From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: Infight on Indonesian "Human Rights" conference
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1992 08:29:01 GMT

/** reg.easttimor: 339.0 **/
** Topic: Infight criticises Monash seminar **
** Written 10:21 pm  Dec 17, 1992 by gn:tapol in cdp:reg.easttimor **
Activists criticise Monash seminar
 
The following are extracts from a three-page Open Letter
addressed by activists from Infight, the Indonesian Front for
the Defense of Human Rights, to the Participants of the
Democracy-in-Indonesia 1950/1992 Conference which is being
held this month in Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
The extracts are taken from the English-language original:
 
                     -------------------
 
As far as we are concerned, any activity which involves
discussion of Democracy in Indonesia is of great value....
Precisely because of this concern, it would appear rather
unjust that those invited to attend this Conference have been
drawn from the circle of observers/intellectuals only. Who are
representing the aspirations of the little people?
 
Admittedly we are unsure of who exactly the participants in
this Conference are. However, it is clear from the program we
have received that close to 100% of discussants (particularly
those from Indonesia) are observers/intellectuals. Not one
practitioner whose daily work involves concrete action in the
field has been invited, particularly in the role of
discussant....
 
...in a scholarly program such as this there would be benefits
in listening to the 'field perspective' of someone directly
involved. In Indonesia, this practitioner/theoretician gap has
in practice yet to be bridged.... In theoretical terms, it is
only possible to talk about democratic social reform if there
is an alliance and cooperation between a number of forces
within society who share a common goal....
 
The problem is that since the appearance of the New Order
there has been no significant alliance of opposition forces
within society....
 
Indonesian intellectuals have failed to be outspoken in their
criticism of the government's extra-judicial acts... at the
time of the events of 1965 and after or during the Tanjung
Priok, Talang Sari, Mysterious Killings, Aceh or East Timor
incidents. For many years now, authoritarianism and militarism
have elicited only a theoretical response from a handful of
observers.
 
Following the Dili Incident of 12 November 1991, the
government under pressure from the international community,
formed a National Committee of Investigation to look into the
events surrounding the Incident. Despite the fact that the
credibility and independence of this Commission were highly
doubtful, not one of Indonesia's thousands of intellectuals
demanded that the government form a truly independent body to
look into the circumstances of the slaughter. Legally such a
demand is perfectly justifiable.
 
[The Open Letter quotes at length from the statement released
on Human Rights Day by Pramoedya Ananta Toer. The full
statement has been posted on reg.indonesia.]
 
...To end our letter, we would like to suggest to the seminar
participants that is will be so much better if such a
conference is held not in Australia, Europe or the US but in
Indonesia, by involving all parties with the same concern.
More than that, we need concrete actions. Thank you and have
a successful seminar
 
 
The Open Letter is signed by S. Indro Tjahjono, Saleh
Abdullah, Roem Topattimasang, Setya Dharma and Agus Edy
Santoso.
** End of text from cdp:reg.easttimor **

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