Meeting hears report from Indonesia

Meeting hears report from Indonesia

ADELAIDE — Max Lane, national coordinator of Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor, presented an inspirational account of his recent fact-finding trip to Jakarta to more than 60 activists here on June 11.

Stephen Spence, secretary of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance and president of the United Trades and Labor Council (UTLC), welcomed Lane. Spence expressed concern about the lack of information in "our so-called democracy". He encouraged those present to learn from the struggle in Indonesia and to work harder for democratic rights in Australia.

Lane said that commentators who suggest there will be no more change in Indonesia are indulging in wishful thinking. He described how the movement has far from subsided, citing mass mobilisations throughout the archipelago. He predicted that further actions would occur until genuine change was achieved at the economic, social and political level.

Lane described how Indonesian activists were shocked and dismayed that Labor and Coalition MPs in the Australian parliament had voted against a resolution calling for political prisoners to be freed.

Also last week, the UTLC endorsed a motion put by Tony McHarper from the Public Service Association to free the political prisoners in Indonesia.

From GLW issue 321