Indonesian campaigner to attend

Wednesday, June 24, 1992 - 10:00

Indonesian campaigner to attend

By Michael Tardif

Prominent Indonesian political activist Helmi Fauzi will attend the Resistance national conference in Melbourne.

Fauzi is in Australia as a guest of Resistance, the Environmental Youth Alliance (EYA) and Indonesian Solidarity Action (AKSI). He will attend the conference as an observer from the Indonesia National Youth Front, a coalition of grassroots activist groups associated with the Indonesian democracy movement.

Fauzi recently returned from Europe, where he spoke before both the United Nations and the European Parliament. In Geneva, he addressed the UN Human Rights Commission on human rights abuses in his country.

He says his experience in Geneva confirmed the need for a strong solidarity campaign in Australia. "Australian diplomats in the United Nations continually blocked and frustrated any real discussion about human rights abuses in Indonesia, and in particular East Timor.

"Australian industry has many interests in Indonesia, and the Australian government appears more concerned about this than human rights."

From GLW issue 60