A MEDIA blitz accompanied the showing of John Pilger's film 'Death of a Nation - the East Timor Conspiracy'. A telephone number shown at the conclusion of the programme led to a peak of 4,000 calls per minute at half past midnight.
It is estimated that over 100,000 people picked up a phone in reaction to the film in which the viewing public saw at first hand British complicity in the Timorese slaughter.
The response of the Government - total silence for a day and then limp excuses. Hurd, Chalker and the rest were in retreat for 48 hours, using diplomat speak to cover for the exposure of good old fashioned naked imperialist interest.
Conspiracy of silence The British ruling class are hoping that the conspiracy of silence around the genocide in East Timor will be maintained and that the Pergau Dam scandal will have covered their tracks on their support for mass murder, repression torture and systematic sexual abuse of the East Timorese population.
There is an opportunity for socialists and their allies to then, 200,000 East Timorese murdered and 600,000 living in an island concentration camp?
Nobody should be under any illusions about the nature of events in East Asia. With expanding markets and imperialist stampede for those markets comes increased regional military budgets.
Every authoritative commentator - bourgeois, liberal, social democratic or Marxist is saying the same thing - there is a massive arms race under way in Asia, fuelled by the major arms suppliers - USA, Britain, Germany, China and Russia.
At the same time the recent discovery of significant oil reserves in the South China Sea has added a qualitative new turn to the situation. Six countries, China, Taiwan and Vietnam included are making a claim to these reserves. There can be no doubt in which direction this is all leading - inter-imperialist conflict and war.
This explains why every medium size and major nation in the region is on a massive arms procurement drive. This is the real significance of the Malaysian deal and the sale of Hawks to Indonesia.
The cost to the workers and peasants of the region today is the lack of any social programmes in their interests and the deepening on the ongoing attack on the growing workers organisations. If the whole arms race is not stopped, workers and peasants will pay with their lives on battlefields in the cause of imperialist war.
All socialists must be at the centre of a campaign to stop this war drive. It is possible to slow it at what is one weak link - that of the Indonesian occupation of East Timor.
After almost two decades of repression the East Timorese will not give in. Being bombed and strafed by British made Hawks has only re-inforced their resolve to resist. It is our duty to aid them in their struggle. The victory of the East Timorese revolution for self determination will be a victory for our class against the interests of British and US imperialism.
April sees the launch of a European wide campaign to stop military supplies to Indonesia and the British left has a crucial role to play in this campaign.
Join the Campaign Against Arms Trade's broad based campaign "Together We Can Stop the Hawks', which aims to stop all future delivery of Hawks to Indonesia and impose a complete military embargo.
Win labour movement organisations to sponsor the campaign - invite a speaker from the campaign to your trade union student union or Labour Party branch.
If there is a local CND or peace group get them to sponsor the campaign and to invite a speaker.
Sponsor models resolutions, where appropriate, calling for a military embargo on Indonesia Contact CAAT, 11 Goodwin St, Finsbury Park, London, N4 3HQ Tel: 071 281 0297.