LL:URL: ASIET web page update - May 7, 1999
ASIET WEB PAGE UPDATE - MAY 7, 1999 === ASIET (Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor) has added a new "Resource" page to its World Wide Web site. It includes an extensive, indexed picture gallery, a comprehensive listing of Indonesian acronyms and links to an on-line English- Indonesian Dictionary. This page is intended as a resource for activists supporting the struggle for democracy in Indonesia and the fight for self- determination in East Timor, West Papua and Aceh. To access the page, from the ASIET home page http://www.pegasus.com.au/~asiet/ just click the "Resource" button in the left hand menu. If you find the section useful, we would encourage you to include a link either to the ASIET home page or directly to the Resources page http://www.pegasus.com.au/~asiet/resource.htm in your organisation's web site. In solidarity, James Balowski ASIET Publications and Information Officer. END. ** Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor (ASIET) PO Box 458, Broadway NSW 2007 Australia Phone: 61-(0)2-96901230 Fax : 61-(0)2-96901381 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] WWW : http://www.peg.apc.org/~asiet/ Free Xanana Gusmao, Budiman Sujatmiko and Dita Sari! Free all political prisoners in Indonesia and East Timor! ** -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
LL:DDN: ASIET activities and demands
Letter from Max Lane to East Timorese activists and supporters in Sydney, Australia Dear friends of East Timor, I am writing to you at this time of suffering, crisis and struggle in East Timor to reaffirm the commitment of all the activists of ASIET to campaign in solidarity with the East Timorese people. The recent actions and manoeuvres of the Habibie regime and the Indonesian military and the brutal, cruel and terroristic campaigns of the ABRI backed terror gang militias once again emphasise the necessity of increasing pressure from organised and mobilised public opinion. Habibie was forced to retreat on the question of East Timor last January as a result of the struggle of the East Timorese people and of international solidarity pressure. Now the Indonesian regime and military is trying to take back what has been squeezed out of it. ASIET commits itself to escalating its activities and its support for other groups' activities in support of East Timor. ASIET will be organising weekly and emergency pickets of the Indonesian consulate and the Indonesian Trade Promotion Centre in Sydney and Melbourne and will be organising emergency speak-outs in other cities. ASIET is calling for large FREE EAST TIMOR rallies at the start of all May Day marches and rallies in Australia and for supporters of East Timor to help form big FREE EAST TIMOR contingents in the May Day marches. We would like to work together with CNRT, FRETILIN, UDT and all East Timorese activists and all East Timorese solidarity groups to make these contingents as big as possible. ASIET restates its commitment to help make the International Day of Solidarity with Indonesian and East Timorese Students on May 22 as big as possible. In all these campaigns, ASIET supports the following demands: (1) that the Indonesian armed forces (ABRI) immediately disarm the ABRI-backed terror gangs and withdraw all its forces from East Timor (2) that a United Nations presence be allowed in East Timor to monitor this withdrawal (3) that there be a U.N. supervised referendum on self-determination in East Timor as soon as possible (4) that the Australian government immediately suspend all military ties with Jakarta (5) that the Australian government immediately end its recognition of Indonesian sovereignty over East Timor, which is also the position of the United Nations resolutions We look forward to working with you on making the FREE EAST TIMOR rally and contingent at May Day and the International Day of Solidarity with East Timorese and Indonesian Students as successful as possible. Yours in solidarity, Max Lane, National Coordinator, ASIET ACTION IN SOLIDARITY WITH INDONESIA AND EAST TIMOR (ASIET) P.O. BOX 458, BROADWAY NSW 2007, AUSTRALIA. Telephone: 61-(0)2-96901230 Fax: 61-(0)2-96901381 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Webpage: http://www.peg.apc.org/~asiet Free all kidnap victims of the military! No more military in politics! Bring to justice all New Order violators of human rights! Free Xanana Gusmao! Free Budiman Sujatmiko! Free Dita Sari! Free all political prisoners in Indonesia and East Timor! Unban the books of Pramoedya Ananta Toer! -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
LL:ASIET News Updates - April 20, 1999
ASIET News Updates - April 20, 1999 === * Wiranto: UN troops will be allowed after a decision on the option * Residents raise separatist flags in Aceh * Update on incidents/killings in Timor * Parties push ahead with premature campaigning Wiranto: UN troops will be allowed after a decision on the option = Suara Pembaruan - April 19, 1999 (summary) ABRI commander General Wiranto said that East Timor is still part of Indonesia and that any violations of the law by either side are intolerable. Asked about the entry of UN forces, he said this would happen at the appropriate time, ie when a decision has been taken regarding the option that is being offered. He denied that conditions in Timor were tense and said that everything was under control. The army and the police there were under orders to keep things in order and to prosecute those who break the law. Foreign Minister Ali Alatas that the conflicts were part of a longstanding conflict between the pro- and anti-integration groups and it would not influence the tripartite meeting at the UN later this week. Monday evening Justice Minister is due to meet Timorese leader Xanana Gusmao at his Department when he will ask Xanana to retract his statement regarding war (sic). He denied that Xanana would be returned to prison because this would be a setback, but said he could speak harshly to Xanana. The atmosphere in Dili appears to be calm though all shops are closed and the markets are quiet, while schools are not functioning. The governor presided over a ceremony in which he inaugurated civilian security guards (Pam Swakarsa) for Dili district, which included members of the Aitarak militia. In Becora, pro-independence youth gathered together while many residents evacuated to a safer place. The security forces have been unable to gain control of the area because the roads are blocked by pro-independence groups who want to seek vengance against pro-integration groups. In Dili proper the streets are being patrolled by Brimob. The police chief admitted that his forces were still unable to take charge in some areas because the roads are blocked. Manuel Carrascalao, speaking from Bishop Belo's home said he lamented the violence at his house and the death of his son. Why had they killed him and not me, he said, because I am the one involved in politics. Residents raise separatist flags in Aceh Agence France Presse - April 19, 1999 Lhokseumawe -- Residents Monday raised separatist flags over their homes in several villages of Indonesia's northern Aceh district, a day after the flag figured prominently in a mass rally here, a witness said. In the colorful rally on Sunday hundreds of people including scores of young children paraded through the city's main avenue for several hours, cheered by hundreds of onlookers. "This was the first time ever that the independence flag has been openly displayed," a resident said. "Today [Monday] most homes in the villages in the northern Aceh district are flying the separatist flag," he added The flag has a bright red background contrasting with the white crescent and star symbol trapped between two thick black horizontal stripes. The children in Sunday's parade wore red headbands bearing the same symbol and mounted large flags on the backs of bicycles. "People were overjoyed and welcomed the flying of the flag, widely seen here as a symbol of independence," the source added. A few police officers stood by and largely ignored the yells of some students who demanded a referendum on self-determination, he said. The staunchly Moslem province of Aceh is home to the Free Aceh movement which has fought for an Islamic state in the oil-rich region since the mid-1970s. President B.J. Habibie, in his first visit to the provincial capital Banda Aceh in March, promised an inquiry into human rights violations during the ten years the province was under virtual military control. He said civilian or military offenders would be taken to court. Habibie has brushed aside calls for a referendum on self- determination in Aceh. Separatist sentiment has been strongest in districts where the military conducted heavy-handed operations against rebels for a decade until last year. Discontent at the central government has also been fuelled by complaints that it is exploiting the region's natural resources, including its oil and gas reserves, without little of the profits going to Aceh itself. Update on incidents/killings in Timor = Fortilos - April 16, 1999 [The following summarises a report from Yayasan HAK which was circulated in Bahasa by Fortilos.] 1. With regard to the casualties at Manuel Carrascalao's house, we have spoken by phone to a neighbour who said that yesterday, 17/4, he was able to
LL:DDN:Premiere of new documentary: April 23, 1999
Indonesia in Revolt - Democracy or Death! This film was made in Indonesia and Australia between August 1998 and March 1999 in cooperation with activists from the Indonesian political underground. It tells the story of the 1998 explosion of the Indonesian student movement and its successful struggle to get rid of the dictator Suharto. It also shows how the struggle for full democracy and social justice in Indonesia and freedom in Indonesia is not yet over. Apart from documenting the clashes with Suharto's military and the mobilisations of student, workers and others, the film also lets Indonesian activists speak for themselves to explain what they achieved and how, and what is still yet to come. Workers, students, political leaders of the political underground, writers and journalists all speak of the struggle against Suharto and the unfolding struggle to end militarism and establish social justice. Sydney premiere: 6.30 pm Friday April 23, 1999 (screening 7.00pm) Stanmore Globe Cinema, Parramatta Rd., Stanmore. The film will be introduced by the director, Jill Hickson, director of the 1997 film on the Indonesian undergournd: "There is only one word: RESIST!" $15/$10 (concession) Bookings and prepaid tickets 02-96901977. Tickets also on sale at the door, but it helps ASIET a lot if you prepay early. All profits go to ASIET's solidarity campaigns with the Indonesian and East Timor freedom struggles. ACTION IN SOLIDARITY WITH INDONESIA AND EAST TIMOR (ASIET) P.O. BOX 458, BROADWAY NSW 2007, AUSTRALIA. Telephone: 61-(0)2-96901230 Fax: 61-(0)2-96901381 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Webpage: http://www.peg.apc.org/~asiet Free all kidnap victims of the military! No more military in politics! Bring to justice all New Order violators of human rights! Free Xanana Gusmao! Free Budiman Sujatmiko! Free Dita Sari! Free all political prisoners in Indonesia and East Timor! Unban the books of Pramoedya Ananta Toer! ACTION IN SOLIDARITY WITH INDONESIA AND EAST TIMOR (ASIET) P.O. BOX 458, BROADWAY NSW 2007, AUSTRALIA. Telephone: 61-(0)2-96901230 Fax: 61-(0)2-96901381 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Webpage: http://www.peg.apc.org/~asiet Free all kidnap victims of the military! No more military in politics! Bring to justice all New Order violators of human rights! Free Xanana Gusmao! Free Budiman Sujatmiko! Free Dita Sari! Free all political prisoners in Indonesia and East Timor! Unban the books of Pramoedya Ananta Toer! LL.ND Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
LL:ASIET News Updates - Jan 15, 1999
ASIET News Updates - Jan 15, 1999 = * Australia policy shift on Timor receives mixed response * East Timor stance praised, attacked * Scared Dili refugees refuse to return home - Australia policy shift on Timor receives mixed response === Agence France Presse - January 12, 1999 Sydney -- The Australian government announced Tuesday it will press Indonesia to grant East Timor an act of self-determination in a policy shift which East Timorese activists immediately said does not go far enough. In what Foreign Minister Alexander Downer described as an historic policy shift, Canberra will support a measure of autonomy for the former Portuguese colony annexed by Indonesia following its 1975 invasion, but remnains opposed to independence. East Timorese activists in Australia welcomed the move as a positive step, but said the people of East Timor must be allowed to decide in a referendum if they want limited autonomy or fully-fledged independence. Human rights activist and former Fretilin jungle fighter Jose Gusmao described the policy of supporting self-determination but opposing independence as "a contradiction in terms." Canberra's new position on East Timor follows an internal review of East Timor policy ordered by Downer to take account of the changing political structure of Indonesia where President Suharto was ousted last year. Downer said the policy had received a mixed response from the Indonesian government. "We do want to do what we can to encourage the Indonesian government to come to a successful conclusion in negotiations with a whole range of different parties in East Timor," he told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio. "In the end some sort of act which is going to bring a sense of ownership of the process to the people of East Timor I think is going to be an important conclusion to the process, be that in 10 years time or whatever the period might be." He said there were a variety of competing views on the issue but Canberra believed that a completely independent East Timor would have the potential to fracture Indonesia itself. "And this is a very delicate time now for Indonesia, so we don't want to encourage the fracturing of the Indonesian state." Australian Coalition for a Free East Timor spokesman Andy Alcock said the international community could suspect Australia would assist Indonesia to conduct a bogus act of self determination similar to what occurred in West Papua (now Irian Jaya) in 1969. "Its opposition to independence for East Timor at the same time as it says it is lobbying Indonesia for an act of self determination advertises to the world that the present Australian government is not very committed to democracy, peace and justice in the South-East Asian region either." East Timor stance praised, attacked === Canberra Times - January 13, 1999 Lincoln Wright -- Risking possible friction with Jakarta, the Labor Party has backed a policy of funding an autonomous or independent East Timor using Indonesia's share of the oil and gas revenue from the Timor Gap. Oil analysts have forecast that the annual revenue from the Gap's Bayu-Undan oil and gas field could reach $100 million a year after 2002, revenue Labor sources said could finance an independent East Timor government. Labor's foreign affairs spokesman, Laurie Brereton, raised the stakes yesterday on the Howard's Government's historic announcement that it would support greater autonomy and an act of self-determination for East Timor. After an isolated and controversial 20-year recognition of Indonesia's sovereignty, Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer said the Federal Government had made a significant adjustment to its East Timor policy. The official line on East Timor was now to support a substantial period of autonomy for the troubled province, followed by an act of self-determination that would help to reconcile the conflicting parties. But Mr Downer made it clear that the Australian Government would still prefer that East Timor remained part of Indonesia. He did not specify exactly what "autonomy" would entail, nor explain what method the East Timorese could use to determine their future, but he mentioned 10 years as a possible period of autonomy before a referendum. Unlike the Labor Party, Mr Downer has not called yet for a referendum, and made it clear the Government for now still recognised Indonesia's sovereignty over the province, and independence would be a second-best outcome. Labor's policy is for Indonesia to hold an internationally monitored referendum. A more controversial position is that Labor seems to be strengthening the momentum for formal independence by pushing for the transfer of Indonesia's oil and gas revenue from the Timor Gap to East Timorese groups. This would provide crucial funding and
LL:ASIET News Update 23/12/98
ASIET News Updates - December 23, 1998 == * Aceh in turmoil after sexual harassment by soldier - Waspada * Soliders accused of abducting activists to face trial - AFP * 'Third party' behind bloody Kupang riots - JP * Horta agrees with transition period leading to referendum - Lusa -- Aceh in turmoil after sexual harassment by soldier == Waspada - December 22, 1998 (slightly abridged) Seven government offices were seriously damaged and seven people -- four soldiers and three civilians -- were seriously injured when hundreds of people flooded into Lhokseumawe early Monday morning. The troubles came to a head at around 2.30am following an incident in which a soldier pulled the prayer robe of a young married woman from Dayah Tuha village who was on her way to the mosque for evening prayers. Thousands of people descended on Bayu village, about 15 kms east of Lhokseumawe, the place where the incident occurred. The security forces were unable to hold the huge crowd back. They blocked 15km of the Medan-Banda Aceh highway with electricity poles that were lying by the roadside about to be installed by the PLN, and burnt tyres. Traffic along the highway was blocked for 14 hours and eventually the traffic was re-directed to the road running parallel to the Pipeline of Mobile Oil. The government buildings seriously damaged included the Koramil (military command) command post, a police headquarters, a sub- district office, a village centre, a religious affairs office and the Lhokseumawe district court in Bukit Rasa. The crowds halted all vehicles including public transport and private cars, looking for members of the armed forces. They burned the Honda Accord vehicle of Major Harahap and Rp600,000 in cash belonging to the major who is a senior officer at the Liliwanga military command -- Korem, as he was on his way home with his family. The seriously and lightly wounded included the major and other soldiers, as well as the major's wife. The atmosphere in Lhokseumawe remained very tense throughout Monday. Many shops remained closed and local people stayed home. Few dared to venture out to the mosque for evening prayers. Soliders accused of abducting activists to face trial = Agence France Presse - December 22, 1998 Jakarta -- Eleven members of the Indonesian armed forces will face a military court Wednesday, charged with involvement in the abduction and torture of political activists, a rights group said Tuesday. Munir of the Commission for Victims of Violence told AFP that he learned of the trial date from a subpoena sent by the military prosecutor to a former abductee asked to testify at the trial Wednesday. The 11 suspects, from the elite Kopassus special forces and including seven non-commissioned officers, are suspected of involvement in the abduction and torture of at least 24 activists earlier this year. Three of their superiors, including a son-in-law of former president Suharto, have already received administrative sanctions from the head of the armed forces on the advice of a military council probing the abductions. President B.J. Habibie on Monday pledged that the government will continue with its probe into the extent of the involvement in the abductions of Suharto's son-in-law, Prabowo Subianto, who headed Kopassus at the time of the kidnappings. Prabowo was honorably discharged from the armed forces in August. Two other senior officers of Kopassus were barred at the time from ever holding an operational position in the armed forces. The military says the three senior officers might face court martial if evidence against them emerges during the trial of the 11 soldiers. At least 24 activists were abducted early in the year in the run-up to a general session of the People's Consultative Assembly to elect Suharto for a seventh consecutive term. Nine of the abducted victims have since resurfaced, one has been found dead and 13 are still listed as missing, Munir said. Munir however expressed doubts that much would come out of the current court case, saying that the military court "will not go into the depth of the matter, since the top-level officer giving the order" for the kidnappings was not on trial. 'Third party' behind bloody Kupang riots Jakarta Post - December 21, 1998 Jakarta -- Rights campaigner Benjamin Mangkoedilaga said on Saturday that an investigation into recent unrest in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, revealed that it was not a spontaneous eruption of outrage over earlier unrest in Jakarta. Instead, it was determined that a "third party" masterminded the attacks against mosques and properties of the Muslim community in the predominately Catholic region, Benjamin said in Bandung. The new member of the National Commission on Human Rights
LL:ASIET News Update 22/12/98
ASIET News Updates - December 22, 1998 == * Crowds rally to greet UN envoy in East Timor - AFP * Marker airlifted amid protests at airport - AFP * Mobs pelt churches on eve of Ramadan - AFP * Moslem leader defends meeting with Suharto - AFP -- Crowds rally to greet UN envoy in East Timor Agence France Presse - December 19, 1998 Dili -- More than 1,000 pro-independence residents of East Timor rallied in the capital Dili Saturday, preparing to greet the UN secretary general's special envoy on the territory Jamsheed Marker. Riding on buses, trucks, motorbikes and taxis, the protestors circled through town. They sang songs and called for a peaceful solution for the former Portuguese colony, witnesses said. "Let us protest in peace," "(Indonesian) Soldiers, leave our homeland forever," "Let the UN hear from the people," they yelled. At the governor's office representatives from student groups and the East Timor National Resistance Council met local officials including East Timor military commander Colonel Tono Suratman. The council representatives demanded that Marker stay in Dili. There were rumours that he might hold planned meetings with government, military and church leaders outside the capital for fear that demonstrations could degenerate into riots. Late in the morning Marker was reportedly on his way to Dili from the Indonesian island of Bali where he held a closed-door meeting with the regional military commander overseeing East Timor Friday. He was due to arrive in the neighboring Indonesian provincial capital of Kupang and be taken by military helicopter to Dili. Marker arrived in Indonesia Tuesday for a nine-day visit. He met Wednesday with two top generals, the head of the military intelligence agency and the head of the military's territorial affairs. On Thursday Marker met in Jakarta with jailed East Timorese resistance leader Xanana Gusmao, who has signalled he would accept an Indonesian offer of autonomy as a step towards self- determination. Xanana also pledged his support for continuing UN-sponsored talks to find an autonomy formula for the troubled territory. Marker, whose East Timor visit is due to last for two days, declined to comment on reports of increased Indonesian military activity in several districts of East Timor. He said his mission is "to find a political solution," not "fact-finding." There has been a resurgence of attacks by independence supporters on Indonesian troops, including one on a military outpost in Alas sub-district last month. Reports of alleged military violence, though not confirmed by a visiting International Committee of the Red Cross team, prompted Portugal briefly to suspend the autonomy talks last month. Marker airlifted amid protests at airport = Agence France Presse - December 20, 1998 Dili -- A special envoy of the UN secretary general was airlifted by helicopter from the Komoro airport here Sunday as hundreds of protestors stormed the terminal, witnesses said. Some 500 people, mostly students but also other civilians, some of whom held machetes, stormed the airport and broke through two security cordons as envoy Jamsheed Marker was waiting to board a commercial flight to Denpasar. The protestors were at the head of a column of thousands more who travelled to the airport in a convoy of trucks, buses, cars and motorcycles to see Marker off after a two-day visit here. Marker was driven to a helicopter and flown off as the mob began to break glass windows at the airport and force their way into the VIP lounge. A Merpati Nusantara Airline airplane, which arrived at the airport from Denpasar, Bali, and was to take Marker and other passengers back to Denpasar, only taxied for a few minutes on the runway before taking off again as the mob began to stream into the taxiway. A Merpati official said the airplane headed for Kupang in West Timor and would return later in the day if the security situation allowed it. Military sources the aircraft would return to pickup Marker and other passengers, adding that the UN envoy was taken to the nearby military airbase. But Dili district military commander Lieutenant Colonel Endar told AFP that Marker was flown directly to Kupang and will take another flight there to Denpasar. "The Danrem (the East Timor military commander) ordered for the helicopter to pick Marker and his delegation up and fly them to Kupang," Endar said, refering to Colonel Tono Suratman who heads the East Timor military command. Police and soldiers reinforcement were sent to the airport to disperse the mob and, about 60 minutes later, order had been reestablished there. The mob, "a mixture of students and civilians", had been dispersed and no arrests were made, Endar said. Mobs pelt churches on eve of Ramadan Agence
LL:ASIET News update Dec 15
ASIET news updates - December 15, 1998 == * Tension remains following deadly Bali brawl - AFP * EU backs call for referendum, troop cuts - AP * Rioters to be shot on sight in Java - AFP * Military forges ahead with militia - AFP --- Tension remains following deadly Bali brawl === Agence France Presse - December 13, 1998 Jakarta -- Tension remained high in northern Bali despite heavy security deployed following a brawl among villagers that left three dead and scores injured, reports said Sunday Groups of men armed with traditional weapons remained on guard by the roadside in the Banjar subdistrict in northern Bali on Saturday, after clashes between supporters of two political parties late on Thursday and early on Friday, the Bisnis Indonesia said. Tension remained high despite the deployment of over 700 police in the area, the daily said. Police on Saturday said three people had died and at least 20 others were injured after the brawl that broke out in Cempaga village, some 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of the Bali capital of Denpasar. The brawl opposed supporters of the ruling Golkar party and those of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) faction of opposition leader Megawati Sukarnoputri. The two first victims, both PDI supporters, died when a mob of Golkar supporters in Cempaga attacked a house where seveen PDI fans were visiting a sick colleague late on Thursday. Fifteen people who went to their rescue were then attacked as the fighting continued through to Friday morning. The third victim was Cempaga village head, 40-year-old I Putu Arta, who was attacked and killed in the neighbouring Mlantingan village a few hours later. The village chief was attacked and killed as he passed through Banjar by residents angered by news of the Cempaga attack. The two PDI victims have been buried while the funeral of the village head has been postponed because of the remaining tension, Bisinis Indonesia quoted the head of the Buleleng district police, Lieutenant Colonel Nasser Amir, as saying. Amir could not be immediately contacted on Sunday. The brawl was the last in a series of open conflicts between supporters of Golkar and those of the PDI since the latter held a mass congress in Bali in October. EU backs call for referendum, troop cuts Associated Press - December 12, 1998 Vienna -- In a decision welcomed as a landmark by Portugal, European Union leaders Saturday backed calls for a referendum to decide the fate of East Timor, the former Portuguese colony occupied by Indonesia since 1975. "A definitive solution to the East Timor question will not be possible without free consultation to establish the real will of the East Timorese people," the 15 EU leaders said in statement after their year-end summit. Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama said the statement marked the first time the EU had backed Lisbon's call for the East Timorese to vote on whether to opt for independence or remain under Indonesian rule. Indonesia has resisted such calls for a referendum and maintains thousands of troops to keep order in the half-island territory. The EU statement also urged Indonesia to bring about a "real and substantial reduction" in troop levels and called for the establishment of a permanent UN presence in East Timor. The leaders repeated a demand that Indonesia release jailed Timorese rebel leader Xanana Gusmao, and all political prisoners. Rioters to be shot on sight in Java === Agence France Presse - December 14, 1998 Jakarta -- The head of police in the Indonesian province of Central Java has ordered his forces to shoot rioters on sight after a mob rampage in Solo, a report said here Monday. "I have issued a shoot-on-sight order against rioters in Central Java," police chief Major General Nurfaizi was quoted by the Media Indonesia daily as saying in Solo, Central Java, on Sunday Nurfaizi was speaking a few hours after visiting the site of Sunday's riot that erupted following police efforts to disperse a motorcycle drag race late on Saturday. More than 1,OOO people, mostly youths, resisted police attempts to disperse them, including by firing warning shots, and pelted the police with stones. The Suara Pembaruan evening daily said Sunday at least seven people were injured as the police used clubs to halt the race and disperse onlookers. Police also seized several motorcycles left when their owners fled the scene. The crowd, angered by the beating and the seizure of the motorcycles, began to fight back by pelting the police with stones. It then started to march on Slamet Riyadi street, Solo's main avenue, vandalizing police posts and public telephone booths on their way. Crowds and convoys of motorcycles attempted to attack the regional police headquarters but dispersed after warning
LL:ASIET news updates - November 30
* Suharto 'to drag down' officials - The Australian * Committee agrees to keep old proportional system - JP * Jakarta's answer: keep out - SMH -- Suharto 'to drag down' officials The Australian - November 30, 1998 Jakarta -- Current and former government officials will suffer if Suharto is brought to trial on corruption charges, former Indonesian president Suharto's legal adviser warned at the weekend. In twin statements issued late Saturday on television and in writing, Yohannes Yacob reminded government ministers that should the ousted leader be brought to face court, they could be among the many "dragged down" with him. "We need to point out that the probe if taken to court will also drag down government officials, ex-officials and all the cronies who are also suspected of improper gains through corruption, collusion and nepotism," Mr Yacob said. There was no direct confirmation yesterday from the 77-year-old Mr Suharto, whose Jakarta residence has been the target of repeated student demonstrations since his fall in May, as to whether he had personally authorised Mr Yacob's warning. The statements followed disclosures over the past week that Mr Suharto has 21 billion rupiah ($4.2 million) in domestic bank accounts and that he and his family hold vast tracts of land and assets nationwide. Mr Suharto's successor and protege, President B. J. Habibie, last week authorised the setting up of a new commission to investigate the Suharto wealth and assets. In a television interview, Mr Yacob said Mr Suharto -- who until now has simply been asked to give evidence to the inquiry and not formally charged to appear -- was ready to sit as a suspect in a courtroom. An estimated 20,000 supporters of Indonesia's leading Muslim- backed opposition party crammed into the centre of Jakarta yesterday for the opening of its five-day congress in preparation for national elections within months. Jakarta's answer: keep out == Sydney Morning Herald - November 30, 1998 Bernard Lagan and Louise Williams -- The Government's links to Indonesia were under strong attack last night after Jakarta refused to allow an Australian Government-appointed investigator into East Timor to gather new evidence on military abuses. And the Government's claim of success in getting agreement for an Australian defence attache to monitor military activity in Timor was also criticised as unlikely to clear up allegation of a recent massacre. An inconclusive result could be portrayed by Jakarta as an Australian all-clear. Australia had wanted to send the former head of the National Crime Authority, Mr Tom Sherman, to East Timor to investigate fresh allegations that the Indonesian military had executed five Australian-based journalists in East Timor in 1975. The refusal was confirmed by the Minister for Defence, Mr Moore, who returned at the weekend from talks with the Indonesian President, Mr B.J. Habibie, and the head of the Indonesian armed forces (ABRI), General Wiranto. The Indonesians agreed only to allow Australia's Jakarta-based defence attachi into East Timor tomorrow to investigate allegations of Indonesian troop build-ups and allegations of the further slaughter of civilians. The Australian Embassy in Jakarta confirmed Mr Moore had raised the issue of access to East Timor for Mr Sherman, but Dr. B. J. Habibie had replied: "That would not be possible." Dr Habibie is understood to be unwilling to antagonise the powerful armed forces by attempting to re-open an inquiry into the killings. The new information about the Balibo killings, aired on ABC-TV last month, implicated Indonesia's Minister for Information, Lieutenant-General Muhammad Yunus Yosfiah, who led a special forces unit during the incursion into East Timor in October 1975. Last month, General Yosfiah denied he supervised the killings and, at the same time, the Habibie Government announced it would not re-open the investigation. Mr Sherman found in an earlier inquiry that the newsmen were probably killed accidentally in crossfire between pro- and anti-independence fighters. His conclusion was reached without an attempt to visit Indonesia or East Timor, because permission was considered unlikely under the former Soeharto government. Mr Moore claimed that Australia's defence attachi would be given unlimited access on East Timor this week. Indonesia's refusal to allow Mr Sherman into East Timor and the inadequacy of an inquiry by the defence attachi were condemned last night by politicians, the International Commission of Jurists and by the East Timorese independence activist Mr Jose Ramos Horta. Mr Ramos Horta condemned Mr Moore's show of support for General Wiranto, who is facing harsh criticism for the actions of his troops, including security forces who opened fire on thousands of unarmed students in Jakarta on November 13. "Instead of supporting
ASIET daily news updates - Nov 16
Populist Marines flare army tensions Australian Financial Review - November 16, 1998 Greg Earl, Jakarta -- As a line of Marines suddenly broke formation on the main road to Indonesia's Parliament about 3pm on Saturday, the students pushing down the tollway erupted into cheers of joy. But it was the look of trepidation on the faces of the regular soldiers about 100 metres down the road that hinted at the way tensions within the military are again at the heart of the country's latest unrest. For a country where the army has again turned its guns on its citizens with a ferocity that has stunned foreign observers, the arrival of the maroon-bereted Marines at troublespots around Jakarta is a discordant sight. "Long live the Marines," the crowds shout as the embarrassed-looking young soldiers grin and punch their fists in the air with a tentative revolutionary flourish. They usually arrive without riot control gear, automatic rifles slung nonchalantly behind their backs, and walk casually into crowds that only minutes before had been raging at other wings of military. The Marines took control of the march on the Parliament on Saturday and kept the students separated from the more unpredictable masses. In other parts of the city they sometimes managed to calm looters before they burnt buildings. But with one Marine wounded by gunfire in the centre of Jakarta on Saturday morning, there are concerns that tensions are emerging over their populist role -- or that darker forces are trying to stir up trouble within the military. Security guards in the Senen shopping district told a group of foreign journalists of a second unconfirmed incident where other troops accidentally wounded a Marine later on Saturday. One security guard said about 100 soldiers from the Jakarta command had then hidden in the shopping centre to avoid a raging crowd while Marines eventually restored calm. The Marines have had a populist reputation since they stuck with former President Soekarno in 1965 for longer than the army mainstream and are considered to live closer to the ordinary people. They have since emerged as cool heads during recent unrest and a large group of ex-Marines recently joined the Indonesian Democracy Party headed by Soekarno's daughter, Megawati. The contempt the general public now has for the army mainstream was underlined on Friday as several trucks of Marines arrived after the first deadly clash outside Atmajaya University in the central business district. "Long live the Marines. Kostrad (the elite Strategic Reserve) are PKI (communist)," crowds screamed in a new twist on the military's assertion that all political dissidents are communists. Habibie bows to mobs The Australian - November 16, 1998 Don Greenlees, Jakarta -- Indonesian President B. J. Habibie has conceded for the first time that he may have to speed up presidential elections after mobs angry over the killing of university students by security forces went on a weekend rampage of looting and burning in Jakarta. Under instructions from the Government, police yesterday began to round up a dozen members of a political group accused of inciting the bloody student demonstrations. Among the members of the Barisan Nasional (National Front) organisation are retired generals and prominent academics. Government advisers said those detained would be questioned over their role in orchestrating student demonstrations aimed at disrupting last week's special session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), called to clear the way for mid-1999 elections. Charges may be laid over attempts to "topple the Government". As the toll from wild student demonstrations in Jakarta's central business district on Friday night rose to 12 dead and as many as 200 wounded, Dr Habibie extended an olive branch to his opponents by signalling an earlier leadership transition and promising a dialogue with student leaders. The concession came after the worst violence and riots in the capital since former president Suharto was ousted in May. Dozens of shops and offices were looted and burned by mobs of poor youths roaming through streets in commercial districts of central and north Jakarta on Saturday. After emergency meetings of Cabinet ministers and armed forces commanders, Dr Habibie gave a televised address appealing for calm and warning of a harsh security crackdown to restore law and order. The armed forces and the Jakarta administration advised people to stay off the streets after 10pm. He also backtracked on an earlier electoral timetable of mid-year elections followed by a session of the MPR six months later to choose a new president and vice-president. This scenario would have left Dr Habibie in office at least until January 1, 2000, and drag out the period of uncertainty over the country's leadership. In an interview with CNN, he conceded: "After the elections in May or June -- even one week after that --
LL:DDN: Emergency solidarity picket in Sydney, Australia
ANNOUNCEMENT Picket in solidarity with Indonesian student movement 12noon-2.00pm, Wednesday November 18 Indonesian Consulate, Maroubra Rd., Maroubra Junction. Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Precedence: bulk 15 students and others killed by the troops of President Habibie and General Wiranto. Hundreds injured by rubber bullets fired at close range. KOMPAS daily newspaper described the shooting as "membabi-buta", like blind pigs. Reports now of opposition figures being detained after Habibie ordered army to crackdown. The student movement is demanding: * An end to the role of the military in politics * For Habibie and Wiranto to resign and be held accountable for the killings * For the establishment of a transitional government to organise free elections * For Suharto tgo be tried for corruption and crimes against humanity Come to the picket and show your solidarity with the tens of thousands of Indonesian students putting their life on the line! The picket is being organised by ASIET and Warta Indonesia. ACTION IN SOLIDARITY WITH INDONESIA AND EAST TIMOR (ASIET) P.O. BOX 458, BROADWAY 2007, AUSTRALIA Tel: 61-02-96901032 Fax: 61-02-6901381 Web Page: http://www.peg.apc.org/~asiet/ Free Xanana, Budiman, Dita Sari and all political prisoners! No military ties with Suharto dictatorship! New elections in Indonesia now! Genuine referendum in East Timor! LL.NK
LL:AA: INDONESIA
ACTION IN SOLIDARITY WITH INDONESIA AND EAST TIMOR (ASIET) P.O. BOX 458, BROADWAY NSW 2007, AUSTRALIA. Telephone: 61-(0)2-96901230 Fax: 61-(0)2-96901381 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Webpage: http://www.peg.apc.org/~asiet Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Precedence: bulk ASIET has receeived the following appeal from the Peoples Democratic Party (PRD) Central Leadership Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PRD) Secretariat: Jl. Utan Kayu No. 17 Jakarta, Indonesia CALL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY Blood has been shed in Jakarta. Fighters for democracy have been killed. Habibie and Wiranto must be made accountable. To all in the international community who love democracy, In Indonesia today a wave of peoples struggle, spearheaded by students, has unfolded aiming to win justice and popular sovereignty. We, the Indonesian people, have rejected the Special Session of the Peoples Consultative Assembly (SI-MPR) because this MPR is full of people who are the product of the May 1997 elections which were full of manipulation and cheating as organised by Soeharto's New Order. We, the people of Indonesia, demand the end of the Dual Function of the Armed Forces [the armed forces' role in politics] and the repeal of the 1985 political laws. These are the two greatest obstacles to the establishment of democracy in Indonesia. We the people of Indonesia reject the leadership of Habibie because it has been proved that Habibie is just an agent to continue the dirty politics of the dictator Soeharto. We demand the formation of an Indonesian Peoples Council as a transitional government. To all those in the world community who love humanity and justice, We now hear that 5 university students and one high school student have died [the latest figure is 15] and hundreds have been wounded. Blood has been shed. But we will not retreat until our ideals of justice and social justice have been reached. We call upon all those in the international community who support democracy and oppose oppression to: 1. Carry out protest actions outside Indonesian consulates and embassies around the world 2. Condemn the acts of violence by the Habibie regime which has used the Armed Forces as its killing machine. 3. Bring Soeharto, Habibie and Wiranto before an International Court to face charges against the Indonesian people, in particular, and humanity, in general. 4. To send aid in the form of money, food and medicine to the people of Indonesia who are struggling for democracy. Jakarta, 13 November 1998 Henry Kuok (International Department, PRD) * Please take actions immediately. No more military in politics! Habibie and Wiranto out! Form a transitional government! Bring to justice all New Order violators of human rights! Free Xanana Gusmao! Free Budiman Sujatmiko! Free Dita Sari! Free all political prisoners in Indonesia and East Timor! Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List As vilified, slandered and attacked by One Nation mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
