FYI ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2001 7:29 pagi Subject: Aceh Conference on April 28, 2001 at The American University (UPDATE) C O N F E R E N C E O N A C E H POST DIALOGUE OF “JOINT UNDERSTANDING ON HUMANITARIAN PAUSE ” S A T U R D A Y . A P R I L 2 8 . 2 0 0 1 Place : Butler Board Room 6th floor. Butler Pavilion, The American University 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW. Washington, D.C. 20016 USA Time : 08.30 AM - 06.00 PM Registration please send email to : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Updates and further information please visit our website : http://aceh.org/ifa I. CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS International Forum for Aceh (IFA) in conjunction with the Community Action and Social Justice of American University and International NGOs will be organizing a conference on Aceh with the theme: "ACEH POST DIALOGUE OF “JOINT UNDERSTANDING ON HUMANITARIAN PAUSE” on April 28th 2001 at The American University, Washington DC, USA. IFA is a U.S. based non-government and non-profit organization, registered in the State of New York. Foremost among its goals is to bring just and peaceful solution to the conflict in Aceh. II. OBJECTIVE The Conference provides an open forum for addressing the Acehnese demand for freedom from violation of their basic rights, for implementing the rights of self-determination and principles of democracy. It will be the fifth of such conferences organized by IFA in its attempt to introduce the crucial and pressing problem faced by the people of Aceh to the international community. This conference will also aim to develop a joint action plan of advocacy and campaign among those who are concerned about human rights: NGOs, Human Rights Organizations, Students, and individuals. It will cover theoretical, legal and practical questions on the dialogue for justice in Indonesia in general and in Aceh in particular. The dialogue will be addressed from diverse perspectives. III. CONFERENCE PANELS 8.00 AM –9:00 AM : Registration 9.00 AM –9:10 AM : Opening Remark Key Speakers ( 9.10 AM –10:00 AM ) q Ir. Abdullah Puteh, Governor of Aceh (confirmed) Topic: Aceh and Current Problem q DR. Teungku Hasan di-Tiro President of Acheh Sumatra National Liberation Front (confirmed via Dr. Zaini Abdullah) Topic: The Future of Aceh and Solution q Munir SH, Kontras Jakarta (invited) Topic: Justice and Law for Human Rights Defender: Jafar Siddiq Hamzah Case q Poem in Remembrance of IFA Chairman, Jafar Siddiq Hamzah by Tjut Zahara Panel I : Politic, Dialogue and Self-Determination ( 10AM - 12.45 PM ) Moderator: Michael Beer Proposed Speakers q Luisa Chan Boegli, Henry Dunant Center – Geneva (confirmed) q Jacqueline Koch, Journalist/photographer (confirmed) q Karen Brooks (confirmed) q Nasrullah Dahlawi, Monitoring Team of the Joint Committee on Security Matters (confirmed) q Alan Nairm, The Nation (invited) q Drs. Muhammad Nazar, Chairman of SIRA Presidium, Aceh Referendum Information Center (confirmed, SIRA representative) q Drs. Otto Syamsuddin, Chairman of CORDOVA, Acehnese Human Rights NGO (confirmed) q Prof. DR. Nazaruddin Syamsuddin, Professor of University of Indonesia (invited) Lunch ( 12.45 PM - 1.30 PM ) Panel II: Human Rights Perspective ( 1.30 PM - 3.15 PM ) Moderator: Lynn Fredrikson / Jana Mason Proposed Speakers q T. Kumar, Amnesty International (confirmed) q Drs Nurdin A. Rahman, Chairman of RATA, Rehabilitation Action for Torture Victims in Aceh (confirmed) q Dr. Humam Hamid, Chairman of Human Rights Care for Aceh (invited) q Carmel Budiarjo, Chairperson of TAPOL – International NGO Campaigning to expose human rights violations in Indonesia, East Timor, West Papua and Aceh (confirmed) q Sydney Jones, Executive Director Human Rights Watch Asian Division (confirmed) q Hendardi , Chairperson of Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (confirmed) Panel III : Cultural, Religion & Historical Perspective (3.15 PM - 6.00 PM ) Moderator: Jana Mason Proposed Speakers q Dr . Jacqueline A. Siapno, Lecturer, University of Melbourne (invited) q DR. Yusni Sabi MA, Professor of IAIN Arraniry Darussalam Banda Aceh (confirmed) q Constancio Pinto, The North American representative of the National Council of Timorese Resistance (invited) q Octo Mote, West Papua Representative (confirmed) q Prof. Lukman Thaib, Professor of National University of Malaysia (invited) q Radhi Darmansyah, Aceh Student Front for Reform (confirmed) q Representative of Maluku Delegation (confirmed) IV. ANALYSIS Indonesia, a very large archipelago of some 13,000 islands, is the world fourth most populous nation. With 360 tribal and ethno-linguistic groups and more than 700 different languages and dialects, the country is far from homogenous. Aceh, a special territory of Indonesia, located on the western most tip of the archipelago is renowned for its prominent role in the struggle for independence against Dutch colonialism. The post-independence central government acknowledged the crucial contributions of the Acehnese by granting Aceh the status of "special province" with autonomy in matters of religion, education and social customs. In reality, however, Aceh was never permitted to exercise these rights and the majority of Acehnese do not benefit from it. Aceh is one of the most resource-rich provinces in Indonesia, providing to central government with substantial revenues from its oil, natural gas, cement, paper, gold, fertilizer, agricultural produces and other resources, but Aceh is one of the poorest and underdeveloped territory in Indonesia with a very high number of villages living below poverty level. What the Acehnese people receive in return is profoundly unequal to what is taken from their homeland. This stark economic inequality and legal issue when joining Indonesia, among many other factors, is one of the roots of the struggle for independence. Gross violations of human rights have exacerbated the situation resulting in the reaching of the point of no return for most Acehnese as far as Indonesia is concerned. >From 1989 to August 1998, Aceh was designated as a Military Operational Area, nominally to rid the province of the armed Free Aceh Movement (GAM/ASNLF). During that period, thousands of Acehnese civilians were killed, raped, tortured, missing. Thousands of children became orphans. After much pressure from the people of Aceh at every level of society, the Commander-in-Chief of the Indonesian Armed Forces, General Wiranto, formally apologized to the Acehnese people and announced on 8 August 1998 that DOM would be lifted and "non-organic" (those brought it from other regions) troops would be withdrawn from Aceh. However, the violence against civilians still continues to this day. Hundreds are missing and thousands have become refugees because of the political conflict and state violence against Acehnese civilians. Since January last year, hundreds have been killed, arrested and tortured. More than 150 schools as well as many civilian homes, several villages and at least two large towns have been burnt, and public transportation services have also been curtailed. Not a single day pass without innocent civilians being killed. This human tragedy continues to grow and grow in Aceh with perpetrators enjoying impunity. Just in two days: November 7-8, 2000, more than one hundred unarmed Acehnese civilians who merely wanted to attend the first anniversary of the Million People Rally for Referendum (8/11/99), were shot dead by security forces in public buses, cars, while riding motorcycles and upon arriving by small boats in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh. The Indonesian authorities were determined to stop at all costs the repetition of this rally that represents the aspiration of the Acehnese people for the right of self-determination via democratic processes. Many participants were even shot dead on their return from the event. Currently, the violence in Aceh has indeed intensified. Gross human rights violations continue even though the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) have signed a "Joint Understanding on Humanitarian Pause Agreement" mediated by the Henry Dunant Center, a Swiss based NGO, seven months ago in Geneva. Over four hundred people have been killed since the agreement was signed. In the last two years, over three hundred and fifty political and human rights activist have been murdered or have simply disappeared. The killing list includes our own Jafar Siddiq Hamzah, chairman of International Forum for Aceh. Given Indonesian's current problems, military approach in handling the social tension in Aceh and the complex history of this land, a new perspective in the troubled land has emerged, in that the majority of Acehnese people are now more determined than ever to demand for the rights of self-determination through a referendum in order to decide their future. Some sectors of the society have in fact called openly for independence from Indonesia, while a clear majority, as shown by a recent census organized by a coalition of students organizations and NGOs has declared their preference for a referendum as a fair solution. This perspective demands serious attention from the various sectors of the international community, in order to mutually seek a peaceful, democratic and durable solution to the prolonged conflict that have taken and are still taking so many innocent lives. Due to the problems cited above, we propose to organize an international conference for justice in Aceh. The conference is deemed an urgent dialogue in order to end the continuous and growing escalations of violence and the worsening ofgross human rights abuses in Aceh. Spring 2001 Conference Coordinators Suraiya IT International Forum for Aceh Phone 1 (2 6 7) 2 5 7 – 7 8 3 5 Fax 1 (7 1 8) 3 3 5 – 0 0 0 1 1 (7 1 8) 2 7 8 – 0 5 8 1 E-mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] ...........Menuju Indonesia yang Demokratis dan Berkeadilan............ Untuk bergabung atau keluar dari Milis, silakan anda lakukan sendiri Bergabung: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Keluar: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ->Cake, parcel lebaran & bunga2 natal? Di sini, http://www.indokado.com<--
