Remembrance of Wars and the Dili Massacre

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(Ed Note: I removed the part of the post on Remembrance Day because I wanted to reevaluate my position.)

On the subject of remembrance, today marks the 13-year anniversary of the Dili Massacre, something I would wager almost nobody has heard of. For too long the Indonesia invasion and oppression of the East Timorese people, and the American support in these actions, was ignored by the Western world. East Timor declared its independence from Portugal on November 28, 1975. However, nine days later Indonesian forces, under the leadership of General Suharto invaded and took over control of the land, before independence had become official internationally.

Suharto knew prior to the invasion he had full support of President Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. After telling the pair that he might take “rapid or drastic action” in East Timor, Ford replied, “We understand and will not press you on the issue. We understand the problem you have and the intentions you have.” Kissinger, who was in Indonesia with Ford at the time, followed up, “We would be able to influence the reaction in America if whatever happens, happens after we return.” The American government’s military support to the government of Indonesia continued until September of 1999, when Bill Clinton finally terminated it, but the American government’s complicity in the atrocities perpetuated by General Suharto, which likely caused the death of approximately 200,000 East Timorese, is well documented.

The Dili Massacre occurred in the Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili, which is the capital of East Timor. The funeral was for Sebastiao Gomes, a student who had been shot dead by Indonesian troops in October. Hundreds of protesters, mainly students, turned out to protest Indonesian rule and call for self-determination. Many held placards with pictures of Xanana Gusmao, the leader of the independence movement who is now the President of East Timor. As the protestors entered the cemetery the Indonesian troops opened fire on them. 271 died, 278 were wounded, and another 270 disappeared, speculation being that they were likely murdered in hospitals. Here is a photograph of children taking cover during the massacre.

The Dili Massacre, while now forgotten, did help to catapult the East Timorese cause into public consciousness. The fact parts of the massacre were captured on video by Max Stahl, and that it was witnessed by two American journalists, Amy Goodman and Allan Nairn, brought attention to the incident, the latter testifying to the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and to the cause of the East Timorese people. Goodman and Nairn were badly beaten by Indonesian troops, but many speculate they were not killed because they were Americans and the US government supported the Indonesian actions. A New Zealander, Kamal Bamadhaj, was killed in the massacre. The combination of these factors: the video and photographs of the event; the testimony of Goodman and Nairn and the death of Bamadhaj all brought publicity to the event. Despite attempts by foreign governments to dismiss the event, such as Australia’s then-foreign minister Gareth Evans calling the event “an aberration”, the Dili Massacre was likely an essential step in the fight for East Timorese independence. Still, the deaths of 541 peaceful protestors is not something that should have disapeared from the public's consciousness.