DILI, 23 august 2022 (TATOLI) – The Former Ambassador of Timor-Leste to the United States, Constâncio Pinto informed that Timor-Leste’s ‘Front Clandestine Movement’ emerged to support Timor-Leste’s Armed and Diplomatic Fronts against Indonesian occupation.
“The initiative of starting the Clandestine Front Movement began with the idea of involving the contribution of youth to the resistance against the occupation. The role of this movement is to disseminate and spread information about the fight of FALINTIL guerrillas against Indonesian occupation to the world,” Pinto made the comments at a national conference at Lorosae’e National University (UNTL), in Hera, Dili, today.
Pinto was among several other young Timorese back in the late 1980s who initiated the Clandestine Front: “Back then I was in charge as the Secretary Executive of the Committee of the Clandestine Front Movement, together with my other comrades Pedro Klamar Fuik, José Manuel Fernandes “Nakfilak”, etc.”
“One of the biggest and most important activities we organized back then was the big demonstration during the visit of Pope Paul II, in Tasi Tolu Dili, in 1989,” stressed Pinto.
He said during those periods, the movement aimed to influence and change the world’s perspective on the Indonesian occupation of Timor-Leste.
“Indonesia tried to influence the world that their invasion of Timor-Leste is to bring development. In fact, that was not the reality and our role at that time was to tell the world about what was happening in East Timor. So, through demonstrations, we uncovered the real situation in East Timor and showed them to the world. So, Tasi Tolu Demonstration was the turning point that unified various small movements in the country into a big force. It eventually led to one of the biggest demonstrations in Timor-Leste’s history, the ‘Santa Cruz Massacre’ in november 1991,” he explained.
Pinto reiterated that the Clandestine Front emerged to reinforce the fight of the Armed and Diplomatic Fronts.
“So, the emergence of the Clandestine movement aimed to encourage the Armed and Diplomatic Fronts which means they were not alone as the Timorese youth are always with them,” Pinto said.
He added the National Resistance of East Timorese Students (RENETIL) also played a crucial role in the Clandestine movement against the Indonesian occupation.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
