To All Living Things
Last Week's Column

Amnesty Action:
Fear of Torture and Ill-Treatment in East Timor
by Kathy Gay

his week’s action from Amnesty International concerns the arrest and continued detention of 24 young people in East Timor after a demonstration a little over a week ago.

The demonstration in Dili, the capital of East Timor, took place on March 23 outside the hotel where an official representative from the United Nations was staying during a 3-day visit to the country. Approximately 200 youthful demonstrators gathered in the hotel where he was staying, hoping to present him with some documents when he emerged from his room. They carried banners and shouted slogans in support of East Timorese independence. It was a peaceful demonstration.

Police and troops arrived at the hotel and attempted to disperse the crowd. Clashes then broke out between the security forces and the demonstrators. The police admitted firing warning shots and, according to some reports, rubber bullets were used. Security forces allegedly blocked the building’s exits, preventing the demonstrators from leaving. Some demonstrators received cuts as they attempted to escape through broken windows.

Forty-eight demonstrators were arrested at the hotel, and 11 of them, some with wounds resulting from beatings by the security forces, were taken to a military hospital.

The latest reports indicate that 24 individuals were released in the week following the demonstration. The 24 still in custody have been charged with publicly expressing hatred against the government.

Because they are being held under Indonesia’s "Hate-Sowing" Articles, which punish the expression of "hatred" against the government, Amnesty International is concerned that the demonstrators are really being tried for the peaceful expression of their beliefs rather than for any alleged acts of violence during the disturbance. If found guilty of such charges and sent to prison, they would be considered "Prisoners of Conscience" by Amnesty. The organization is also concerned that they may not have been given access to independent legal counsel.

Background Information

Arbitrary arrests of individuals opposed to the Indonesian occupation of East Timor, including those engaged in peaceful expressions of opposition, are common in East Timor. Indonesian authorities consider demonstrations -- even peaceful ones -- against the integration of East Timor with Indonesia to be a major source of embarrassment to their government. As a result, East Timorese who have participated in such demonstrations have been arrested and sentenced to prison terms. Those who have engaged in demonstrations in front of foreign delegations, including U.N. political or human rights representatives, have also been arrested.

East Timorese in the custody of police or the military are at risk of torture or ill-treatment, particularly if they are denied access to independent legal representation.

For more background information on the human rights situation in East Timor, please see the following previous Amnesty actions on East Timor presented at VegSource:

www.vegsource.com/articles/kathy2a.htm

www.vegsource.com/articles/kathy7.htm

www.vegsource.com/articles/kathy12.htm

How you can help

Please send a letter to Indonesia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs as soon as possible, but no later than April 23, 1997. You may use the sample letter linked below or use it as a model to write your own letter. If you choose to use the sample letter, please cut off or delete all website information at the very top of the letter. If you choose to write your own letter, make sure that it is politely worded and non-partisan (i.e., not used as a vehicle for political expression). Care must be taken to ensure that nothing is written that will cause harm to any of the individuals who have been detained. Be sure to include both your name and address, as well as the date, on the letter.

U.S. airmail postage to Indonesia is 60 cents.

Questions?

If you have any questions, just post a message to me (Kathy Gay) at the Pub, and I will respond as soon as I can. I greatly appreciate your interest and support.

To see the sample letter for this action, click here.

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Kathy Gay is a vegan, and has been a member of Amnesty International for nearly 10 years, where she has worked on numerous campaigns. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and is a business analyst for a leading California bank.

Kathy's column, To All Living Things, is a regular feature of VegSource On-Line Magazine.