Dear All,
Maybe circulating this among other lists would draw international attention to the danger and increase pressure to protect them.
Jenny

Jenny Scott
Collection Specialist - South Australiana
State Library of South Australia
+61 8 8207-7344
0417-899-967
GPO Box 419, Adelaide SA 5001
[log in to unmask]
www.slsa.sa.gov.au

-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ray Edmondson
Sent: Tuesday, 6 June 2006 2:03 PM
To: 'A Mailing List for Australian Archivists'
Subject: RE: [Aus-archivists] Timor Records destroyed


I think you should alert the media - especially the broadsheets and the 7.30
Report - which may bring quicker action than contacting the UN or the PM's
office (both of which you should do too). These records are very vulnerable
now and would be naïve to assume there are not people with agendas who are
making deliberate use of the mayhem...if I'm to believe the media reports,
the destruction of Serious Crimes records was very targeted.    

-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask]
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Cuddihy,
Delene
Sent: Tuesday, 6 June 2006 1:00 PM
To: A Mailing List for Australian Archivists
Subject: RE: [Aus-archivists] Timor Records destroyed


Dear Australian archivists

Further to the looting of the 1999 Serious Crimes records, I am seeking
suggestions from fellow archivists and archives supporters on how to
raise a security issue and activate preventative measures around
vulnerable Truth and Reconciliation Commission records in Timor-Leste at
the present moment.

Last night the grounds of the former Truth Commission were broken into
by a large group of men (50 - 100) carrying and firing guns who cut the
perimeter fence and took over 30 motorbikes. These motorbikes were used
by Commission staff in obtaining submissions on human rights violations
from over 8000 people from all over the country.

The records of the Truth Commission, including these 8,000 submissions
on human rights violations, are stored on the same site. These records
tell an indepth story of Timor-Leste from 1974 to 1999 and document
human rights violations, forced displacements, famine, etc and contain
much private and sensitive material.

The security guards at the Truth Commission have no guns and when they
telephoned for help were told that nothing could be done about looting.
So far the rooms containing the records have not been looted.

If anyone could suggest how to elevate this issue to higher levels of
authority and within the Australian Defence Forces currently in
Timor-Leste to ensure that the building is at least protected by armed
security to pre-empt the very real possibility that it and its valuable
contents will be looted, then it would be much appreciated. 

Delene Cuddihy
Ex-Archivist
CAVR - Truth, Reconciliation and Reception Commission
Timor-Leste

-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask]
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Joanna
SASSOON
Sent: Thursday, 1 June 2006 15:14
To: A Mailing List for Australian Archivists
Subject: [Aus-archivists] Timor Records destroyed

Here is a link to a story which appeared on the ABC news radio the other
morning entitled Serious Crimes Unit Office looted in Dili

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200605/s1652287.htm

Cheers
Joanna
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Dr Joanna Sassoon
Senior Lecturer
School of Computer and Information Science
Edith Cowan University
2 Bradford Street
Mt Lawley, WA 6052
Australia

Tel: +61 8 9370 6296
Fax: +61 8 9370 6100

Email [log in to unmask]

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