Endorsement in solidarity with Indo

[maungt@xxxxxxxxxx]

Dear friends,
    The following statement is made by the Action in Solidarity with
Indonesia and East Timor (ASIET) which is the main Australia - based
solidarity group campaigning for democracy in Indonesia  . They are
collecting a long list of sponsors who want endorse this statement. If
anyone want to join the list , please contact ASIET directly and give your
name. The endorsement is open to all individual and organization .
MMT

END TIES WITH THE INDONESIAN DICTATORSHIP!
The time has come for the Australian Coalition government to  withdraw all
support for the corrupt New Order regime in Indonesia. Suharto may have
gone, but the foundations of the Suharto dictatorship remain. Foundations
like the constitutional right of the army to intervene in politics and the
outlawing of parties the dictatorship doesn't like.
The overwhelming majority of Indonesians are clearly demonstrating to the
whole world that they do not support this corrupt and brutal regime, whether
headed by Suharto, Habibie or any other member of the elite.  Yet, the
Australian government continues to give it legitimacy by providing
political, military and financial support.
Today, for the first time in its bloody 33-year history, the Indonesian
government faces a grave crisis_its end is in sight. The Indonesian people
are determined to win their democratic, civil and trade union rights. For
this chance to become a reality and more bloodshed avoided, the Howard
government must act now and withdraw its support. It's time for a different
approach in Australian-Indonesian relations. It's time for a fresh start.
Australian governments, both past and present, have long been aware of the
dirty record of the Suharto government.
All the world knows that the dictatorship came to power after a bloodbath in
which at least 500,000 people were slaughtered and tens of thousands more
imprisoned. At least 15,000 were imprisoned without trial for 15 years.
All the world knows that at least 200,000 people have died in East Timor,
either killed by Suharto's military or from starvation, the result of the
war of occupation. All the world knows that more than 200 people were killed
at the Dili massacre on November 12, 1991.
All the world knows about the increasing number of political prisoners in
the 1990s: Xanana Gusmao, Budiman Sujatmiko, Dita Sari, Wilson, Sri Bintang
Pamungkas and Mochtar Pakpahan. More recently, Suharto added new names to
his list_People's Democratic Party (PRD) leaders, Andi Arief, Mugianto, Aan
Rusdianto and Nesar Patria as well as dramatist Ratna Sarumpaet and her
daughter and at least 200 others. Worse still, some of these figures have
"disappeared", with the government and military denying knowledge of the
kidnappings.
All the world knows about the corruption, cronyism and collusion that has
helped Suharto and his cronies turn themselves into billionaire tycoons.
Forbes business magazine estimated Suharto's personal wealth as US$16
billion.
This has been financed by World Bank and IMF-approved loans since 1967, so
that Indonesia now has a total official debt of some US$60 billion. Western
and Japanese banks also dived in, lending crony companies another $40
billion. The current round of IMF loans are aimed at rescuing Suharto and
his cronies and the big multinational corporations in Indonesia.
Now, when the results of bad economic policy, worsened by corruption,
collusion and cronyism are causing economic havoc and the majority of
Indonesians have rejected the regime, the Howard government refuses to break
its ties with Jakarta.
Therefore we, the undersigned, demand that the Australian government stop
supporting the Indonesian regime. In particular, we demand that the
government:
1. Withdraw recognition from the Indonesian government;
2. Refuse any further financial support to the Indonesian government;
3. End all joint military exercises, aid and training with the Indonesian
military while political repression     in  Indonesia and military
occupation in East Timor and West Papua continues;
4. Demand the release of all political prisoners in Indonesia, East Timor
and West Papua;
5. Stop trying to deport East Timorese refugees fleeing Indonesia's illegal
military occupation of East     Timor and grant them long-term residency
visas in Australia;
6. Refuse to recognize any New Order administration, and only restore
support to a government freely     and  democratically chosen by the
Indonesian people; and
7. Freeze any assets that the Suharto family holds in Australia and hold
them in trust until they can be     made available to a democratically
elected Indonesian government.
Statement produced by Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor
(ASIET)
PO Box 458 Broadway NSW 2007.  Phone: 02 9690 1230 Fax: 02 9690 1381
Email: asiet@xxxxxxxxxxxx  Web page: http://www.peg.apc.org/~asiet
Donations to "People's Power Fighting Fund", Commonwealth Bank Account No
2026 1006 0743, will be sent directly to pro-democracy activists in
Indonesia
ACTION IN SOLIDARITY WITH INDONESIA AND EAST TIMOR (ASIET)
P.O. BOX 458, BROADWAY 2007, AUSTRALIA
Tel: 61-02-96901032  Fax: 61-02-6901381
Web Page: http://www.peg.apc.org/~asiet/
Free Xanana, Budiman, Dita Sari, Andi Arief and all political prisoners!
No military ties with Suharto dictatorship!
New elections in Indonesia now! Genuine referendum in East Timor!

Initial signatories (as at 20 May 1998)
Parliamentarians and politicians
Senator Margaret Reynolds  (ALP  Senator and member, Parliamentarians for
Indonesia); Senator Bob Brown (Greens Senator); Jim McClelland  (Former
Labor Minister and SMH columnist); Peg Putt (Tasmanian Green MHA for
Braddon);  Mike Foley (Tasmanian Green MHA for Franklin); Christine Milne
(Tasmanian Green MHA for Lyons); Di Hollister (Tasmanian Green MHA for
Braddon);
International
Renato Constantino Jnr.  (SANLAKAS - Philippines); South African Municipal
Workers Union; Eric Toussaint, president of Committee for the Abolition of
Third World Debt, Belgium; Jipi De Lay, representative of Socialism without
Frontiers, Belgium; Duncan Hall, Centre for Social History, University of
Warwick UK.; Dorotea Wilson, Member of Parliament and member National
Directorate FSLN, Nicaragua; Melanie Vance (Socialist Workers Party,
England);
Political Groups
John Percy (Secretary, Democratic Socialist Party);  Alison Thorne (Freedom
Socialist Party); Sean Healy (Resistance National Coordinator); Peter Riley
(Industrial Workers of the World); Lisa Macdonald  (Editor Green Left
Weekly); Marg Hutton (LeftLinks);
Trade Union Movement
Greg Combet (Assistant National Secretary, Australian Council of Trade
Unions); Alan Matheson (International Officer, Australian Council of Trade
Unions); Leigh Hubbard (Secretary, Victorian Trades Hall Council); Martin
Kingham (President, Victorian Trades Hall Council); Chris White (Secretary,
South Australian United Trades and Labour Council); Michelle Hogan
(Assistant Secretary, South Australian United Trades and Labour Council);
Paul Matters (Secretary, South Coast Labour Council); Jeremy Pyner
(Secretary, ACT Trades and Labour Council); Colin Cooper  (National Vice
President, Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union);  Stephen Spence
(President SA Trades and Labour Council);  James Boyle (Secretary, Northern
NSW Branch, Maritime Union of Australia); Bob Berghout (Secretary, Newcastle
University Branch, National Tertiary Education and Industry Union); Susan
Hopgood (Deputy Federal Secretary, Australian Education Union); Janet Giles
(President, SA Branch, Australian Education Union); Jeff Knight (Secretary,
Queensland Branch, Plumbing Division, Communications, Electrical and
Plumbing Union); Les Crofton (Queensland Branch Secretary, Australian Rail,
Tram & Bus Industry Union); Jenny Eccles (ACT Branch Secretary CPSU); Gaye
Yuille (Branch Executive President, Australian Services Union); Victorian
Branch, Construction Division, Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy
Union; Melanie Sjoberg (Organiser, SA Public Service Association, Dita Sari
Network); Peggy Trompf (Workers Health Centre, Sydney); Stephen Kelly  (NSW
Teachers Federation); Bernard Griffin (Independent Education Union of
Australia); Rod Lambert (WA Trades and Labour Council); C. Cook (Liquor,
Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union);  D. Kemp (Liquor, Hospitality
and Miscellaneous Workers Union); Darryl Smith (Maritime Union of
Australia); Tony Evans (AMWU member); Howard Guilla (NTEU - QLD Division);
Andrew Ferguson (State Secretary, Construction and General Division,
Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union). Lynne Rolley (Federal
Secretary, Independent Education Union of Australia); Graham Roberts
(National President, Australian Workers Union); Dean Mighels (Victorian
State Secretary, Electrical Division, Communications, Electrical and
Plumbing Union of Australia); Fred Moore (Life member, Mining Division,
Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union); Hughie Williams, Secretary
QLD Branch Transport Workers Union; Rod Morrison (Assistant Secretary PSA
SA);
Churches
Ray Richmond (Wayside Chapel);
Academics and jurists
Dr George Aditjondro (Dissident Indonesian academic currently self-exiled;
Lecturer at University of Newcastle); Ed Aspinall (Lecturer, School of
Indonesian and Chinese Studies, University of New South Wales); Anthony
Burke (Department of Political Science, ANU); Elizabeth Biok (International
Commission of Jurists); Peter McGregor (University of Western Sydney);
Malcolm C. Rammage, Q.C; Ian Chalmers (Indonesian Studies and Southeast
Asian Politics department, Murdoch University, WA);  Jamie Doughney
(Victoria University of Technology)
Solidarity groups
Max Lane (National Coordinator, ASIET); Harold Moucho (coordinator FRETILIN
NSW); Zohl de Ishtar  (Women for a Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific);
All Burma Students Democratic Organisation (ABSDO-Australia); Stephen
Langford
(Australia East Timor Association (NSW)); Jill Hickson (Deputy national
coordinator, ASIET; filmmaker Resist!); Pip Hinman (Asia Pacific Women's
Solidarity Network); Mano Navaratnam (Tamil Eelam Women's Front); Campaign
for an Independent East Timor (SA);
Arts community
John Pilger (author and filmmaker); David Bradbury (independent filmmaker
Jabiluka; director Frontline Films); Vince Jones  (jazz musician); Paul
Kelly (singer/songwriter); Bruce Petty (cartoonist); Margret RoadKnight
(singer); Thomas Keneally (writer); Gil Scrine (filmmaker); Eric Aarons
(writer and sculptor)
Community Groups
Win Childs (Politics in the Pub); Rod Hibberd  (Urban environmentalist);
Damien Lawson  (Copwatch  (Victoria)); Gil Appleton
Student and Youth Organisations
Rose Tracey (National President, National Union of Students); Katrina Curry
(Education Officer NUS National); Vanessa Badham (President - NUS NSW);
Damien Cahill (Education Officer NUS NSW); Nick Soudakoff (Education
Vice-President, University of Canberra); Marina Carman (Vice President,
Sydney University SRC); Zanny Begg (Education Officer NUS QLD); Ray Fulcher
(Education Officer, Melbourne University); Kathy O'Driscoll, Deb Woodbridge
(Co-Women's Officers, Southern Cross University Lismore); Brad Cleary
(Education Officer, Southern Cross University Lismore); Ben Playle (United
Nations Youth Association of Australia); Fiona Whittaker (UWA Student
Guild); Phil Harrold (Education Vice-President, Murdoch University Guild of
Students); Tasmania University Student's Representative Council;  Brett
Kuskopf  (Treasurer, Central Queensland University Environment Society);
Linda Kramer (President,  Central Queensland University Environment
Society); Trevor Ackfield; ( Central Queensland University Environment
Society);   Matthew Ryan (Chaplain, Central Queensland University);