Indonesien: Konferenzteilnehmer immer noch in Haft

Dringend! Protestfaxe schicken.

In Jakarta wurde am Freitag (8.6.01) eine internationale Konferenz gegen Globalisierung und deren Folgen fuer Idonesien von der Polizei aufgeloest.

40 Teilnehmer wurden mit vorgehaltener Waffe verhaftet, darunter 32 Auslaender. Denen werden Visaprobleme vorgeworfen. Am Samstagnachmittag befanden sie sich noch immer in Haft.

Kurz nach dem die Verhafteten abgefuehrt wurden waren, wurden die restlichen Teilnehmer der Konferenz, als sie den Versammlungsort verliessen von einem rechts-islamischen Mob angegriffen, vermutlich Mitglieder der kuerzlich gegruendeten antikommunistischen Organisationen.

Mehr Einzelheiten in der angehaengten englischsprachigen Originalnachricht von ASIET (Action in Solidarity with the People of Indonesia and East Timor).

Bitte Protestfaxe so schnell wie moeglich schicken an: Botschaft der Republik Indonesien, Fax: 030 44 73 71 42

Jakarta police attack conference, detain foreign academics and other conference attendees

Dear friends,

Urgent support is needed from all supporters of democratic rights around the world following the June 8 police attack on an Asia Pacific solidarity conference held in Jakarta.

Foreign attendees and Indonesian organisers have been detained without charge following the attack. 24 hours later, 32 people representing 10 countries are still in police custody, including a four-year-old child. Several detainees are suffering from health problems, including high blood pressure, and asthmatics amongst those in detention do not have access to medication.

The conference was organised by the Indonesian Centre for Social Reform and Emancipation (INCREASE) and attended by participants, including several academics from around the world, with a large Australian contingent. The conference provided a forum for discussions on the impact of corporate globalisation upon the developing world, Indonesian society and different sectoral groups.

On June 8, at 2pm Jakarta time, 300 police surrounded the conference venue and 100 armed police stormed the venue and shut down the conference. The police took the 40 participants, including conference organisers and 32 foreign attendees, by truck under arms to the Jakarta Regional Police Headquarters.

Those detained include:

Dr Helen Jarvis - academic at the University of New South Wales; Pip Hinman - National Coordinator ASIET (Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor), who is accompanied by her 4-year-old daughter; Max Lane - Chairperson, Asia Pacific Institute for Democracy and Development, prominent academic and translator (Australia); Pierre Rousset - French representative of the European parliament; Rebecca Conroy - academic in Asia-Pacific issues at Newcastle University; Julia Perkins - teacher at Murdoch University; Eric Toussaint - Belgian member of the Committee for the Cancellation of Third World Debt, and author; There are foreign nationals of 10 different countries in detention.

Following the police's closure of the conference and removal of foreign guests, right-wing Islamic fundamentalist gangs, possibly from the Anti-Communist Alliance, attacked the remaining participants as they were leaving the conference site. Two Indonesian conference attendees were injured, one was hospitalised as a result and required surgery. The timing of this vicious attack raises the possibility of police collusion with the gangs, a re-emergence of the sort of alliance between right wing terror groups and the military that we saw in the Indonesian army's support for the militias in East Timor.

While some of the detained conference participants were released at 2am (Jakarta time), they were asked to report back to the police at 10am the following morning, at which point they were re-detained and are currently being held in the Intelligence section of the Jakarta Regional Police Headquarters. Although the police are claiming that the foreign nationals are being held because of visa irregularities, they have not spoken to any Indonesian immigration officials.

The police have on several occasions reneged on agreements with Embassy officials to release the detainees.

The attack poses some questions:

1. What right did 100 armed police have to invade a conference and detain more than 40 people simply because they suspected visa irregularities?

2. Why did the Indonesian police think it necessary to shut down an academic conference discussing the impact of economic policies on the Indonesian people?

3. Are the Indonesian police openly colluding with, and supporting violence by, right-wing fundamentalist gangs?

At a time when the Indonesian military are attempting to destabalise the democratic gains of the last few years, this blatant disregard for democratic process must be vehemently opposed.

We are asking all supporters of democratic rights to express their condemnation of these attacks through protest faxes and emails to Indonesian diplomatic offices. We also invite people to organise demostrations outside consulates, embassies and offices of Garuda Airways.

The two focuses could be:

1. Demand the immediate release of all detained prisoners, and return of their passports

2. Condemn the Indonesian government's closure of the conference and suppression of democratic discussion.

For more information contact asiet@asiet.org.au.

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