Conselho Nacional de Resistência Timorense

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Flag of the CNRT

The Conselho Nacional de Resistência Timorense CNRT ( National Council of the Timorese Resistance ) served as an umbrella organization to better coordinate the freedom struggle of East Timor against the Indonesian occupation (1975-1999). Various East Timorese parties and groups were united in it, such as FRETILIN , UDT or Colimau 2000 . From 1988 to 1998 the organization Conselho Nacional de Resistência Maupe was called CNRM (National Council of the Resistance of Maupe).

history

CNRT event on the 1999 independence referendum
CNRT event on the 1999 independence referendum

After the Carnation Revolution in Portugal in 1974, the colony of Portuguese Timor was to be prepared for independence, but in August 1975 an armed struggle for power broke out between the two largest parties UDT and FRETILIN. With the help of its military organization, the FALINTIL , the FRETILIN was able to keep the upper hand. Most of the UDT supporters had to flee to West Timor . On November 28, 1975, FRETILIN proclaimed independence from Portugal in view of the threat of an Indonesian invasion. It was hoped that this would gain support from the international community, but only nine days later Indonesia began the open occupation of the country.

A period of terrorism and the resettlement of the civilian population followed, followed by persecution of supporters of the independence movement by pro-Indonesian militias and the army. While the FRETILIN initially still had control over a large part of East Timor, the Indonesians succeeded in creating more and more distress for the resistance through air strikes and the destruction of fields. By December 1978 the bases of the resistance movement were largely destroyed by the Indonesian army and over 80% of the FRETILIN fighters were killed. Under Xanana Gusmão, FRETILIN increasingly switched to guerrilla warfare against the Indonesians. Various Timorese groups fought the occupiers with the support of the population from the mountains.

On March 31, 1986, the National Timorese Convergence ( Convergencia Nacional Timorense CNT ) was founded as an umbrella organization by UDT, FRETILIN, Klibur Oan Timor Asuwain (KOTA) and the Partido Trabalhista PT ( Workers' Party ). But there were always divisions and power struggles between the individual groups. The pact fell apart again. On August 20, 1987, the Gusmão FALINTIL was converted from a FRETILIN party army into a national army of the East Timorese resistance. Gusmão remained their leader. At a congress on December 31, 1988, Gusmão and José Ramos-Horta , spokesman for the East Timorese government-in-exile and its representative to the United Nations , founded the Conselho Nacional de Resistência Maupe CNRM ( National Council of the Resistance of the Maupe ) as the new umbrella organization for the East Timorese resistance. Xanana Gusmão was elected President of the CNRM, which is why he left FRETILIN in order not to be considered partisan. Ramos-Horta did the same. The term Maupe was coined by Ramos-Horta in the 1970s and was originally a name for the Mambai , one of the largest ethnic groups in East Timor. During the colonial period, the Portuguese called the rural Timorese Maupe to distinguish them from the Portuguese settlers and mestizos . It became synonymous with uncivilized illiterate people. UDT and KOTA initially refused to work together, allegedly because of the term Maetze . The UDT also criticized the CNRM as just another form of FRETILIN.

Due to the Santa Cruz massacre in 1991 and the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Ramos-Horta and Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo in 1996, East Timor received greater attention in the world and Indonesia was increasingly put under international pressure, something which the capture of Gusmão in 1992 did not change. At a conference from April 23 to 27, 1998 in Peniche (Portugal), the various East Timorese groups (FRETILIN, UDT, KOTA, APODETI , Labor Party and the newly founded UDC ) were finally united and the organization became the Conselho Nacional de Resistência Renamed Timorense CNRT .

In May 1998, the long-time Indonesian ruler Suharto resigned after student protests . In June, his successor Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie offered East Timor autonomy within the Indonesian state. However, he ruled out complete independence and declared that Portugal and the United Nations should recognize Indonesian sovereignty over East Timor. The CNRT rejected the proposal on August 11, 1998, calling instead for a referendum on independence and the release of Xanana Gusmão. Finally, a referendum on the future of East Timor was agreed in 1999 . 78.5% of East Timorese spoke out in favor of independence, but the period before and after the referendum was overshadowed by acts of violence by pro-Indonesian militias and military , which killed several thousand people, hundreds of women and girls were raped, three quarters of the population and 75% of the country's infrastructure destroyed. The UN eventually sent the international force INTERFET to pacify the country and took control. In December 1999 the UN administration of East Timor ( UNTAET ) set up the National Consultative Council (NCC) to give the population a representation.

On June 21, 2000, UNTAET and CNRT agreed to reorganize the NCC, which represented the people of East Timor in the administration. The National Council (NC) now had 33 members, all of whom were East Timorese.

The coat of arms of East Timor (2002-2007) with the shield of the CNRT

Up until the Congress in August 2000, the new East Timorese parties PST , UDC and, after their establishment, PSD and PDM also joined the CNRT. After the congress, however, FRETILIN and UDT left the CNRT. On October 23, CNRT President Xanana Gusmão was elected spokesman for the NC.

On June 9, 2001, the CNRT finally disbanded to pave the way for the various parties to campaign for the upcoming first election on August 30, 2001. On May 20, 2002, East Timor became independent. In the coat of arms of East Timor from 2002 to 2007, the shield of the CNRT was listed as a central element. As a result of the occupation and the resulting guerrilla war, around 183,000 people died.

In 2007, Xanana Gusmão announced that she would run her own new party for the upcoming parliamentary elections as the prime minister's candidate. The new party is called Congresso Nacional da Reconstrução Timorense ( National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction ) and also bears the abbreviation CNRT . Because of the similarity of its name, it has been criticized by the previous ruling party FRETILIN.

Structure of the CNRT

The leadership of the CNRT consisted of three bodies: the National Political Commission, the Executive Commission and the Justice Commission. Xanana Gusmão (formerly FRETILIN) became CNRT President and Chairman of the National Political Commission. In the ranking number two was Vice-President José Ramos-Horta, who also became Chairman of the Executive Committee. Mário Viegas Carrascalão (PSD) , who lives in East Timor, became the "silent" vice-president .

Party representatives and non-party representatives were represented in the National Political Commission and Executive Commission. A priest joined the National Political Commission, while experts sat in the Judicial Commission.

As decided in Peniche in April 1998, the commissions initially consisted of 22 Timorese exiles. In September Gusmão appointed twelve more members of the National Political Commission to live in East Timor.

Members of the National Political Commission:

There were also four substitutes:

The representatives from East Timor themselves were:

Members of the Executive Committee:

Members of the Judicial Commission:

Other CNRT officials:

  • Virgílio Simith (independent), secretary
  • Florentina Simith (independent), treasurer
  • Frederico Almeida Santos da Costa (APODETI), APODETI representative in the Permanent Council
  • Augusto Pires (KOTA), KOTA representative in the Permanent Council
  • Arlindo Marçal (PDC), PDC representative in the Permanent Council
  • Germano Jesus da Silva (PSD), PSD representative in the Permanent Council
  • Pedro dos Mártires da Costa (PST), PST representative on the Permanent Council

Despite membership, the PDM had no representatives in any office in the CNRT.

See also

Web links

Commons : Conselho Nacional de Resistência Timorense  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ben Kiernan: Genocide and Resistance in Southeast Asia: Documentation, Denial, and Justice in Cambodia and East Timor , pp. 179/180, 2008.