Indonesian human rights lawyer to tour

Indonesian human rights lawyer to tour

A prominent Indonesian human rights lawyer and activist, Dr Buyung Nasution, is to tour Australia September 9-20.

Nasution is chair of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (LBH), the most significant human rights and legal reform body in Indonesia. He has been an outspoken critic of the Suharto regime — being once detained without trial for over a year for his activities.

Nasution co-founded LBH in 1969, drawing on inspiration gained as a legal intern in Australia, where he studied the legal aid system in Sydney and the public defender system in Melbourne. LBH has 200 staff in offices across Indonesia. It handles high profile political cases, labour cases, land disputes and women's rights.

Speaking dates

Canberra: Monday, September 12, 5:30-7:30pm, Old Canberra House, 1 Liversidge St, Acton (entry $30 donation). Contact: John Graham, (06) 251 4615.

Brisbane: Wednesday, September 14, 5:30-7:30pm, Queensland Law Society, 179 Ann St (entry $30 donation). Contact: Tony O'Connor, (07) 875 7440.

Sydney: Thursday, September 15, 7:30pm, Pilgrim Theatre, 262 Pitt St (entry by donation — $10 waged). Friday, September 16 (meeting in Bahasa Indonesia), 7.30pm, Unit 1, Addison Rd Community Centre, 142 Addison Rd, Marrickville (entry by donation). Contact: Brett Evans, (02) 261 4766.

Hobart: Saturday, September 17, 7:30pm, Friends Meeting House, 395 Argyle St, North Hobart. Sunday, September 18, 12 noon (picnic), Waterworks Reserve, South Hobart. Contact: Sieneke Martin, (002) 34 3240.

Melbourne: Monday, September 19, 1:00pm, Medley Theatre, Redmond Barry Bldg, Melbourne University. Monday, September 19, 5:45pm, Law Institute, 470 Bourke St (entry by donation). Contact: Pat Walsh, (03) 417 7505.

LBH is in desperate need of financial support following funding cuts in recent years. Donations can be made to LBH c/- Quaker Service Australia, PO Box 119, North Hobart Tas

7002.

From GLW issue 158