Tempotimor (Dili) - The people of Timor-Leste welcome the 30 of August with a banner expressing support to Witness K and Bernard Collaery who face charges at courts in Australia. 

Timor-Leste Government, via the national police-PNTL, has announced that they would not authorize any demonstration on the 20th anniversary of Referendum, but the government and PNTL lost control at sea in front of Palacio do Governo. A big red banner bearing Bernard Collaery’s photo and written “Our Solidarity with Bernard Collaery & Witness K” is hanged on a yacht in front of Palacio do Governo. 

“We unfold this banner on the yacht at sea because there is space to speak on shore,” an representative from the Movement Against Occupation of Timor Sea, MKOTT, told TempoTimor.

Witness K and his lawyer, Bernard Collaery helped bring forward information about the Australian espionage activities by planting listening devices at Palacio Governo during negotiations on sharing resources on the oild fields in the Timor Sea. 

“Big Brother Xanana and many leaders know that if it wasn’t thanks to Witness K and his lawyer Bernard Collaery, we wouldn’e have been able to remove the listening devices from the office of Prime Minister,” the MKOTT representative explains. 

The people of Timor-Leste consider Bernard Collaery and Witness K as big heroes in Timor-Leste’s fight for maritime boundary with Australia. As scheduled, at 16.30 (30/08), Timor-Leste and Australia will exchange the diplomatic notes at the front of Palacio do Governo.

“We agree we should sign this note, but we should not forget our big heroes Witness K and Bernard Collaery are facing difficult situation imposed on them by the Australia Government,” MKOTT states.