'To achieve peace we need justice' © Graham Freer/ Progressio

Take action and show you care

Nine days after declaring independence from Portugal in 1975, East Timor was invaded by Indonesia. It was the start of a bloody, repressive and violent occupation that would last for the next 25 years.

During this time, the world community, including the UK, turned a blind eye to the atrocities occurring in East Timor. The UK also sold arms to Indonesia. Between 1997 and 1999 alone those sales are estimated to be worth £287.75 million pounds.

Now Progressio is supporting leading East Timorese politician, Fernanda Borges, in calling on the British government to make some kind of redress. She is calling on the UK government to help the East Timorese authorities take concrete steps to create justice in this poverty-stricken nation.

And we'd like you to help her by writing to your MP calling on the British government to redress the past. How can it do that? By funding a centre for justice that will enable individuals and communities in East Timor to finally obtain reparation for the past.

What you can do

A minute of your time is all it takes to show you care. Please download Progressio's campaign leaflet (1Mb PDF - opens in a new window) or order a copy from our bookshop and ask your MP to help bring justice to East Timor:

East Timor: Who Cares? Campaign leaflet (1Mb PDF - opens in a new window)

And with just a little more time, you can help us show that justice has a human face. The leaflet includes a poster. Before you send off the letter, write a message on the poster, take a photo of yourself holding your poster, and send the photo to us at wecare@progressio.org.uk

We will build a collage of your photos to present to UK MPs. Because people who care can be a powerful force for change.

Alternatively you can also just download the letter in Word format and change the wording to create your own personalised message:

East Timor campaign letter to MPs (255k Word opens in a new window)

Who Cares about East Timor? Let the answer be you.