re: the source of timorese anger

President Mairi Alkatiri is not far off the mark when he suggested yesterday that Xanana Gusmao had attempted a coup against him. The shame of it all is that Alexander Downer was aware of the move.

Xanana was cultivated by Australia especially during his captivity in the hands of the Indonesians. It was during this time that his case officer fell in love with and married him later in what was seen by many in the grass roots and by the likes of Jose Ramos Horta (the ever diplomat) as a betrayal. He betrayed his wife, who during the years of the insurgency or struggle as he calls it, fell pregnant to an Indonesian soldier,a symbolic punishment that Indonesia owned him. And the symolism in these things must never be lost when making an assessment of the proiblems in places like East Timor. The Portuguese did it when they were there and their men were subsequently forced to also convert to Christianity.

Mari Alkatiri has developed a very close relationship with China who see the entire region as an extension of 'Nanyang' or the South Seas a part of ancient China. The same is expressed not too subtely with the Solomons and PNG.

Alkatiri realised how hollow Australia's moral commitment to the country was during the Timor sea shelf oil and gas negotiations. Xanana did nothing to resist Australia's grab. He was in actual fact neutralised because of the deals he made for his life in an Indonesian jail. The heat from Suharto and the influence of Benni Murdani in military circiles was so great that the threat of anhialating the man was so real that Australia realised the position it would be in if it were allowed to happen and intervened to make a deal.

The Timorese community here had plans for all sorts of activity and the whole pacific region already looking 'north' towards Malaysia, China and the rest would make life difficult for us in the region if Xanana were betrayed by the people who most supported him. Australia

Xanana's life was spared and he was promised a political role on condition he would veto any hot pursuit or relentless pursuit of war criminals that Ramos Horta preferred with the agreement and support of his one time room mate the current secretary general of the UN Kofi Anan.

When Australia decided to intervene, one very corrupt Habib was president in Jakarta. Habib was not only corrupt with the stain of the Bali bank scandal and world bank money, he pleaded for and got Australian backing for getting the world bank to back off the inquiry in Indonesia itself about his involvement in the Bali bank scandal which financed his political campaign for president. In return he agreed that Indonesian troops would not fire a shot in anger at the Australians and that Xanana would receive their recognition providing he also did not pursue anyone including the Suhartos. The American's blessed the deal as Suharto was their man and the Neo Cons were then on the rise behind the scenes in Washington. The Indonesian regional commanders begrudgingly agreed but did not agree to rein in the militias.

Many who joined the militias were also disgruntled Fretlin members and vetrans who saw Xanana as a traitor. But for independence they agreed to let things be for the time being.Only some of them. The remainder went back to sanctuaries n West Timor. The frustration has been brewing for a while and now galvanised by East and West Timorese wanting better than the organised bloodshed in whichh both Indonesia under Suharto, Australia under Keating and some Fretlin elites were complicit.

Young Mrs. Xanana has been broadcasting non too subtle anti Alkatri sentiments over Radio Australia and their radio station from Darwin. She has for a while been making highly political and very inflamatory remarks about him and been aiding the campaign in the regional press to discredit the man.

The reasons the Indonesians invaded in 1975 was partly their claim to sovereignty and partly because of the infighting within the Timorese independence groups who did most of the killing of each other. The Indonesians continued the purges later. Many Timorese refugees from that period cannot and will not forgive nor forget Xanana's atrocities during that period. The Chinese tell stories of his horrors and wanton rampage and killing. We made him a hero and he wears his salt and pepper beard and has an Australian (Sydney) based media agent paid for by an Australian 'foundation' whose generous benefactors are yet to be unmasked.

There are scores to settle. The Carascahlaos who swindled the Timorese communities in Australia during their exile for millions whilst Mario Carascalhao was Suharto's appointed governor of the province tells only a small fraction of the duplicity and the self centred power struggle of the cliques at the expense the citizens of East Timor.

You cannot draw an imaginery line between a people on a small island and create a culture or nation using the left overs , an elite consisting of a European colonial power (failed) for pure political expediency.

The island will eventually be one. We also need the heat to be taken off the Papua issue which is hotting up. Now there is one real need for independence. The spoils are too great there for us not to get involved.

Why can't we resist the Chinese or publicly chastise them for their meddling in our backyard? ask the PM, the Minister for foreign affairs and more importantly our intelligence services. We sold out a long time ago.