RI-Australia friendship

Due to recent events in East Timor, I wish to write to assure you of the Australian Council of Trade Unions' (ACTU's) continuing feelings of friendship toward the workers and people of Indonesia.

We have had feelings of great anguish and sadness regarding the events in East Timor. Along with Indonesia, this territory is close to Australia and as a result of our knowledge of the land and its people we were very concerned over the violence, killings and destruction which took place.

It is not for us to allocate any blame for what happened except to say that it trampled on the human rights of all people in the region to peace and freedom from violence.

The purpose of this letter is to extend the hand of friendship to workers and the Indonesian people.

As you know, the ACTU represents the workers of Australia and we are not a part of the government. So what we say is what we believe and know to be true. In this regard I would like to assure you that:

* Australians want Indonesia to be a strong and prosperous country. We do not want fragmentation of your country and would not support it happening. The future of Indonesia is for the Indonesian people to decide.

* Indonesian students and visitors are welcome in Australia. We want to build stronger friendship between us. Any offensive behavior toward students or visitors will not be tolerated.

* The ACTU opposes Australia becoming a "deputy" to the United States in Asia or anywhere else, and no sensible person in Australia supports that view. The whole idea is offensive and was the product of a journalist's misguided mind.

* Australia and Indonesia need to continue to build a stronger friendship between us on the basis of equal rights and equal respect.

In the past we have stood together during difficult and hard times. We in Australia stood with the people of Indonesia in your struggle for independence in the 1940s. We want to continue to work together, have Australians and Indonesians visit each other's country in peace, and together build a better future for all of our people and their children.

BILL MANSFIELD

Assistant Secretary

Australian Council of Trade Unions

Carlton South, Vic.

Australia