HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MEETS ON EAST TIMOR EMERGENCY

VATICAN CITY, SEP 24, 1999 (VIS) - Archbishop Giuseppe Bertello, apostolic nuncio and head of the Holy See delegation to the extraordinary session of the Human Rights Commission in Geneva, Switzerland, addressed the assembly yesterday afternoon.

This session is being held, the archbishop noted in his talk, "to examine the serious violations which have sown the seeds of destruction and death in East Timor since the start of this month" and to express "the disapproval of the international community and the vigorous condemnation of the human rights violations which have been perpetrated."

In his address in French, Archbishop Bertello pointed to the television images broadcast around the world "of the thousands of unarmed and defenseless persons who have been killed," as well as the thousands of deportees. "The Catholic Church has not been spared and has paid a heavy price with the assassination of her priests, religious and community leaders."

He emphasized that "the Timor affair" is not just clan warfare, but the negation "in blood of the majority will of a people," 80 percent of whom voted for independence "in an election organized and supervised by the highest international instance."

The nuncio highlighted Pope John Paul's pleas for peace in this region, and the Holy See's encouragement of dialogue between Indonesia and Portugal, since 1975 when Indonesia annexed the former Portuguese colony.
He underlined that Catholics comprise 90 percent of the faithful and that the Church "has tried to be the voice of the Timorese in defending their identity, has protected the victims of repression and has taken charge of educational and health services, making them available to all citizens. ... When the violence of the anti-independence militias broke out, the Holy See insisted that the United Nations authorize the deployment of an international force."

Noting that the international force was now present, Archbishop Bertello said "it is urgent to have humanitarian aid rapidly reach displaced persons and refugees. ... The international community must watch over their protection." He closed by expressing the Holy See's "confidence" that the international force would accomplish its mission.

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