(by way of maggie@web.net (Maggie Helwig))CAFIET HOSTS INDONESIAN AND EAST TIMORESE DISSIDENTS
Canadian Action for Indonesia and East Timor (CAFIET) hosted a visit
this past weekend by two prominent Indonesian and East Timorese dissidents.
Yeni Damayanti is a women's activist with Solidamor, a Jakarta based
solidarity group. Yeni was imprisoned for her pro-democracy activities.
Fernando de Araujo is an East Timorese student who was also imprisoned along
with resistance leader Xanana Gusmao. Yeni and Fernando visited Toronto
during their only Canadian stop on a North American tour organized by Global
Exchange. They spoke on Saturday at the University of Toronto at an event
sponsored by CAFIET and Global Exchange.
Fernando urged Canadians to press our government to change its
policy viz-a-viz East Timor. (Canada has welcomed Habibie's autonomy
proposal but refused a request recently from Jose Ramos Horta to support the
right of self-determination in East Timor). He also urged Canadians to
press for the release of East Timorese leader Xanana Gusmao.
Fernando spoke of the strong mood of national reconciliation in East
Timor since Suharto's departure and rejected suggestions by Indonesia that
internal conflict could lead to civil war. He cited recent calls by East
Timorese leaders that youth should remain in the country as an example of a
cohesive society.
Yeni spoke about the "constitutional dictatorship" which remains in
Indonesia in the post Suharto era. The Indonesian army still appoints 75 of
the 400 members of the Upper Parliament, and military leaders hold key
ministries in the government and civil society under the system of "dual
functions". Many of the military leaders responsible for past atrocities
are still in key government positions operating with complete impunity.
Yeni called on all governments to condition aid to Indonesia based
on real progress in the area of demilitarization. She also called on
journalists to be more sophisticated when reporting on "ethnic conflict" in
Indonesia since it is often the military posing as civilians who are
responsible for inciting violence. Yeni went one step further to suggest
that the threat of ethnic conflict in Indonesia is being used by the
authorities to justify a continuation of the system of military control in
place under Suharto.
Yeni and Fernando are now on their way to Arizona before returning
to San Francisco, where they will finish their North American tour.
CAFIET will hold a vigil on November 12, the 7th anniversary of the
Dili Massacre, at the Indonesian Consulate in Toronto.
Tony P Wohlfarth
Canadian Auto Workers' Research Department
Departemente de Recherche, TCA-Canada
Departamento de Investigacion, Trabajadores Automotrices de Canada
205 Placer Court
NORTH YORK, Ontario
Canada M2H 3H9
E-mail tw@web.net
Home Page http://www.caw.ca
FAX 416 495 6552
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Source APC Newsgroup: act.indonesia