Santa Cruz Massacre Anniversary

Today is anniversary of Santa Cruz massacre. Hundreds of peaceful protesters were killed by Indonesian troops. The killings were filmed and alerted the world about East Timor. ETAN was founded soon after.

Associated Press reports on today's commemoration in Dili:

Mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers clutched photos of dead relatives on Thursday, holding flowers and candles as they set out from the Motael Catholic church singing Hymns, saying prayers and weeping.

"My son is still missing," said 71-year-old Maria Lourenca, whose boy Antonio was a junior high school student at the time. "I want justice for his death. He was too young. The Indonesian soldiers who shot him should be punished."

For background information about the massacre go here.

U.S. Congressmembers Call on Indonesian President to Establish Dialogue with West Papua Leaders

The Chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment, Rep. Eni Faleomavaega, along with the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, Rep. Donald Payne sent a joint letter to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono today calling on him to create an internationally-mediated commission to establish a dialogue between the national government of Indonesia and the leaders of West Papua.

Read the media release here

Read the full letter here (PDF)

Jose Belo in Becora Prison

Timorese journalist Jose Belo has posted on Facebook several photos of him in Becora Prison in the mid-1990s. The Tempo Semanal editor writes:

I never felt angry, sad, frustrated during my prison terms because I felt a responsibility to contribute a little bit to our mother Land Timor- Leste.

My most valuable time was in prison under the Indonesian Regime.

Jose Belo (on left) in Becora Prison.

More recently Jose appears in an Al-Jazeera report on reactions to the release of indicted militia leader Martenus Bere: