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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 38, Number 17. July 16, 1973

Fretilin

Fretilin

Fretilin is the 'independence now' party. It was inspired by the African freedom fighters, hence its radical title. Jose Ramos-Horta, its secretary actually spent some time observing Mozambique's Frelimo. The party calls for 'active prevention of neo-colonialism' and of the three parties it has the most popular support. Its strength lies amongst the Timorese workers in the lower levels of the administration in all the major townships. A large measure of political awareness has been spread thru the country by party organisers and as a result Fretilin support in the villages in the interior is very widespread. Fretilin realises the immediate problem facing East Timor is the improvement of agriculture, in which the overwhelming majority of Timorese are engaged, and its general programme for agricultural improvement is the creation of co-operatives. The party hopes that once production co-operatives are off the ground consuption cooperatives for the marketing of goods could be established, thus breaking the present commercial stranglehold of the Chinese it is hoped this will develop to a point where one large co-operative organisation will be able to handle commerce within and outside Timor.

Fretilin is unique among the parties in working in this grassroots way with the immediate concerns of the people. It is planning the introduction of 'barefoot doctors' in an effort to start to overcome the island's enormous health problems, and has started anti-illiteracy classes where adults and children are being taught to read and write Dahs tetum, the main dialect of East Timor. Pupils use a textbook prepared by Timorese students in Lisbon who support Fretilin, its main themes are national unity independence and the ill-effects of Portuguese colonialism.