Pickets, vigils, hunger strikes, press conferences, petitions and protest letters were organised around the world on October 28, the International Day of Protest for Human Rights and Democracy in Indonesia called by Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor (ASIET).
In Bandung, the capital of West Java in Indonesia, activists from SMID, in alliance with the usually quiescent Islamic Students Union, and the Indonesian Nationalist Students Movement, held an action. One of the central issues was the repression against the Indonesian People's Democratic Party (PRD).
Printed below are just some of the reports ASIET received from Australia and around the world about the activities.
Australia
In Australia, more than 10,000 people have signed petitions calling for the release of Budiman Sujatmiko, Dita Sari, Muchtar Pakpahan and all political prisoners in Indonesia. Hunger strikes took place in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. Pickets and speak-outs took place in Newcastle and Hobart on October 28, and in the preceding days in Perth and Darwin.
In Sydney, speakers from 12 organisations addressed an ASIET solidarity meeting of 150 people at the Uniting Church chapel in the city. They included representatives of FRETILIN, the Turkish community, the Burmese students' union, Amnesty International, Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Watch Committee, and the National Union of Students (NSW). Aid to Ireland and the Vickery Lodge of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Engineering Union sent messages. Sonny Melencio, representing the Philippines Worker Solidarity trade union also addressed the meeting. The United Secondary Students Union announcing that their own 24-hour hunger strike had raised almost $1000 in sponsorships.
Following the public meeting, ASIET activists set up a hunger strikers' tent outside the Indonesian consulate, later handing over a protest letter. Mr Rober Copmbe, assistant state secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia also visited the hunger strikers to convey his union's solidarity. A campaign stall was held in the city mall later that day to end the hunger strike, where hundreds more people signed the protest petition.
Twenty young people went on a 24-hour hunger strike in Melbourne and around 100 people joined the symbolic march to Garuda [Airlines]. Over $1000 was raised during the hunger strike from sponsorships and donations. A hunger strike tent was set up with banners saying "24hr Youth Hunger Strike", "International Campaign — Free Indonesia's Political Prisoners", "Democracy in Indonesia — ASIET — Release all Political Prisoners! — Free Dita Sari and Muchtar Pakpahan! — End Harassment of the PRD!" The activists also painted a banner while in the mall reading "Prisoners of the Suharto Regime" and then listed all the jailed PRD members. Blown up larger than life was a two dimensional cardboard Suharto sitting in a throne with a sash across his chest saying "Suharto the Butcher". He was on display for most of the day and then burnt during the rally.
In Adelaide, a 24-hour hunger strike and picket was held outside the Indonesian consulate by Resistance and ASIET activists. A banner was painted with the slogan "No Justice, No Peace — Free the Indonesian Political Prisoners". Some 30 people were at the presentation of a statement of concern to the Indonesian consul, which was followed by a number of speakers. Maung Maung Naing, Australian representative for the All Burma Students League (India and Thailand) spoke of the similarities between Burma and Indonesia, and the determination of the peoples from both nations in their struggle for democracy. Spirited actions also took place in Brisbane, Hobart and Wollongong, with more than $1000 raised on the day. In Newcastle, a 24-hour vigil was held in the city centre.
The Netherlands
We, from the GPDI (the Movement for Support of Democratisation in Indonesia), the LCKW, the SAP (Socialist Workers Party), Aksi Setiakawan, Workgroup Purnama, the YTI (Indonesian Tragedy Foundation) and other organisations in the Netherlands, held a protest action in the centre of Amsterdam.
Fifteen activists participated a 24-hour hunger strike, with supporters collecting signatures for a national petition. This was handed to the Indonesian embassy in the Hague on Tuesday the 29th. We set up a big tent in the middle of a well-known square in the centre of Amsterdam. Outside the tent we hung big posters with slogans such as: "Support the democratic movement in Indonesia", "Stop the double function of the army", "Ban the 5 anti-democratic political laws from 1985", "Stop military cooperation with Indonesia", "Boycott Suharto", etc.
During the event many people from different kinds of organisations participated, resulting in different discussions about issues which are similar to the issue of Indonesia and East Timor, like the situation of the Mexican Indians, the Chiapas, the situation in Kurdistan, Iran, the Philippines. In Den Haag, people tried to deliver a petition signed by 1000 people without success. The embassy was as closed as always; personnel were peeking behind curtains, but nobody came out. Not a surprise: the same morning a petition signed by 30,000 people, collected by trade unions, was ignored as well.
India
Representatives of the All India Students Association and the All India Council of Trade Unions spoke at a picket of the Indonesian embassy in New Delhi. The embassy allowed a delegation to enter, but refused to accept a petition demanding release of political prisoners. Also addressing the rally was Nico Warouw from the PRD and Michael Tardiff from ASIET. About 50 people kept up the chant "Suharto regime, down, down, down!" for several hours before moving to Jawaharalal Nehru University for a seminar on the democracy movement.
United States
In San Francisco, Global Exchange held a demonstration outside the Clinton/Gore headquarters with about 50 people. We dressed up as rich businessmen, with bags and bags of money, and a check for $500,000 to President Clinton to buy democracy for Indonesia and East Timor ($25,000 more than the Riadys gave to buy repression). In the afternoon, a group of local business people met with the Consul General of Indonesia and other officials to discuss concerns over the jailing of labor leaders and the lack of the freedom of association.
In New York City, about 40 people picketed the Indonesian Mission to the United Nations. They demanded freedom for all Indonesian political prisoners, no sale of US F-16s to the Suharto regime, or other US military aid; self-determination for East Timor, and support for Indonesian workers organising unions and fighting for a living wage. A leaflet entitled "After 30 years of fascist terror ... Indonesian Workers Rise Again" highlighted the cases of Dita Sari and Muchtar Pakpahan, and the rise of fighting independent trade unions amid conditions of enormous state repression and exploitation by companies like Nike and Reebok.
Sweden
In Stockholm, at the central square "Norrmalmstorg", the Swedish East Timor Committee organised a demonstration against the Indonesian dictatorship. More than 40 participants and many people passing by listened to Ann Larsson, chairman of the committee, who told the audience about other activities around the world and introduced the speakers. Short speeches in support of the Indonesian pro-democracy movement and condemning the Suharto dictatorship's human rights abuses were given by Anita Klum, general secretary of the Swedish section of Amnesty International; and members of parliament Eva Goes (the Green Party), Lena Klevens (Social Democrat), Margareta Wiklund (Christian Democrat), Lennart Rohdin (Liberal), Ingbritt Irhammar (Centre Party), and Eva Zetterberg (the Left Party).
In Gothenburg, the local East Timor Committee, together with several peace organisations, organised a demonstration in "Brunnsparken".
Canada
Ten people participated in a 24-hour fast and vigil outside the consulate; made up of representatives of various labour, church and women's organisations. The Canadian Labour Congress sent a representative, and the United Steelworkers of America sent a fax of support. Interfaith Witness for Social Justice sent several participants. The Toronto Network of Engaged Buddhists was also present, as was one person from the War Resisters' International Women's Working Group.
France
The following are excerpts from a letter by 16 French organisations to President Suharto on the occasion of the International Day of Protest for Human Rights and Democracy in Indonesia.
Paris
25 October 1996
Dear Mr President,
The attribution of the Nobel Peace Prize to Monsignor Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo and to Jose Ramos Horta "for their work toward a just and peaceful solution to the conflict in East Timor" with the hope "that this award will spur efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict in East Timor based on the people's right to self-determination" has focused the attention of the world on Indonesia.
At the same time, the international community was shocked by the recently published conclusions of the National Human Rights Commission (KOMNAS HAM) clearly implicating the Indonesian government in the July 27 assault on the headquarters of the PDI in Jakarta, where five people died. International opinion is having great difficulty understanding why your government treats such important matters as the persistent problem of Indonesian involvement in East Timor or the popular demand for freedom of political or trade-union association with consistently brutal over-reaction and an apparently unbending intent to stifle and even destroy dissent.
In the light of these events, we in France are writing to express our dismay over the way your government has manoeuvred for the removal of the legitimate leader of the PDI, Mme Megawati Sukarnoputri; has engineered the military assault on her organisation's headquarters, and has used the subsequent events as a pretext for the arrest of what it sees as opponents.
We wish here and now to express our grave concern over the fate of Mr Muchtar Pakpahan (chairperson of the trade union SBSI), of Miss Dita Sari (chairperson of the trade union PPBI) and of the activists of the PRD currently under arrest. All told, 124 persons are being brought to trial starting on October 8 in connection with the events in Jakarta on July 27 and 28. Their defence lawyers, members of the YBLHI, are being intimidated by your government, in particular Bambang Widjojanto and Nasiruddin Pasigai. Even Megawati Sukarnoputri's own lawyer, RO Tambunan, is being harassed.
We, hereby, urge your administration to immediately :
Pursue the recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission's report on the July 27 raid on PDI headquarters and of the events that followed.
Furnish a list of those still missing and information on their whereabouts.
Provide a fair and impartial trial, consistent with international standards, for those arrested, of whom 24 risk the death penalty under Anti-Subversion Law, a law which should be repealed.
Guarantee that lawyers and other human rights defenders in Indonesia will not be subject to harassment and intimidation, and that any current charges against them be dropped.
ASTO (Association de Solidariti avec Timor Oriental), France Libertis (Fondation Danielle Mitterrand), CCFD (Comiti Catholique contre la Faim et pour Diveloppement), Amnesty International — France, CGT, (Confidiration Ginirale du Travail) and 11 other organisations.