land-Grab Apartheid Wall built inside the Palestinian territories, here separating Abu Dis from occupied East Jerusalem. (IPC, 7/4/04).

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank, like a Python. (Alquds,10/25/03).

Opinions expressed in various sections are the sole responsibility of their authors and they may not represent Al-Jazeerah's.

editor@aljazeerah.info