E VALUACIÓN DEL P RODUCTO

On January 20, 1975, the Portuguese Television Network “RTP” sends a camera crew and a few journalists to see the developments of the new local government and the steps being taken toward decolonisation of Timor. In the interview, Governor Lemos Pires says:

“The opening of Timor to a situation of free expression of speech changed all the political weaving of the Territory, the parties started their political propaganda and although that was highly desirable it may have created some instability, because the unpoliticised population, - not to call them highly unpoliticised - did not absorb such political impact in a climate of tranquillity.

"A very controversial problem is the one concerning the viability of independence (both UDT and FRETILIN will only recognise Portugal as a valid mediator) and I have already told the parties that I do not consider Timor able to become independent with its current economical dependence. Independence would have to be gradually sought for with support from the outside in terms of economic aid or it will take a very long time to eventuate.

"What is going to be the will of the population? Who are they more inclined to? Which solution will please most of its people? It is very difficult to answer; the population is much unpoliticised. For example when I go to the country local population ask: “How is it going to be Mr. Governor?” and I tell them, you are the people of Timor, you are the ones who have to decide. They reply “If you tell us how to do it Mr. Governor, we’ll do it.”

"This only proves that for many years our colonial presence did not help develop the will of the population, as free and conscious as it would have been desirable. This, we cannot change overnight, we will have to wait calmly for a certain political evolution, for the parties to assume the responsibility to elucidate the population, to enable them to freely and consciously chose the future that rightfully belongs to them.”

If this sounds a bit paternalistic, let us not forget that most people, including the Governor, are having their first democratic experience of a lifetime. After being told and taught how to run colonies you cannot expect those people to be instantly ready to become democrats and decolonise. The political parties are also extensively interviewed by RTP, so that people back in

Lisbon can feel the new winds of political freedom blowing in the far-flung colonies of the Empire, now being dismantled.

Domingos de Oliveira, secretary general of UDT states:

“UDT was the first party to be formed on May 11, 1974. During our first meeting, we loudly claimed as our final objective the independence of Timor-Dili. However, considering that at this stage there are no conditions or infrastructures capable of providing us with a reliable independence, we propose a link with Portugal until such independence becomes feasible.

"During our campaigns in the country we have not only done propaganda but we also polled what the population of Timor-Dili really aspires to and that is independence. That will not mean oblivion of the very few material things done by the Portuguese during five centuries of colonial rule.

”Notwithstanding the mistakes and errors, the population is aware that something positive, came out of it, and that is a reason why our manifesto defends principles like Timor being integrated in a Portuguese-speaking commonwealth after we achieve independence. Such integration will be on equal terms with Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Brazil, and Portugal. UDT has a very strong popular support and

following, from people who want to march to independence but are aware of the lack of human and economic resources. Because they know Portugal has a historical mission to perform, and cannot abandon an entire population that is not prepared for

independence, people know that Portugal has to help us until we have feasible structures.”

Francisco Xavier do Amaral, President of the Central Committee of Fretilin states:

“After many developments, plenty of discussions and the polling of a small group of Timorese people, to ascertain the best way to provide for a happy future of the population, Fretilin was created as a Social democratic Association. In ternally we faced very strong opposition as well as government opposition from Governor Alves Aldeia and the Acting Governor Níveo Herdade. Our radio program was suspended for 60 days. In the country, we encountered many obstacles from the reactionary, since the population is passive. Fretilin was taken to court and sentenced. Now our existence is legally feasible, because of the forces who defend the progressivism for the MFA but if in the future that was made impossible we would then act clandestinely, because we defend the masses against the exploitation of man by other men.

“We have to admit we are still surprised by the mere existence of a party that defends

integration with Indonesia, because we find it to be utterly ridiculous. Would there be in Portugal any chance of a small group advocating integration with Spain? We deem APODETI existence as illegal.

“We wait for our independence ‘de jure’ to be recognised so that we can form a Provisional Government to prepare for our ‘de facto’ independence. Our fight is not against the Portuguese people; we are in solidarity with them on their fight to free Portugal from fascism. Our fight is against colonialism, exploitation of man by man, against neo-colonialism. Since its very first hour, Fretilin rejects all ideologies contrary to the independence of East Timor, we do not want to discuss what was or not done here.

We want to defend Timor in our plight for independence, and as well - if possible, and we think it is - to have Timor as part of a Portuguese-speaking commonwealth.”

Fretilin is trying to reassure the most disgruntled elements of the community of their

commitment to keep Timor within a workable framework of Portuguese-speaking communities, even as an independent country.

The secretary general of APODETI, Osório Soares tells ‘RTP’ that:

“On this very moment, I am not very well prepared to speak out about the party, I was absolutely taken by surprise as I was doing some tree plantation. Knowing the physical distance of Timor in relation to Portugal and the total failure of 400 hundred years of colonialism seen in the stage of development that Timor has [not] reached, the lack of political, economic maturity, we see as no solution at all both the independence and the federation.

“In a retrospective way to the ancient history of Timor we notice that before the colonisation there was unity, thus the divisiveness was created by the colonialism itself.

Once it is extinct we have to go back to the cause of separation, the link with Indonesia seemed then to be the most feasible in this context, that is how APODETI was born. In this period, after APODETI was formed in 27 May 1974 we have tried a horizontal plan, extensive work of letting the population know their ancestral traditions, their secular feelings.

“This position assumed by APODETI implies in international terms a consent by the Republic of Indonesia. Our activity until now [January 1975] is well structured in some regions where Régulos and their people defend and accept our principles. We talk about Atsabe, Rai-Mean, Ai-Assa, and Oé-cussi. Our main objective is a referendum, we have to win the referendum or elections, as the government decides, and immediately after we will form a commission, composed of representatives of Portugal, Indonesia and

APODETI to study the transition period to the development and socio-cultural progress of the people of Timor.

“When people say that APODETI is illegal we just have to remind them of the words of Dr. Mário Soares [the Prime Minister] when he said that for the decolonisation “one would have to listen to Indonesia and Australia” and those words of Dr. Almeida Santos [Minister for inter-territorial Co-ordination] at the United Nations when he declared that Timor has only two options: “To stay under the control of Portugal or to become an integrating part of Indonesia”. “ Apart from historical and geographical reasons APODETI is the only party that can provide Timor with a realistic solution for its future.”

APODETI is playing its cards carefully, exploiting statements of Dr. Mário Soares and Dr.

Almeida Santos to enhance their position in the local political chessboard.