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NEWS & LETTERS, November 2004New Acheh awareness
The East Timor Action Network in San Francisco Bay Area hosted a meeting in early October to initiate a support committee for the struggle in Acheh. Cut Zahara Hamzah, sister of slain civil rights champion Jafar Siddiq Hamzah, visited the Bay Area to tell of her province's struggle for independence from Indonesia. * * * My brother was a lawyer and a human rights activist.
While he lived in New York he founded International Forum for Acheh (IFA) whose
agenda is to campaign for human rights, justice and democracy in Acheh and to
investigate human rights cases. This includes ExxonMobil giving facilities to TNI (the
military) troops to conduct operations in the surrounding villages without
caring about the atrocities these troops are committing on innocent villagers.
My brother was trying to organize a conference on Acheh to shine a light on the
impunity afforded the security forces by the state, and the lack of
international pressure on Indonesia to respect human rights and how that gears
the TNI towards genocidal actions in Acheh. When he returned to Acheh he was kidnapped in broad
daylight on Aug. 5, 2000. A month later, on Sept. 2, we found his body wrapped
in barbed wire. Jafar is not the only victim in my family. My uncle and cousin
are also victims. Nor is my family unusual. Over the last 15 years there have
been thousands of victims of kidnappings, torture and murder. In addition to
people killed or disappeared, there are many more refugees, displaced persons,
single parents, widows and orphans. The horrible September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the
U. S. has made the people of this great country, especially New Yorkers, live in
panic and in fear for their safety. The families of the victims live in sorrow
for the loss of their loved ones. We cry with them in our hearts because only
those who have experienced such wanton brutality can fully understand their
pain. The TNI has taken on the role of terrorists in Acheh. The situation in Acheh is getting worse every day. The
civil society in Acheh is subjected to harassment, rapes, kidnappings, torture
and murder. Violence against women is on the increase. Hundreds of women have
been raped. Freedom of expression has been crushed. The military operation bars
foreign journalists from visiting. Acheh has become increasingly isolated
nationally and internationally. --Cut Zahara Hamzah |
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