Jember – The Association of East Timor Students (IMPETTU) declared their support for East Timor Reconciliation and Unity Movement, GRPRTT. All IMPETTU chairmen signed the declaration in Jember, on 10 December 1997. Around four hundred East Timor students attended the announcement of the declaration. They came from different cities of Indonesia to commemorate Human Rights Day and Indonesian military invasion, 7 December 1975.
They also hailed and supported the hunger strike conducted by Bandung and Jakarta students in the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation building complex, last 8 December 1997. As MateBEAN reported before, the students were members of the so-called Indonesian Popular Front (FPI) from Bandung and Jakarta-based Nation-al Committee for the Struggle of Democracy. The hunger strike was a protest and condemnation of the Indonesian military invasion, 22 years ago.
They repeated some points declared on different campaigns in Jakarta and other Java cities. For instance, they demanded the presence of Maubere Resistance and East Timor younger generation representatives in all meetings initiated by the UN Secretary General.
They also strongly demanded the release of CNRM and FALINTIL military leader, Xanana Gusmao and all East Timorese political detainees. The declarat-ion, which is read by IMPETTU Jember chairman as the host of the Nobel Cup II Competition, was also condemned United Nation inconsistency on East Timor issues.
To clarify IMPETTU's support for GRPRTT, one of the chairmen stated that GRPRTT need to be supported by all people who love peace and wanted East Timor problem to be solved promptly. He reminded the fact that the organization is fighting for a referendum regarding East Timor people's rights to self-determination. CNRM speaker, Dr. Jose Ramos-Horta, had stated such proposal, and known as the "CNRM Peace Plan".
"We must support such organization, not contrarily, supported Garda Paksi or Pemuda Pancasila who always terrorize East Timor people," said the IMPETTU leader who wanted to remain unknown.
GRPRTT is a new organization formed by East Timor informal leaders. Its aim is to seek alternative problem solving of the 22 years old East Timor is-sue. Most of the founders are former high-ranking government leaders such as regents and Parliament members. They came from different political backgrounds. Some are from the Uniao Democratica de Timor (UDT), the second biggest politic-al party after FRETILIN. Some also came from Asociacao Popular Democratica de Timor (APODETI), the party which was being used by Indonesian military intelligence to support military invasion and East Timor anexation.
People believed that the arrest of GRPRTT leader, Manuel Carrascalo, is imminent. He is the older brother of former Governor of East Timor and then Indonesian ambassador to the Republic of Rumania, Mario Viegas Carrascalao. He was also ex-member of parliament from Golkar. Some Indonesian mass media re-ported that the Government has issued an arrest warrant for him. According to BBC London, political rumors circulated in Dili said, that the Governor of East Timor, Abilio Osorio was behind this plot.
Meanwhile, in Australia, Manuel Carrascalao commented to the chances of his arrest in a cool atmosphere. Although he knew that Abilio Osorio has a limited knowledge of his organization, the possibility of an arrest is a po-litical risk he had calculated before. Whatever will happen, he is ready for it and he surely do not want to back off, let alone running away from East Timor.
"I will return to East Timor and live there until the day I die," said Manuel Carrascalao to BBC London.