International Day of Protest for Indonesia
* Indonesia *INTERNATIONAL ACTIONS in support of the Indonesian democratic movement are developing into one of the widest solidarity actions for many years," writes Max Lane, co-ordinator of Action for Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor (ASIET).
The first major international event in the campaign will be an International Day of Protest for Human Rights and Democracy in Indonesia scheduled for October 28. October 28 is the anniversary of the 1928 Indonesian Youth Congress which helped united Indonesia's youth in its struggle against Dutch colonialism.
"In Australia there are already plans for 24hr hunger strike protests and vigils outside indonesian consulates and Indonesian business houses in all Australia's major cities. Support in Asia
Very strong signs of support are coming from the mass progressive forces in Asia, said Lane, especially the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU). General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, writes "the nightmarish memories of the large-scale slaughter of communists and prog ressive democrats in the Indonesia are still fresh in our minds. The ongoing witch hunt of PRD, PPBI and PDI leaders and activists marks a desperate attempt to nip in the bud a movement which promises to snape up as a great popular resurgence of Left
Philippines Workers Solidarity (BMP) has committed itself to an action campaign in solidarity with the Indonesian workers movement. A press release issued on August 9 states that Indonesian businesses in the Philippines which have connections with the Suharto dictatorship will be targets of the BMP's peaceful protest activities. Companies such as Metro Pacific, the consortium which bought the privatised Fort Bonitacio, is known to have substantial share holdings by members of the Suharto family.".
At one Manila demonstration, BMP leader Sonny Melencio said Indonesia's high growth rates was based on the "blood and sweat of the indonesian workers. We won't let that happen here". The crowd was then asked "Suharto will be coming nere in November to attend the APEC conference. Will we allow him on Filipino soil?". "No" the workers shouted. In a statement read out at the demonstration, Nico Warouw, the overseas representative of Indonesia's Peoples Democratic Party, said that the Philippines working class, student, peasant, and others are fighting against the regime of Ramos, a regime that has the same character as Suharto's.... In the spirit of internationalism, the oppressed people in all countries should fight together and help each other in order to throw away the oppressive and exploitative system."
Soon after the events in Jakarta on July 27, Thai NGOs also sent a protest statement to Jakarta. The statement condemned the Soeharto dictatorships attack on the PDI campaign, the arrest of outspoken labour advocate Mochtar Pakpahan and the campaign targeting the PRD. In Hong Kong, the Asian 16 International Viewpoint
Students Association has organised demonstration outside the Indonesian consulate condemning the crackdown on the PRD and other activists. Support in Europe
"We are also very happy with the response to the ASIE appeal trom Europe, ," said Lane. "The Indonesian community in the Netherlands is already organising the logistics of their hunger strike and has united behind support for the PRD. The Indonesian Tragedy Foundation, headed by author of the epic history of the Indonesian massacres of 1965, Siregar, is helping co-ordinate the actions. The prestigious Wertheim award - named after Hollands prominent Indonesianist scholar, Professor W.F. Wertheim - has been given to Indonesias young labour leader, Dita Sari, now in gaol. It looks like a big event will shape up in Holland on October 28 Other Dutch groups have also sent support to ASIET and will be working with the Indonesian activists."
According to Lane, the party of Democratic Socialism in Germany has also taken up the issue and is campaigning in Germany's trade unions. A meeting of all Left and progressive parties represented in the European Parliament is soon scheduled to discuss the issue and, hopefully, decide on some kind of Europe wide campaign.
The issue will also be raised in the German parliament as soon as it resumes. The active Left Alternative Forum in Budapest in Hungary will also be preparing activities and has endorsed the campaign. The United Left in Spain has also indicated support and the issue has been covered in the major Spanish dailies.
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Email: asiet@peg.apc.org
ASIET
http://www.peg.apc.org/~asiet/
E1 P.O. Box 458, Broadway 2007
Australia, Fax 02-6901381
PRD Overseas Representative, Mr Nico Warouw will be speaking at a number of solidarity events in Europe over the next two months. For further information contact ASIET at the address below. North America.
The ASIET appeal has received over 150 endorsements from North American grass-roots politica and labour organisations, says Lane. Branches of the Green Party, from California, to Massachusetts to New Orleans as well as many activists and branches of the progressive political network, Solidarity have sent in endorsements? * Notes 1. Signed by Campaign for Popular Democracy (CPD); and joined by Union for Civil Liberty (UCL), Co-ordinating Committee of Human Rights Organisations in Thailand (CCHROT), Foundation for Children (FFC), Thammasat University Student Union (TUSU), Student Federation of Thailand (ST), Student Christian Center, Youth Training Program for Social Development (YT), Thai Volunteer Service (TVS), Slum Dwellers' Organisation for Democracy, Labour Congress of Thailand (LCT), Political Economy Study Group, Forum of the Poor, Solidarity Asia, Asian Cultural Forum on Development (ACFOD), and various individuals students' groups, academic, journalist, social workers, NGOs and protessionals in Thailand. 2. Other US messages have come from leaders and activists in labour groups including Jobs with Justice, Washington DC., Communication Workers of America, International Union of Operating Engineers, Washington, DC., Coalition of University Employees, California, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Immigrant Rights Action Network, Nashville Tennessee, American federation of Government Employees, and the Service Employees International Union. Endorsements have also been sent from a range of community and activist organisations, ranging from the National Organisation of Women to Chicano and Pacific Islander migrant support organisations. In Canada, support has come from leaders and activists from the Canadian Auto
Workers Social Justice Fund, British
Columbia Teachers federation, and the Hamilton Coalition against Poverty.