Indonesia Human Rights Committee
A solidarity organisation which aims to build links between people of New Zealand and Indonesia by distributing information and by organising activities such as letter writing and petition campaigns, meetings, film showings and tours of visiting activists.Our Aims
- To develop solidarity links with the groups in Indonesia who are working for human rights and democracy.
- To foster awareness of Indonesian people's movements, including labour, environmental and pro-democracy groups.
- To maintain a watching brief on NZ Government policy and to lobby against NZ support for repressive forces in Indonesia such as companies that exploit the people and the environment.
- To oppose the resumption of military ties to Indonesia and all NZ defense equipment contracts.
- To actively encourage the NZ Government to support the pro-democracy movement and the human rights movement in Indonesia.
- To push for an effective internationally just war crimes tribunal to try those responsible for East Timor's tragedy.
Background:
"Unity cannot be achieved by repression and coercion."
Human Rights Violations:
West Papua
Under Indonesian rule since 1963 and formally granted to Indonesia under the phony UN supervised "Act of Free Choice" in 1969.Whole villages have been destroyed and an estimated 100,000 have died in an ongoing resistance struggle.
A brief period of "reform" following the downfall of Suharto has been followed by a renewed military and counter-intelligence operation to destroy all pro-independence activities including the raising of the Morning Star flag.
Today over a third of the population of West Papua (2.4 million) are migrants, and West Papuan are socially and culturally marginalised. Yale University researchers say the Indonesian actions "constituted crimes against humanity and could rise to the level of genocide."
"The people of West Papua are struggling to survive as a people and as a nation in the face of 40 years of brutal Indonesian military oppression", says John Rumbiak, a prominent West Papuan human rights advocate.
HIV/AIDS is at epidemic levels - over 11,000 people believed to be living with HIV/AIDS
The West Papuan people from all sectors want their nation to be declared a "Land of Peace", a move they hope will give them space to pursue dialogue with the Indonesian Government about their political future and cultural survival.
IHRC supports the international campaign to call for the United Nations to review its actions at the time of 1969 "Act of 'no' Choice" in which only 1,022 handpicked West Papuans took part. We believe the New Zealand Government should back this campaign as a practical means to uphold the right of the Melanesian West Papuans to their self-determination.
Aceh
Resource-rich Aceh has lived with near constant war since 1976, with the loss of at least 12,000 civilians, of its 4 5 million population. The territory on the northern tip of Sumatra has a long history of militant resistance to the Dutch, who never fully controlled Aceh. The independent minded Acehnese were quickly disillusioned with the Indonesian Republic and its centralised rule.Aceh lost over 200,000 people in the Boxing Day 2004 tsunami and a further 400,000 were left homeless. In August 2005 a ground-breaking peace agreement was signed between GAM (Free Aceh Movement) and the Indonesian Government. Although many troops have been withdrawn and GAM has disarmed the promised genuine self-government is not yet reality.
ExxonMobil operates one of the largest gas fields in the world and has extracted as much as $55 billion from its operations over 34 years. Indonesian military, hired by the company to provide "security" is responsible for gross human rights abuses including murder.
Aceh needs international attention and help - both to rebuild its devastated infrastructure and to ensure that the terms of the August 15 Peace Agreement are fully honoured.
Human Rights Trials:
None of the key architects of the genocide in East Timor has been brought to justice. The Jakarta ad hoc human rights trials acquitted all but two of those brought before it and jailed only one for a brief three months. Indonesia refused to extradite the over 300 people indicted by the UN backed Serious Crimes Tribunal in East Timor. Instead the Generals have gone on to command positions in Aceh and West Papua or been promoted to high positions in the Ministry of Defense. Genuine accountability is a prerequisite for democratic progress in Indonesia. New Zealand supports an International Tribunal and must now campaign strongly for an end impunity for war crimes.New Zealand must also accept its share of responsibility for the East Timor crimes. Over 24 years New Zealand was one of the nations providing crucial diplomatic backing and military training assistance to Indonesia. It is time to pay reparations as recommended by the Timor-Leste Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation.
Democratic Reform?
President Yudhoyono has failed to fulfill promises to crack down on corruption. Former dictator Suharto, who ruled over one of the worst massacres of the twentieth century, is living out his life in ease surrounded by his family who amassed huge wealth under his protection. It remains a serious crime to "insult the President".Indonesia ranks in the top 20 of the world's most corrupt countries.