ISSN #1088-8136

Vol. 11, No. 1
Spring 2005

ETAN Takes A New Name

With great pleasure, ETAN announces our new name — East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN). The change has come after much thought and discussion. Along with the name change, we have revised our mission statement. We will continue to use the acronym ETAN. Our work remains the same - and as vital and necessary as ever.

John M. Miller, ETAN’s Outreach and Media Coordinator, reflected on the changes at hand, "The new name and mission statement more clearly reflect who we are and what we currently do. It is obvious that Indonesian military repression and human rights violations have not been limited to East Timor. While both countries have made progress, we continue to believe that justice for past violations and restrictions on U.S. security assistance to Indonesia are essential to building a just and democratic East Timor and Indonesia."

ETAN’s new mission statement has been updated to include the range of issues which members have consistently worked on in the wake of East Timor’s independence. The work ETAN members were performing in the name of human rights throughout the Indonesian archipelago is now officially under the mandate of the organization. In addition, changes were made which more prominently address newer, East Timor specific topics, such as resource issues and the struggle for a fair maritime boundary between East Timor and Australia.

"We think these changes will bring new energy and resources to ETAN in support of democracy, justice and human rights," said Elizabeth Venable, a member of ETAN’s Executive Committee from Riverside, CA.

ETAN continues to support an international tribunal for war crimes and other human rights violations committed in East Timor and accountability for the U.S. role in supporting the Indonesian military invasion and occupation. We work with East Timorese civil society and NGOs to support democracy, human rights and economic alternatives for East Timor. We regularly bring grassroots perspectives on both East Timor and Indonesia to policymakers, media, academia and many others, serving as an important and credible source of information and analysis.