NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #20/NN_1992_20.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/6348

Text File | 1992-09-07 | 8.8 KB | 167 lines

Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
Path: sparky!uunet!wupost!mont!pencil.cs.missouri.edu!rich
From: [e-mail] (Rich Winkel)
Subject: ETAN Takes Action on East Timor
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: [e-mail]
Sender: [e-mail]
Nntp-Posting-Host: pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 21:42:54 GMT
Approved: [e-mail]
Lines: 152

/** reg.easttimor: 351.0 **/
** Topic: ETAN Takes Action on Timor **
** Written  6:26 am  Sep  6, 1992 by fbp in cdp:reg.easttimor **
To appear in  the Portuguese American journal.

ETAN Takes Action on East Timor

by John M. Miller

John M. Miller is Director of the Foreign Bases Project and a
member of the East Timor Action Network.

     When the Indonesian military opened fire on an unarmed
funeral procession in Dili, East Timor, it assumed that any
outside condemnation would soon whither. But the November 12
massacre, in which up to 200 people were killed, was witnessed by
western journalists, and their reports provoked a reaction that
has yet to die down. Soon after the massacre, the East Timor
Action Network (ETAN) was formed to change U.S. government
policies that support Indonesia's aggression against its small
neighbor.
     Before founding ETAN, Charles Scheiner had long been active
in support of self- determination for the peoples of the Pacific.
Soon after the Dili massacre, answered messages put up by Richard
Koch on several computer bulletin boards. From the responses came
ETAN, an organization that encompasses concerned groups and
individuals.
     "There was a vacuum in this country," says Scheiner, now
national coordinator of ETAN. "Nobody was doing broad-based,
grassroots organizing against the Indonesian occupation and
genocide in East Timor. The media exposure and public outcry over
the Santa Cruz massacre last November 12 was an opening to raise
peoples awareness and activism to one of the worst ongoing crimes
in today's world."
     Changing U.S. policy is key to the effort to end Indonesia's
occupation, says Scheiner.  "We knew that the U.S. government was
Indonesia's prime weapons supplier and diplomatic supporter."
     Since last November, ETAN's mailing list has grown to over
400 activists in 27 states.  Local groups have formed in Rhode
Island, Boston, New York City, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Washington
(DC), Seattle, San Francisco and southwestern states, with more in
the works.  ETAN helps individuals and local groups by providing
printed resources, speakers, information, videos, and
encouragement.
     Lorne Rider of ETAN/RI calls ETAN's national network "vital."
Without it "we would feel totally isolated. It is hard to fight
Goliath, if you are not even David, but only David's hand."
Communication by computer networks has been especially valuable,
Rider adds. By using electronic mail and other means, ETAN shares
information and spreads action alerts.
     ETAN members are lobbying for passage of H.R. 5176, the bill
that would impose comprehensive aid, trade and arms sales
sanctions until Jakarta withdraws from East Timor, respects human
rights in the territory and allows UN-supervised referendum.
Recently, the House unanimously decided to cut military training
funds, known as IMET, for Indonesia from the foreign aid bill.
Journalist Allan Nairn, a witness to the November 12 massacre,
calls removal of the training funds ETAN's "first major victory."
The group wants to see H.R. 5176 adopted as a whole or relevant
parts added as amendments to other legislation
     ETAN gets its message across in a variety of ways. Since its
founding it has organized or assisted a number of community and
university forums. Events have been held in New York City, Harvard
University, Lehigh University, Los Angeles and elsewhere.
     On December 10, 1991, Human Rights Day, ETAN members handed
out leaflets at the Indonesian Mission to the United Nations in
the first of a number of demonstrations ETAN has initiated or
organized. In February, Indonesia's Foreign Minister Ali Alatas
was picketed as he spoke at the National Press Club in Washington,
DC. In Los Angeles, an Indonesian trade and tourism promotion was
leafleted.
     In March, ETAN organized protests at Indonesian diplomatic
office in New York, Washington, and Los Angeles as part of
worldwide protests against Indonesian trials of Timorese
activists. These demonstrations were coordinated with similar
events held in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Portugal, Japan,
France, the Netherlands, Great Britain and elsewhere.
     International coordination is invaluable, says Scheiner. "We
have a lot we can learn from each other and resources we can
share. An international network can pressure government officials
and the Indonesian government from many directions." In February,
ETAN was represented  in Geneva at the annual Consultation of East
Timor Solidarity Groups.  The first time in years that a US group
had participated. More recently, ETAN hosted a reception for
people testifying before the United Nations committee on
decolonization in New York.
     At the local level, ETAN activists and chapters have
accomplished much in a short period of time.  In New Jersey,
Richard Koch has gathered a series of endorsements of HR 5176 from
a wide range of organizations including the statewide chapters of
peace organizations like SANE/FREEZE, Veterans for Peace and Pax
Christi. The New Jersey League of Women Voters, the Peace and
Justice Commission of Newark Archdiocese of the Catholic Church,
and the Social Concerns Office of Trenton Diocese of the Catholic
Church have also endorsed. The New Jersey Portuguese-American
Congress is active on the issue, as are a number of local Amnesty
International chapters.
     Founded  by students at Brown University, with the support of
Dean Targen, shortly after the Santa Cruz massacre , ETAN's Rhode
Island chapter  remains campus based.  Students and leaders of the
Portuguese-American community met with Senator Pell in January,
and several Brown students participated in the voyage of the
Lusitania Expresso, the boat that was turned back by the
Indonesian navy when it attempted to sail to East Timor.  Brown
student Rider spoke to a program of 1000 people in March shortly
after the voyage was aborted. Through the spring, ETAN Rhode
Island members organized letterwriting to congressmembers.
Students lobbied both Rhode Island's legislators and those in
their home towns.
     ETAN's San Francisco chapter is relatively new. Formally
constituted in June, it is trying to arrange a showing on a
Portuguese-American television program of Cold Blood, the British
documentary with eyewitness footage of the Dili massacre.
California has the largest Portuguese-American population of any
state, and  ETAN's Anne Treseder says that mobilizing that
community is a high priority. Over the summer ETAN San Francisco
hosted a visit by Liem Soei Liong of Tapol, the European-based
group that promotes human rights in Indonesia. Bay Area ETAN
activists have also supported the efforts of David Karp, the Mayor
of  San Leandro. Karp wrote the resolution passed by the U.S.
Conference of Mayors, which urged the President and Congress to
take action in support East Timorese self-determination.
     "We've done a lot, but we need to do a lot more," says
Scheiner. Up until now, ETAN has functioned entirely on volunteer
labor and small contributions, but "we need to step our
activities, mobilizing all those that care about peace and justice
to support East Timor." The upcoming debates in the Senate make
this all the more urgent, according to Scheiner.
     While the State Department and other supporters of Indonesia
ignored the debate in the House, efforts to restore IMET funding
are now underway in the Senate. Robert Kasten (R-WI) and Robert
Byrd (D-VA) are being pressured to restore IMET funding. ETAN is
targeting these two senators, as well as Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and
Mark Hatfield (R-OR),  for letters and phone calls urging them to
uphold the House aid cut. All are members of the Senate
Appropriations Committee.
     ETAN is also producing a video to be made available via
satellite for use on cable television. The half-hour show will be
transmitted in late September or available on videotape. (Contact
ETAN for information on how to download the show for local
airing.) ETAN is also planning local events to commemorate the
first anniversary of the November 12 massacre.
     Scheiner says that while there is a growing interest in the
East Timor issue, "with more funds we could reach a lot more
people."
     Contact: East Timor Action Network, P.O. Box 1182, White
Plains, NY 10602; [phone]; fax: [phone]; e-mail:
[e-mail]. Tax-deductible contributions for
educational work can be made payable to WESPAC Foundation/ETAN.
Other contributions should written to Foreign Bases Project/ETAN.
** End of text from cdp:reg.easttimor **