Natasha Stott Despoja (SA, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes the final report of the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation in East Timor, which:

(i)

provides a comprehensive analysis of Indonesia’s occupation of East Timor and the effect of this occupation on the Timorese people,

(ii)

reinforces the right of the people of Timor-Leste to self-determination and challenges the role of the Australian Government in delaying the recognition of that right,

(iii)

records the unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, forced displacement, detention, starvation and torture of the Timorese by Indonesian forces,

(iv)

calls for reparations from Indonesia and other members of the international community such as Australia, ‘who looked the other way’ and thus ‘bear a portion of responsibility’ for the atrocities committed, and

(v)

was delivered to the United Nations by Xanana Gusmao, the President of Timor-Leste on 20 January 2006; and

(b)

calls on the Australian Government to:

(i)

acknowledge its role in denying the people of Timor-Leste their right to self-determination and prolonging their suffering at the hands of Indonesian forces,

(ii)

offer reparations to the Government of Timor-Leste in accordance with the recommendations made in the report,

(iii)

encourage the Indonesian Government to ensure the delivery of reparations to the people of Timor-Leste, and

(iv)

recognise the importance of reparations in assisting Timor-Leste to heal the wounds of occupation and rebuild a stable, democratic and well-functioning civil society.

Question put.