Upcoming events

Left: On February 1, 2008, ETAN demonstrates at the Indonesian Consulate in New York to call for justice for Suharto's many victims. Right: ETAN's John M. Miller (with bullhorn), calls for the safe return of East Timorese refugees, January 2000 at the Indonesian Consulate in New York. Protests also took place in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston and Washington, DC.

ETAN and other East Timor Support Events Calendar
(Don't see an event in your area - help organize one! See below.) If you would like your event listed send the details to john@etan.org.

New York City * Wisconsin * Washington, DC

New York, NY

From Balibo to Marternus Bere: Justice for East Timor
A talk by Clinton Fernandes

Introduced by John M. Miller, National Coordinator of the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN)

Thursday, February 4, 2010, 7 pm
339 Lafayette St. (at Bleecker St), Manhattan
(Hit buzzer #11; room is on the 3rd Floor at the end of the hall)

for more info contact etan@etan.org, 718-596-7668

Clinton Fernandes is Senior Lecturer in Strategic Studies at the University of New South Wales, Australia. His principal area of research is in International Relations and Strategy. He is a historian of the 24-year occupation of East Timor by Indonesia in its multiple dimensions. Clinton is author of Reluctant Indonesians Australia, Indonesia, and the future of West Papua and Reluctant Saviour: Australia, Indonesia and the Independence of East Timor He has served as Consulting Historian on the Balibo film. He coordinates the Australian Coalition for Justice for East Timor.

Marternus Bere is an indicted former militia leader who was arrested after crossing the border back into Timor-Leste. Timor's leaders released him into Indonesian custody on August 30, the anniversary of Timor's independence referendum. Subsequently, Indonesia brought him back to Indonesian territory.

Madison, WI

The East Timor Action Network/Madison meets at 7:00 PM on the 1st and 3rd Thursday night of each month in Mother Fool's Coffeehouse. Contact: Eric S. Piotrowski, madison@etan.org; (608) 241-2473

Washington, DC

Justice Denied!

East Timor's Struggle for Justice Ten Years After Voting for Independence

Monday, October 5, 7:00pm
at the offices of Friends of the Earth: 1717 Massachusetts Ave NW, Suite #600 (near Dupont Circle)

A Discussion with John M. Miller of the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) and T. Kumar of Amnesty International

On the morning of 6 September, the anniversary of the Suai Church massacre, a few people dressed in black brought flowers and candles to the front of the Indonesian Embassy in Dili, where Maternus Bere is believed to be residing. Over the next two hours, they were joined by more than 100 people, expressing their prayers, sorrow and anger that the government they had believed was independent was violating its own laws and Constitution to satisfy Indonesia's desires. Photo from Lao Hamutuk

In August the people of East Timor celebrated ten years since voting for independence from Indonesia, following a brutal 24-year military occupation. On this historic anniversary, please join us to discuss the continuing Timorese struggle for justice and against impunity for human rights violations.

While calls continue around the world for justice and accountability for Indonesian officials and others indicted for crimes against humanity committed during the occupation, the President of East Timor recently declared that East Timor would not pursue an international tribunal, despite overwhelming demands for justice by the East Timorese. At the same time, East Timor's Prime Minister secretly released Martenus Bere, a militia leader indicted for crimes against humanity into the hands of Indonesian authorities.

Indonesia's brutal quarter-century occupation of East Timor left up to 180,000 dead. In 1999, first to intimidate Timorese against voting for independence and then to punish them for it, the Indonesian military organized a scorched-earth campaign that left at least 1,400 dead and hundreds of thousands of civilians forcibly displaced. Not a single Indonesian official has been held accountable for these crimes.

T. Kumar, Advocacy Director for Asia and the Pacific at Amnesty International, will discuss Amnesty's recent report calling for an international tribunal for East Timor. John M. Miller, National Coordinator of the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network, was in East Timor in August and September and will discuss how justice is viewed by members of Timorese civil society and current organizing for an international tribunal. John participated in the country’s celebration of its historic referendum, including a major conference of Timorese and international solidarity activists committed to organizing for social and economic justice in the millennium’s first nation.

Organized by the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN), Washington, DC.
Questions, please write: craig@etan.org; phone: (631) 721 8011. More info: www.etan.org

See ETAN's Action Alerts section in the for additional actions you can take.

If you want to host a speaker or organize an event contact: John M. Miller (718-596-7668, etan@etan.org) or see ETAN's Speakers Bureau.