Obituary for Andrew McNaughtan 1954 2003 Printed in Suara Timor Lorosae on 30th December 2004

In Jakarta at Hotel Bumi Asih, March 1998 (l to r) Jose Cornelio Guterres fom LBH, Andy, Jose Manuel Ximenes and Filipe Rodrigues Pereira (photo by Jude Conway)

Sad news was received in Dili on 27th December 2003 that our dear friend and long-time activist for TimorLeste, Dr Andrew McNaughtan had died suddenly in his home in Sydney before Christmas. Andrew began to lobby passionately for the self-determination of East Timor in 1992. From then on until independence he devoted most of his waking hours to collecting and disseminating information about human rights violations in East Timor through email, letters, newspapers, radio, television, meetings, enquiries and film. Journalists respected his investigative skills and trusted his information. He was proud to be praised by Noam Chomsky for his analysis of the struggle. In 1993 Andrew made his first trip to East Timor and he then moved to Darwin where he joined the activist group Australians for a Free East Timor (AFFET). In1994 Andrew spent two weeks in East Timor when he interviewed and filmed Bishop Belo who confirmed that there was a second massacre after the Santa Cruz massacre in November 1991 when hundreds of the wounded were killed. This footage was used in Max Stahls documentary about the Bishop Sometimes I must Speak out Strongly which would also be a good epitaph for Andrew. During the 1994 trip Andrew also filmed a man who had been injured in the Dili massacre then tortured and interviewed students who had participated in university riots which occurred during his visit. He received a lot of press from this visit including an interview with Amy Goodman for her US radio station. In 1995 alongside a conference on East Timor and West Papua held in Darwin Andrew organised a brilliant exhibition of photos from the War Memorial of Australian soldiers in East Timor in World War II and also testimonials from some Darwin Timorese who had assisted the Australian army at that time. Andrew had spent many hours interviewing these Timorese and he later accompanied two of them to Japan so they could speak at the War Crimes Compensation Forum in order to raise awareness about Japanese abuses in East Timor. He again visited Timor this year to investigate the situation only to be deported, the first of many times. Andrews home in Darwin played an important role in supporting solidarity activists, students, journalists and photographers who stayed there on their way to and from East Timor. Until now AFFET activists have lived in this house and many meetings have been held there, actions planned, and posters, banners and tshirts designed and painted.

In 1996 Andrew moved to Sydney where he became the convenor of the Australia-East Timor Association (AETA). In 1997 he also became Information Officer for the East Timor International Support Centre. He produced the influential brochure Human Rights Violations in East Timor which included many photos of torture that had been smuggled out of the country. In 1998 Andrew became a board member of Timor Aid. He started sending AUD1000 per month to Falintil until the referendum. He also provided money to Xanana when he was in Cipinang. From his own money he made many sets of a new photo exhibition of photos from the 25 years of occupation and sent the sets around the world. That year on another trip to East Timor he travelled with and filmed the Student Solidarity Council conducting some of the Student Dialogues around the country. This footage was included in a film Andrew made - Viva Timor Leste. He obtained and released TNI wage records from a brave Timorese which revealed that TNI were lying about the numbers of military in Timor at the time. In 1999 Andrew was invited to the Chinese embassy in Canberra for discussions when they were deciding whether they should vote in the Security Council to send peacekeepers into East Timor. He was persuasive in exposing the TNI backed militia In July Andrew went to East Timor to support and report the referendum process. He and other activists took sample ballot papers across the island to distribute and on August 30th some of these were discovered in his car by the Polri at Zumalai and he was deported for the last time. Back home he was a key player in mobilising domestic and international support for InterFET and he returned here soon after they came in. Andrew courageously went to Suai before InterFET to film and report the massacre and devastation there. Andrew was always concerned that the East Timorese receive their fair share of the Timor Gap oil and produced endless reports and documentaries on the unfairness of the treaty. He also supported the West Papuan and Achenese struggles and the Australian Greens Party. Andrew was planning to return to East Timor in January 2004 to organise meditation courses which he believed would assist with trauma healing. Unfortunately for East Timor Andrew will now never return but his contribution to self-determination will not be forgotten. East Timorese Consul in Sydney Abel Guterres said Andrew was one of those very special people whose dedication to the struggle of East Timor was tireless. Constancio Pinto wrote Andrew, we miss you but your name and your work for peace and justice in East Timor will be remembered forever. Andrew was loved by his many friends for his energy, intelligence, commitment, friendliness, vulnerability and of course his ability to converse for hours especially on the topic of Timor-Leste. His death leaves a big gap in our lives. Jude Conway 29th December 2003