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Billy Nesson missing updates????
On KPFA this evening there was a report that Billy Nesson is missing in Aceh, Indonesia.
On KPFA this evening (06-11-03), on Flashpoints, there was a report that Billy Nesson was missing in Aceh, Indonesia. Can we get some reports on this posted here? Anyone?
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The report on Billy disappearing. http://www.flashpoints.net/ June 11, 2003
Billy Nesson is the local activist who took the rap for the thousand of us who tore up tracks at Port Chicago, many years ago, to protest the maiming of Brian Wilson:
http://www.brianwillson.com/evracnwstest.html
Barred from activism by terms of his probation, he instead went to journalism school, then on to Aceh.
http://www.brianwillson.com/evracnwstest.html
Barred from activism by terms of his probation, he instead went to journalism school, then on to Aceh.
Billy is one of the most amazing political organizers I've ever encountered. Damn, I hope this all turns out okay.
aaaarrrrggghhhhh!
please post any updates
please post any updates
aquiesence
complicity
standing room only
talk, talk,
balk, balk,
piss, moan and groan
and then there's guys like Billie
to my friend, and colleague
to his love, shadia
my thoughts, hope and love float out toward you tonight
complicity
standing room only
talk, talk,
balk, balk,
piss, moan and groan
and then there's guys like Billie
to my friend, and colleague
to his love, shadia
my thoughts, hope and love float out toward you tonight
vengeance is called for.
anyone heard anything yet? did search on google, but nothing coming up yet.
has anyone heard anything more about Billie...a true radical and activist lifer unafraid to throw himself on the line...
once again, as in Port Chicago, where is the left on this one?
from above post:
The report on Billy disappearing. http://www.flashpoints.net/ see June 11, 2003
once again, as in Port Chicago, where is the left on this one?
from above post:
The report on Billy disappearing. http://www.flashpoints.net/ see June 11, 2003
My name is Chris Thompson, and I'm a reporter with the East Bay Express. I'm also an old friend of Billy's, although our politics have slightly diverged since we were hanging out in the late '80s and early '90s. I'd like to write a story about Billy, his life, and how he came to the extraordinary circumstances that currently beset him. If anyone would like to talk about Billy, please call me at 510-879-3766, or e-mail me at chris.thompson [at] eastbayexpress.com. Thanks for your help on this.
<although our politics have slightly diverged...>
you think you'd be in the employ of the East Bay Excuse if they hadn't?
my two cents: don't trust Chris Thompson.
90% of his scribblings are nutrient-free exhibitions of his own political vapidity and cynicism. he's been mining his contacts within the radical east bay scene for years, yet, aside from knocking down a few straw-men here and there, he has yet to produce anything that's perceptive or enlightening or the least bit radical.
anything he writes about Billy will be garbage, i'm sure.
you think you'd be in the employ of the East Bay Excuse if they hadn't?
my two cents: don't trust Chris Thompson.
90% of his scribblings are nutrient-free exhibitions of his own political vapidity and cynicism. he's been mining his contacts within the radical east bay scene for years, yet, aside from knocking down a few straw-men here and there, he has yet to produce anything that's perceptive or enlightening or the least bit radical.
anything he writes about Billy will be garbage, i'm sure.
Info on Billie from international news agencies:
"I will come out if the TNI and the Indonesian government guarantee that I can leave the country without being arrested, interrogated or stopped," he told The Jakarta Post by telephone from his hiding place about 30 minutes after the deadline. (Jakarta Post, June 19, 2003)
Brig. Gen. Bambang Darmano: "If you don't want to be shot, tell us your position." (Sydney Morning Herald)
From World News Outlets:
"War in Aceh
AP via Editor & Publisher: American journalist William Nessen on the run with rebels in Aceh province said Wednesday that Indonesia's military wants to detain him on trumped-up charges and possibly shoot him. Nessen defied a military order to surrender to the army by June 14, saying he first needs assurances he will not be jailed.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists has urged President Megawati Sukarnoputri to help Nessen leave Aceh safely. The U.S. Embassy also has appealed to the government to give him safe passage.
"I'm a journalist trying to get a story and I've done nothing wrong," Nessen said by telephone from Aceh. "They have threatened me. They've called me a dog. I've heard the local commanders would love to shoot me. I believe I'm in some danger," he said. Military officials have said they would not harm Nessen but want to question him about his activities with the rebels.
Soldiers fired at him when he tried to cross into a government-controlled area with refugees this month, he said. He has stayed with villagers since then.
http://www.agonist.org/archives/cat_asiapac.html
Ichtaca @ 08:07 PM | TrackBack (0) "
___________
Freelance Photographers
http://www.pdnonline.com/news/archive/052301.html
Shooting The Indonesia Unrest
The near-naked warriors with their painted faces and primitive weapons hark back to an ancient era. But this is no Hollywood set. Instead, they are the Dani tribe in Indonesia, a rarely photographed rural people who are fighting for independence from the Indonesian government.
Freelance journalist and photographer William Nessen didn’t know what to expect when he trekked for more than 10 days to cover the story of indigenous people fighting for independence. He managed to capture stunning images of the warriors in mid-charge and of them assembled for an illegal rally. Those images were published in the San Francisco Chronicle and The Honolulu Advertiser. "Unfortunately, because the illegal flag raising was not reported anywhere else, I was unable to sell any of the photos to Reuters, despite my established credentials as a journalist," Nessen recalls.
The photographs, taken on December 30, were shot using a Fuji MX 2900 digital camera and show the isolated mile-high village of Ilaga in the central highlands of Irian Jaya, the easternmost province of Indonesia. Accompanied by guerrillas fighting for independence, Nessen walked across swampy plains and over mountains. He says: "I don’t think my feet were dry except when I took off my boots at night and warmed my feet near the fire. On the way, we ate and slept among Dani tribes people, many of whom had never seen a Westerner before."
Despite their fierce look, the Dani warriors seemed to enjoy his presence, he notes. "At times, I had to wait until they stopped smiling and laughing to take a shot."
It is these Dani, wielding only bows and arrows, who are now at the center of the resistance to Indonesian rule over the California-sized territory. An estimated 100,000 have been killed by the military during the 39 years since the Dutch turned the territory over to Indonesia. So far, Indonesia has been able to hold on to the province because it has successfully restricted journalists’ access.
"I was able to go there because I publish under a pseudonym and travel on a tourist visa," says Nessen. "Those restrictions make photographs of protests like the ones depicted here particularly urgent. It is a photojournalist’s duty to go to the places that governments and others don’t want the world to see."
_____________________________
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/06/15/1055615680644.html
http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/Weekly2003/06.17.2003/Indonesia.htm
http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/Weekly2003/06.10.2003/Indonesia2.htm
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/030615/1/3bt6q.html
quotes from US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Lugar: http://www.theage.com.au/text/articles/2003/06/17/1055828328699.htm
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailweekly.asp?fileid=20030615.@02
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailweekly.asp?fileid=20030616.@03
http://www.tempo.co.id/news/2003/6/12/1,1,33,uk.html
http://www.tempo.co.id/news/2003/6/17/1,1,4,uk.html
http://www.tempo.co.id/news/2003/6/15/1,1,13,uk.html
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2003/s881758.htm
the Committee to Protect Journalists letter to Indonesian Government:
http://www.cpj.org/protests/03ltrs/Indonesia10june03pl.html
>>CPJ: The Threat is Real!
RE: Mohamad Jamal Killed INDONESIA: Missing cameraman's body found in Aceh
http://www.cpj.org/protests/03ltrs/Indonesia18june03pl.html>>
background info on web:
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/12/06/1038950195475.html
BACK DOOR Newsletter on East Timor:
http://www.tip.net.au/~wildwood/01octarms.htm
Photos by Nessen in Aceh Times:
http://www.achehtimes.com/pu/newsphotos/012003i00.htm
http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/6686f45896f15dbc852567ae00530132/01b54f6c2590455cc1256d4400405940?OpenDocument
With all the international coverage, coupled with the fact that Nessen a contributing reporter to the CHRON, the Chronicle ran a very short piece by Teresa Castle on June 18, front section p.10
"I will come out if the TNI and the Indonesian government guarantee that I can leave the country without being arrested, interrogated or stopped," he told The Jakarta Post by telephone from his hiding place about 30 minutes after the deadline. (Jakarta Post, June 19, 2003)
Brig. Gen. Bambang Darmano: "If you don't want to be shot, tell us your position." (Sydney Morning Herald)
From World News Outlets:
"War in Aceh
AP via Editor & Publisher: American journalist William Nessen on the run with rebels in Aceh province said Wednesday that Indonesia's military wants to detain him on trumped-up charges and possibly shoot him. Nessen defied a military order to surrender to the army by June 14, saying he first needs assurances he will not be jailed.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists has urged President Megawati Sukarnoputri to help Nessen leave Aceh safely. The U.S. Embassy also has appealed to the government to give him safe passage.
"I'm a journalist trying to get a story and I've done nothing wrong," Nessen said by telephone from Aceh. "They have threatened me. They've called me a dog. I've heard the local commanders would love to shoot me. I believe I'm in some danger," he said. Military officials have said they would not harm Nessen but want to question him about his activities with the rebels.
Soldiers fired at him when he tried to cross into a government-controlled area with refugees this month, he said. He has stayed with villagers since then.
http://www.agonist.org/archives/cat_asiapac.html
Ichtaca @ 08:07 PM | TrackBack (0) "
___________
Freelance Photographers
http://www.pdnonline.com/news/archive/052301.html
Shooting The Indonesia Unrest
The near-naked warriors with their painted faces and primitive weapons hark back to an ancient era. But this is no Hollywood set. Instead, they are the Dani tribe in Indonesia, a rarely photographed rural people who are fighting for independence from the Indonesian government.
Freelance journalist and photographer William Nessen didn’t know what to expect when he trekked for more than 10 days to cover the story of indigenous people fighting for independence. He managed to capture stunning images of the warriors in mid-charge and of them assembled for an illegal rally. Those images were published in the San Francisco Chronicle and The Honolulu Advertiser. "Unfortunately, because the illegal flag raising was not reported anywhere else, I was unable to sell any of the photos to Reuters, despite my established credentials as a journalist," Nessen recalls.
The photographs, taken on December 30, were shot using a Fuji MX 2900 digital camera and show the isolated mile-high village of Ilaga in the central highlands of Irian Jaya, the easternmost province of Indonesia. Accompanied by guerrillas fighting for independence, Nessen walked across swampy plains and over mountains. He says: "I don’t think my feet were dry except when I took off my boots at night and warmed my feet near the fire. On the way, we ate and slept among Dani tribes people, many of whom had never seen a Westerner before."
Despite their fierce look, the Dani warriors seemed to enjoy his presence, he notes. "At times, I had to wait until they stopped smiling and laughing to take a shot."
It is these Dani, wielding only bows and arrows, who are now at the center of the resistance to Indonesian rule over the California-sized territory. An estimated 100,000 have been killed by the military during the 39 years since the Dutch turned the territory over to Indonesia. So far, Indonesia has been able to hold on to the province because it has successfully restricted journalists’ access.
"I was able to go there because I publish under a pseudonym and travel on a tourist visa," says Nessen. "Those restrictions make photographs of protests like the ones depicted here particularly urgent. It is a photojournalist’s duty to go to the places that governments and others don’t want the world to see."
_____________________________
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/06/15/1055615680644.html
http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/Weekly2003/06.17.2003/Indonesia.htm
http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/Weekly2003/06.10.2003/Indonesia2.htm
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/030615/1/3bt6q.html
quotes from US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Lugar: http://www.theage.com.au/text/articles/2003/06/17/1055828328699.htm
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailweekly.asp?fileid=20030615.@02
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailweekly.asp?fileid=20030616.@03
http://www.tempo.co.id/news/2003/6/12/1,1,33,uk.html
http://www.tempo.co.id/news/2003/6/17/1,1,4,uk.html
http://www.tempo.co.id/news/2003/6/15/1,1,13,uk.html
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2003/s881758.htm
the Committee to Protect Journalists letter to Indonesian Government:
http://www.cpj.org/protests/03ltrs/Indonesia10june03pl.html
>>CPJ: The Threat is Real!
RE: Mohamad Jamal Killed INDONESIA: Missing cameraman's body found in Aceh
http://www.cpj.org/protests/03ltrs/Indonesia18june03pl.html>>
background info on web:
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/12/06/1038950195475.html
BACK DOOR Newsletter on East Timor:
http://www.tip.net.au/~wildwood/01octarms.htm
Photos by Nessen in Aceh Times:
http://www.achehtimes.com/pu/newsphotos/012003i00.htm
http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/6686f45896f15dbc852567ae00530132/01b54f6c2590455cc1256d4400405940?OpenDocument
With all the international coverage, coupled with the fact that Nessen a contributing reporter to the CHRON, the Chronicle ran a very short piece by Teresa Castle on June 18, front section p.10
18 June 2003
Indonesia uses F-16 jets against separatists
By Matthew Moore
Indonesia Correspondent
Jakarta
6/18/03
The Indonesian military has used two of its US-made F-16 jets as it stepped up its campaign against separatist forces in Aceh, although military officials yesterday denied reports they had bombed or fired on rebel hide-outs.
Two other US-made aircraft, OV-10 Broncos, also were involved in the attacks, although air force spokesman Colonel Iskandar said he could not confirm reports they had fired 16 air-to-ground rockets in the operation.
The use of the F-16s for the first time in the four-week-old offensive came as a senior US senator asked President Megawati Soekarnoputri to help ensure the safety of an American freelance journalist who has been living for five weeks with rebel fighters of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
In a letter to Mrs Megawati, the chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Lugar, said journalist William Nessen had told his staff he believed "he will likely be killed or arrested by your military officials" if he tried to leave the rebels.
The commander of the military operation in Aceh, Brigadier-General Bambang Darmono, spoke to Mr Nessen by phone on Saturday night, assuring him he would not be shot if he left the rebels. But he said he could not comply with Mr Nessen's request that, as a journalist, he not be detained or questioned when he left GAM forces and then tried to leave the country.
Senator Lugar did not address the issue of whether Mr Nessen should be questioned, asking only for his safe passage out of Aceh and Indonesia.
A spokesman for Indonesia's Department of Foreign Affairs, Wahid Supriyadi, said the "TNI will guarantee his safety if he departs from his position, but it's possible he will be questioned".
Mr Nessen has travelled through numerous villages in Aceh with GAM members and witnessed several firefights with Indonesian soldiers. The military is keen to talk to him about what he knows. The police have arrested two alleged GAM supporters who they said were staying in Mr Nessen's Jakarta house while he was with GAM in Aceh.
Indonesian military officials played down their use of F-16 aircraft and said they had been been employed only to scare rebels with the "sonic boom" that comes from flying through the sound barrier.
But a military officer, Captain Mohamed Fajar, was quoted in several major newspapers as saying bombs had been dropped and three of 11 targets had been hit. But yesterday Colonel Iskander said these reports were wrong and there was "no way we would use a bomb because it would create huge damage".
"Besides, F-16s are mainly for shooting targets in the air, it's not effective for targets on the ground," he said.
this article found at http://www.theage.com.au/text/articles/2003/06/17/1055828328699.htm
Indonesia uses F-16 jets against separatists
By Matthew Moore
Indonesia Correspondent
Jakarta
6/18/03
The Indonesian military has used two of its US-made F-16 jets as it stepped up its campaign against separatist forces in Aceh, although military officials yesterday denied reports they had bombed or fired on rebel hide-outs.
Two other US-made aircraft, OV-10 Broncos, also were involved in the attacks, although air force spokesman Colonel Iskandar said he could not confirm reports they had fired 16 air-to-ground rockets in the operation.
The use of the F-16s for the first time in the four-week-old offensive came as a senior US senator asked President Megawati Soekarnoputri to help ensure the safety of an American freelance journalist who has been living for five weeks with rebel fighters of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
In a letter to Mrs Megawati, the chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Lugar, said journalist William Nessen had told his staff he believed "he will likely be killed or arrested by your military officials" if he tried to leave the rebels.
The commander of the military operation in Aceh, Brigadier-General Bambang Darmono, spoke to Mr Nessen by phone on Saturday night, assuring him he would not be shot if he left the rebels. But he said he could not comply with Mr Nessen's request that, as a journalist, he not be detained or questioned when he left GAM forces and then tried to leave the country.
Senator Lugar did not address the issue of whether Mr Nessen should be questioned, asking only for his safe passage out of Aceh and Indonesia.
A spokesman for Indonesia's Department of Foreign Affairs, Wahid Supriyadi, said the "TNI will guarantee his safety if he departs from his position, but it's possible he will be questioned".
Mr Nessen has travelled through numerous villages in Aceh with GAM members and witnessed several firefights with Indonesian soldiers. The military is keen to talk to him about what he knows. The police have arrested two alleged GAM supporters who they said were staying in Mr Nessen's Jakarta house while he was with GAM in Aceh.
Indonesian military officials played down their use of F-16 aircraft and said they had been been employed only to scare rebels with the "sonic boom" that comes from flying through the sound barrier.
But a military officer, Captain Mohamed Fajar, was quoted in several major newspapers as saying bombs had been dropped and three of 11 targets had been hit. But yesterday Colonel Iskander said these reports were wrong and there was "no way we would use a bomb because it would create huge damage".
"Besides, F-16s are mainly for shooting targets in the air, it's not effective for targets on the ground," he said.
this article found at http://www.theage.com.au/text/articles/2003/06/17/1055828328699.htm
Demand End to Military Campaign in Aceh and Justice for East Timor
by repost by friend of Billie Nessen Thursday June 19, 2003 at 01:44 PM
URGENT ACTION: Indonesia Network The Indonesian military (TNI) recently launched a massive military assault on the people of Aceh following the imposition of martial law on May 19. Civilian casualties are mounting rapidly, with village massacres reported. The TNI plans to forcibly relocate as many as 200,000 people to military-supervised camps. Human rights monitors, journalists and nonviolent advocates have been targeted. U.S.-supplied weapons have been used in the assault.
Senate and House Letters Demand End to Military Campaign in Aceh and Justice for East Timor
Call Your Senators and Representatives Today to Sign on to Letters
The Indonesian military (TNI) recently launched a massive military assault on the people of Aceh following the imposition of martial law on May 19. Civilian casualties are mounting rapidly, with village massacres reported. The TNI plans to forcibly relocate as many as 200,000 people to military-supervised camps. Human rights monitors and nonviolent advocates have been targeted. U.S.-supplied weapons have been used in the assault.
The TNI continues to successfully evaded accountability for crimes against humanity committed in East Timor. The final verdict of Indonesia's ad hoc Human Rights Court for East Timor is due July 1, and the prosecutor recently announced he would request an acquittal. As of now, the court has acquitted 12 and convicted five, delivering light sentences.
The House of Representatives and the Senate are each circulating two Dear Colleague letters one on the military assault in Aceh, and the other on justice for East Timor. Call your Representative and Senators today to urge them to sign these letters! The Congressional switchboard number is
202-224-3121. (Please note that those who have signed one or more the letters as of June 17 are listed below .)
Tell Senators to:
Sign the Dear Colleague letter being circulated by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) urging President Bush to convey to Indonesian authorities in the strongest terms possible that the military must respect human rights and ceases attacks and intimidation against civilians under threat as the Indonesian military continues its offensive in Aceh. The letter expresses support for a peaceful strategy to be pursued in the conflict.
Senators should contact Richard Harper at 224-3841 by Monday June 23 to sign on.
Sign the Dear Colleague letter being circulated by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) emphasizing international responsibility for justice for East Timor and urging Secretary of State Powell to support the joint UN-East Timor Serious Crimes Unit (SCU) and Special Panel courts (charged with investigating, prosecuting, and trying serious crimes committed in 1999); the establishment of an international tribunal; and the release of documents requested by East Timor's Commission for Reception, Truth and
Reconciliation. Senators should contact Elizabeth King at 224-4642 by Friday, June 20 to sign on.
Tell Representatives to:
Sign the Dear Colleague letter being circulated by Representatives Tom Lantos (D-CA) and Christopher Smith (R-NJ) expressing deep concern about the Indonesian military campaign in Aceh and major human rights abuses committed against civilians there. The bipartisan letter urges Secretary of State Powell to ask the Indonesian government to end the use of U.S. equipment in Aceh, work toward an immediate ceasefire, and raise the human rights tragedy in Aceh at the United Nations Security Council. To sign on, Representatives should contact Carol Doherty at 202-225-2480 by Monday, June 23.
Sign the Dear Colleague letter being circulated by Representative Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) urging President Bush to respond positively to a request by East Timor's Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation to release U.S. documents to help clarify specific events and especially egregious human rights violations. The letter also encourages the President's active support in extending the mandate of the joint UN-East Timor Serious Crimes Unit and Special Panels beyond May 2004. Without an extension, cases will be left unfinished and justice denied. To sign on, Representatives should contact David Stacy at 225-2906 by Friday, June 20.
Please call your Senators and Representative today. The letters' deadlines are approaching quickly we have limited time to maximize the pressure! If you don't know who your Senators or Representative are go to http://www.congress.org and enter your zip code. The Congressional switchboard number is 202-224-3121.
You are the key to Congressional support. Your calls do make a difference. Please let us know the results of your calls by contacting John M. Miller, ETAN's Outreach Coordinator, at john [at] etan.org. Thank you!
Additional Background
Aceh : Last month, the Indonesian military launched its largest
military offensive since the 1975 invasion of East Timor, obliterating an internationally-supported ceasefire agreement in Aceh. The government has imposed martial law and restricted media access. Civilian casualties of TNI "sweeps," including children, are mounting rapidly. Thousands of civilians have fled their villages, and the TNI plans to forcibly relocate as many as 200,000 others to military-supervised camps. Human rights monitors and nonviolent advocates have been targeted with threats, arrests, attacks, torture, and extrajudicial killing. The government has warned foreign aid organizations to leave the province and threatened to impose press censorship. U.S.-supplied weapons have reportedly been used in the assault, including OV-10 Bronco counter-insurgency aircraft, C-130 Hercules transport planes, and F-16 fighter jets. The Bush administration has said the conflict cannot be resolved militarily and has urged a return to negotiations.
Justice for East Timor : The TNI has thus far successfully evaded
accountability for crimes against humanity committed in East Timor. The Indonesian Ad Hoc Human Rights Court for East Timor has been characterized by poorly drawn indictments, inadequate witness protection, an intimidating courtroom atmosphere and distortions of events that took place in 1999. The court's very limited mandate (two months of 1999 in
three of East Timor's 13 districts) makes a systematic accounting of the coordination and policy behind the 1999 violence impossible and ignores the many atrocities that took place outside of the mandate and prior to 1999. The alleged masterminds of the 1999 scorched earth campaign have not been prosecuted by Indonesia. As of now, the court has acquitted 12 and convicted five, delivering light sentences (four of the five are less than the legal minimum under Indonesian law); those convicted remain free pending appeal. The final verdict is due July 1st, and the prosecutor recently announced he would request an acquittal of Major General Adam Damiri, the highest-ranking officer prosecuted. Damiri has missed several court appearances because he is involved in the military assault on Aceh.
In East Timor, the UN-East Timor Serious Crimes Unit (SCU) investigates and prosecutes crimes against humanity committed in 1999. The Special Panels are courts that hear these cases. The SCU and Special Panels, as well as the East Timorese government's own judicial system, are severely under-resourced. The SCU and Special Panels will expire at the end of May 2004 unless their mandate is extended, leaving unfinished investigations and trials, and denying justice. Thus far, nearly two-thirds of the 247 people already indicted by the SCU are in Indonesia, yet Indonesian authorities have refused to cooperate. Indeed, Indonesian authorities have threatened East Timor over the SCU's indictment of high-level Indonesian
military personnel, including General Wiranto.
Signatures as of June 17, 2003
Lantos (D-CA) Smith (R-NJ) letter on Aceh
Berman (D-CA), Crowley (D-NY), DeFazio (D-OR), Doggett (D-TX), Farr (D-CA), Flake (R-AZ), Frank (D-MA), Grijalva (D-AZ), Kildee (D-MI), Langevin (D-RI), Oberstar (D-MN), Holt (D-NJ), Geo. Miller (D-CA), Norton (D-DC), Pastor (D-AZ), Mark Udall (D-CO)
Baldwin (D-WI) on Justice
Abercrombie (D-HI), Bordallo (D-GU), Brown (D-OH), DeFazio (D-OR), Doggett (D-TX), Evans (D-IL), Grijalva (D-AZ), Kennedy (D-RI), Kucinich (D-OH), Lee (D-CA), Maloney (D-NY), McCollum (D-MN), McDermott (D-MA), Norton (D-DC), Oberstar (D-MN), Pastor (D-AZ), Owens (D-NY), Tauscher (D-CA), Udall (D-CO), Waxman (D-CA), Wexler (D-FL), Woolsey (D-CA)
Reed (D-RI) Letter on Timor Justice
Akaka (D-HI), Collins (R-ME), Dodd (D-CT), Feingold (D-WI), Feinstein (D-CA), Gregg (R-NH), Levin (D-MI)
Feinstein (D-CA) Letter (Aceh)
Akaka (D-HI), Boxer (D-CA), Dodd (D-CT), Durbin (D-IL), Feingold (D-WI), Kohl (D-WI), Levin (D-MI), Murray (D-WA), Stabenow (D-MI), Wyden (D-OR)
http://indonesianetwork.org/action/2003/congress_signon.htm
http://www.indonesianetwork.org
by repost by friend of Billie Nessen Thursday June 19, 2003 at 01:44 PM
URGENT ACTION: Indonesia Network The Indonesian military (TNI) recently launched a massive military assault on the people of Aceh following the imposition of martial law on May 19. Civilian casualties are mounting rapidly, with village massacres reported. The TNI plans to forcibly relocate as many as 200,000 people to military-supervised camps. Human rights monitors, journalists and nonviolent advocates have been targeted. U.S.-supplied weapons have been used in the assault.
Senate and House Letters Demand End to Military Campaign in Aceh and Justice for East Timor
Call Your Senators and Representatives Today to Sign on to Letters
The Indonesian military (TNI) recently launched a massive military assault on the people of Aceh following the imposition of martial law on May 19. Civilian casualties are mounting rapidly, with village massacres reported. The TNI plans to forcibly relocate as many as 200,000 people to military-supervised camps. Human rights monitors and nonviolent advocates have been targeted. U.S.-supplied weapons have been used in the assault.
The TNI continues to successfully evaded accountability for crimes against humanity committed in East Timor. The final verdict of Indonesia's ad hoc Human Rights Court for East Timor is due July 1, and the prosecutor recently announced he would request an acquittal. As of now, the court has acquitted 12 and convicted five, delivering light sentences.
The House of Representatives and the Senate are each circulating two Dear Colleague letters one on the military assault in Aceh, and the other on justice for East Timor. Call your Representative and Senators today to urge them to sign these letters! The Congressional switchboard number is
202-224-3121. (Please note that those who have signed one or more the letters as of June 17 are listed below .)
Tell Senators to:
Sign the Dear Colleague letter being circulated by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) urging President Bush to convey to Indonesian authorities in the strongest terms possible that the military must respect human rights and ceases attacks and intimidation against civilians under threat as the Indonesian military continues its offensive in Aceh. The letter expresses support for a peaceful strategy to be pursued in the conflict.
Senators should contact Richard Harper at 224-3841 by Monday June 23 to sign on.
Sign the Dear Colleague letter being circulated by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) emphasizing international responsibility for justice for East Timor and urging Secretary of State Powell to support the joint UN-East Timor Serious Crimes Unit (SCU) and Special Panel courts (charged with investigating, prosecuting, and trying serious crimes committed in 1999); the establishment of an international tribunal; and the release of documents requested by East Timor's Commission for Reception, Truth and
Reconciliation. Senators should contact Elizabeth King at 224-4642 by Friday, June 20 to sign on.
Tell Representatives to:
Sign the Dear Colleague letter being circulated by Representatives Tom Lantos (D-CA) and Christopher Smith (R-NJ) expressing deep concern about the Indonesian military campaign in Aceh and major human rights abuses committed against civilians there. The bipartisan letter urges Secretary of State Powell to ask the Indonesian government to end the use of U.S. equipment in Aceh, work toward an immediate ceasefire, and raise the human rights tragedy in Aceh at the United Nations Security Council. To sign on, Representatives should contact Carol Doherty at 202-225-2480 by Monday, June 23.
Sign the Dear Colleague letter being circulated by Representative Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) urging President Bush to respond positively to a request by East Timor's Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation to release U.S. documents to help clarify specific events and especially egregious human rights violations. The letter also encourages the President's active support in extending the mandate of the joint UN-East Timor Serious Crimes Unit and Special Panels beyond May 2004. Without an extension, cases will be left unfinished and justice denied. To sign on, Representatives should contact David Stacy at 225-2906 by Friday, June 20.
Please call your Senators and Representative today. The letters' deadlines are approaching quickly we have limited time to maximize the pressure! If you don't know who your Senators or Representative are go to http://www.congress.org and enter your zip code. The Congressional switchboard number is 202-224-3121.
You are the key to Congressional support. Your calls do make a difference. Please let us know the results of your calls by contacting John M. Miller, ETAN's Outreach Coordinator, at john [at] etan.org. Thank you!
Additional Background
Aceh : Last month, the Indonesian military launched its largest
military offensive since the 1975 invasion of East Timor, obliterating an internationally-supported ceasefire agreement in Aceh. The government has imposed martial law and restricted media access. Civilian casualties of TNI "sweeps," including children, are mounting rapidly. Thousands of civilians have fled their villages, and the TNI plans to forcibly relocate as many as 200,000 others to military-supervised camps. Human rights monitors and nonviolent advocates have been targeted with threats, arrests, attacks, torture, and extrajudicial killing. The government has warned foreign aid organizations to leave the province and threatened to impose press censorship. U.S.-supplied weapons have reportedly been used in the assault, including OV-10 Bronco counter-insurgency aircraft, C-130 Hercules transport planes, and F-16 fighter jets. The Bush administration has said the conflict cannot be resolved militarily and has urged a return to negotiations.
Justice for East Timor : The TNI has thus far successfully evaded
accountability for crimes against humanity committed in East Timor. The Indonesian Ad Hoc Human Rights Court for East Timor has been characterized by poorly drawn indictments, inadequate witness protection, an intimidating courtroom atmosphere and distortions of events that took place in 1999. The court's very limited mandate (two months of 1999 in
three of East Timor's 13 districts) makes a systematic accounting of the coordination and policy behind the 1999 violence impossible and ignores the many atrocities that took place outside of the mandate and prior to 1999. The alleged masterminds of the 1999 scorched earth campaign have not been prosecuted by Indonesia. As of now, the court has acquitted 12 and convicted five, delivering light sentences (four of the five are less than the legal minimum under Indonesian law); those convicted remain free pending appeal. The final verdict is due July 1st, and the prosecutor recently announced he would request an acquittal of Major General Adam Damiri, the highest-ranking officer prosecuted. Damiri has missed several court appearances because he is involved in the military assault on Aceh.
In East Timor, the UN-East Timor Serious Crimes Unit (SCU) investigates and prosecutes crimes against humanity committed in 1999. The Special Panels are courts that hear these cases. The SCU and Special Panels, as well as the East Timorese government's own judicial system, are severely under-resourced. The SCU and Special Panels will expire at the end of May 2004 unless their mandate is extended, leaving unfinished investigations and trials, and denying justice. Thus far, nearly two-thirds of the 247 people already indicted by the SCU are in Indonesia, yet Indonesian authorities have refused to cooperate. Indeed, Indonesian authorities have threatened East Timor over the SCU's indictment of high-level Indonesian
military personnel, including General Wiranto.
Signatures as of June 17, 2003
Lantos (D-CA) Smith (R-NJ) letter on Aceh
Berman (D-CA), Crowley (D-NY), DeFazio (D-OR), Doggett (D-TX), Farr (D-CA), Flake (R-AZ), Frank (D-MA), Grijalva (D-AZ), Kildee (D-MI), Langevin (D-RI), Oberstar (D-MN), Holt (D-NJ), Geo. Miller (D-CA), Norton (D-DC), Pastor (D-AZ), Mark Udall (D-CO)
Baldwin (D-WI) on Justice
Abercrombie (D-HI), Bordallo (D-GU), Brown (D-OH), DeFazio (D-OR), Doggett (D-TX), Evans (D-IL), Grijalva (D-AZ), Kennedy (D-RI), Kucinich (D-OH), Lee (D-CA), Maloney (D-NY), McCollum (D-MN), McDermott (D-MA), Norton (D-DC), Oberstar (D-MN), Pastor (D-AZ), Owens (D-NY), Tauscher (D-CA), Udall (D-CO), Waxman (D-CA), Wexler (D-FL), Woolsey (D-CA)
Reed (D-RI) Letter on Timor Justice
Akaka (D-HI), Collins (R-ME), Dodd (D-CT), Feingold (D-WI), Feinstein (D-CA), Gregg (R-NH), Levin (D-MI)
Feinstein (D-CA) Letter (Aceh)
Akaka (D-HI), Boxer (D-CA), Dodd (D-CT), Durbin (D-IL), Feingold (D-WI), Kohl (D-WI), Levin (D-MI), Murray (D-WA), Stabenow (D-MI), Wyden (D-OR)
http://indonesianetwork.org/action/2003/congress_signon.htm
http://www.indonesianetwork.org
the indonesian military's massacres of the villages of Aceh are to secure Exxon -mobils' (aka rockefeller) $30 billion contract to deplete Acehs' oilfields. This is simply another oil war run by the rockefeller-kissinger-bush war-crime family. the rockefellers have a history of using slave labor for their "goodyear" rubber plantations , from general suhartoes concentration camps in the '60s, in Sumatra. they were also invested in the company that built auschwitz. Hmmm...
Two separate letter writing campaigns gaining momentum and in this instance will truly help not only Billie and Shadia, but the people of Aceh.
http://www.indybay.org/news/2003/06/1621005.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2003/06/1620664.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2003/06/1621005.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2003/06/1620664.php
please join us in trying to ensure safe passage for Billie and wife, Shadia. The miliary aggression in Aceh must be stopped.
Two separate mobilizations are happening. One thru the Committee to Protect Journalists, the other by IndonesiaNetwork.
Two separate mobilizations are happening. One thru the Committee to Protect Journalists, the other by IndonesiaNetwork.
Two separate letter writing campaigns gaining momentum and in this instance will truly help not only Billie and Shadia, but the people of Aceh.
http://www.indybay.org/news/2003/06/1621005.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2003/06/1620664.php
Latest News from Aceh:
Top stories from TVRI, Jakarta: 23-06-2003
http://www.suaramerdeka.com/tvri/index.html
broadcast on SBS in Bahasa Indonesia Mon to Sat 11.00-11.30 am
MILITARY SAYS GAM ARMAMENTS DWINDLING
The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) is running out of ammunition, according to a report from a member to GAM leaders reportedly intercepted by the TNI (military). The TNI says GAM is now choosing to run and hide in the forests rather than fight, and the public is no longer giving logistical support. On Sunday there were 18 incidents of armed contact, in which six GAM members were killed, two captured and 20 surrendered. Aceh governor Abdullah Puteh says the success of martial law in the province depends not only on the military and police, but also on the support of all components of government. Speaking at the operning of a training seminar on development of awareness in defence of the nation, Mr Puteh urged the workers to be united in defending Indonesia.
http://www.indybay.org/news/2003/06/1621005.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2003/06/1620664.php
Latest News from Aceh:
Top stories from TVRI, Jakarta: 23-06-2003
http://www.suaramerdeka.com/tvri/index.html
broadcast on SBS in Bahasa Indonesia Mon to Sat 11.00-11.30 am
MILITARY SAYS GAM ARMAMENTS DWINDLING
The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) is running out of ammunition, according to a report from a member to GAM leaders reportedly intercepted by the TNI (military). The TNI says GAM is now choosing to run and hide in the forests rather than fight, and the public is no longer giving logistical support. On Sunday there were 18 incidents of armed contact, in which six GAM members were killed, two captured and 20 surrendered. Aceh governor Abdullah Puteh says the success of martial law in the province depends not only on the military and police, but also on the support of all components of government. Speaking at the operning of a training seminar on development of awareness in defence of the nation, Mr Puteh urged the workers to be united in defending Indonesia.
U.S. journalist seeks safe passage out of Aceh province
Journalists worried that Indonesian military wants to question him about rebel forces whereabouts.
June 18, 2003 --
The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, continues to negotiate the safe passage of William Nesson, an American journalist, from the country's Aceh province who was shot at by Indonesian military while traveling with rebel forces on June 9, according to Reporters Without Borders, a Paris-based free press organization.
Nesson has reported on a freelance basis on the Aceh rebellion, a 27-year conflict in which rebels with the Free Aceh Movement, known by its Indonesian acronym GAM, have been fighting for an independent Aceh state. He has written for a number of newspapers, including The Boston Globe and The Sydney Morning Herald. Most recently, Nesson was a correspondent for the San Francisco Chronicle, but has been unable to send stories because the military blocked communication lines, according to Reporters without Borders.
Nessen, who has been traveling with the GAM, says he is worried that if he surrenders to the Indonesian military, he will be interrogated for information regarding the rebel group's whereabouts, according to an Agence France-Presse report.
Nesson spoke to the Indonesia military on June 14 and said he would surrender under three conditions; that he not be interrogated, not be arrested and not be shot, Aceh military spokesman Achmad Yani Basuki told Agence France-Presse. According to the report, Nesson also demanded that U.S. embassy staff and international Red Cross representatives be present when he surrenders.
According to an Agence France-Presse interview with Basuki, Brigadier General Bambang Darmono assured Nessen he would not be shot at but would still be questioned about his relationship with GAM.
"There's pressure being applied to the Indonesian government through various channels," said Abi Wright, spokeswoman for the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.
The committee wrote Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri on June 10 asking for the safe release of Nessen. Wright also said that many of Nessen's connections at Columbia University's School of Journalism, where he received his degree, are trying to help him.
Tuesday, Nessen conducted an interview with the Australian press in which he told reporter Jo Massocchi about the atrocities he witnessed by the Indonesian military upon civilians."They [the villagers] did not have guns, they were not shooting at them, this was not cover fire from the Indonesians, which they're claiming that they bring in the planes when they're fighting the Indonesians," Nessen said, according to an Australian Broadcasting report. "These were hundreds of unarmed people looking up at the planes."
-- LG
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2003 The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Journalists worried that Indonesian military wants to question him about rebel forces whereabouts.
June 18, 2003 --
The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, continues to negotiate the safe passage of William Nesson, an American journalist, from the country's Aceh province who was shot at by Indonesian military while traveling with rebel forces on June 9, according to Reporters Without Borders, a Paris-based free press organization.
Nesson has reported on a freelance basis on the Aceh rebellion, a 27-year conflict in which rebels with the Free Aceh Movement, known by its Indonesian acronym GAM, have been fighting for an independent Aceh state. He has written for a number of newspapers, including The Boston Globe and The Sydney Morning Herald. Most recently, Nesson was a correspondent for the San Francisco Chronicle, but has been unable to send stories because the military blocked communication lines, according to Reporters without Borders.
Nessen, who has been traveling with the GAM, says he is worried that if he surrenders to the Indonesian military, he will be interrogated for information regarding the rebel group's whereabouts, according to an Agence France-Presse report.
Nesson spoke to the Indonesia military on June 14 and said he would surrender under three conditions; that he not be interrogated, not be arrested and not be shot, Aceh military spokesman Achmad Yani Basuki told Agence France-Presse. According to the report, Nesson also demanded that U.S. embassy staff and international Red Cross representatives be present when he surrenders.
According to an Agence France-Presse interview with Basuki, Brigadier General Bambang Darmono assured Nessen he would not be shot at but would still be questioned about his relationship with GAM.
"There's pressure being applied to the Indonesian government through various channels," said Abi Wright, spokeswoman for the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.
The committee wrote Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri on June 10 asking for the safe release of Nessen. Wright also said that many of Nessen's connections at Columbia University's School of Journalism, where he received his degree, are trying to help him.
Tuesday, Nessen conducted an interview with the Australian press in which he told reporter Jo Massocchi about the atrocities he witnessed by the Indonesian military upon civilians."They [the villagers] did not have guns, they were not shooting at them, this was not cover fire from the Indonesians, which they're claiming that they bring in the planes when they're fighting the Indonesians," Nessen said, according to an Australian Broadcasting report. "These were hundreds of unarmed people looking up at the planes."
-- LG
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2003 The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Billie (Billy) Nessen and his wife Shadia, are in serious danger and fear for their lives following recent threats from the Indonesian military. Please join efforts to ensure safe passage for the Nessens and an end to military aggression in Aceh and East Timor. Latest report, June 20, 2003, ‘Nessen Could Be Punished By Death’ see link in footer.
*********PLEASE SEE THIS ARTICLE!***********
‘Nessen Could Be Punished By Death’
June 20, 2003 11:56 PM
http://laksamana.net/vnews.cfm?ncat=48&news_id=5591
******************************************************
Other Ways to Help:
Please FAX two letters today
(sample letter at http://www.stanford.edu/group/gradethenews/pages/media%20alerts.htm)
US Ambassador to Indonesia Ralph Boyce.
Fax: 011-6221-3435-9922
Indonesian Ambassador to the U.S. Soemadi D.M.
Brotodiningrat.
Fax: 202-775-5365
---------
End Military Aggression:
http://www.indonesianetwork.org/action/2003/congress_signon.htm
Committee to Protect Journalist
http://www.cpj.org/protests/03ltrs/Indonesia10june03pl.html
Reporters Without Borders
http://www.rsf.fr/article.php3?id_article=7127
For more Info e-mail West Coast Contact: scottb [at] igc.org
*********PLEASE SEE THIS ARTICLE!***********
‘Nessen Could Be Punished By Death’
June 20, 2003 11:56 PM
http://laksamana.net/vnews.cfm?ncat=48&news_id=5591
******************************************************
Other Ways to Help:
Please FAX two letters today
(sample letter at http://www.stanford.edu/group/gradethenews/pages/media%20alerts.htm)
US Ambassador to Indonesia Ralph Boyce.
Fax: 011-6221-3435-9922
Indonesian Ambassador to the U.S. Soemadi D.M.
Brotodiningrat.
Fax: 202-775-5365
---------
End Military Aggression:
http://www.indonesianetwork.org/action/2003/congress_signon.htm
Committee to Protect Journalist
http://www.cpj.org/protests/03ltrs/Indonesia10june03pl.html
Reporters Without Borders
http://www.rsf.fr/article.php3?id_article=7127
For more Info e-mail West Coast Contact: scottb [at] igc.org
Here are a few links to articles:
http://www.cpj.org/news/2003/Indonesia24june03na.html#more
http://www.brunei-online.com/bb/wed/jun25w12.htm
http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,6652092%255E401,00.html
http://www.cpj.org/news/2003/Indonesia24june03na.html#more
http://www.brunei-online.com/bb/wed/jun25w12.htm
http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,6652092%255E401,00.html
Good news indeed, Billie is safely in the custody of military police. Taken into custody, because that was the only choice offered.
"Turns himself in," "surrenders"...makes it sound like he was doing something wrong.
"Turns himself in," "surrenders"...makes it sound like he was doing something wrong.
The Indonesian police have reneged on their deal, it seems, and Billy is now in jail and could be held indefinitely. Links below.
http://www.cpj.org/news/2003/Indonesia25june03na.html#more
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/06/25/1056449307030.html
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030625/wl_nm/indonesia_aceh_dc_1
http://www.cpj.org/news/2003/Indonesia25june03na.html#more
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/06/25/1056449307030.html
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030625/wl_nm/indonesia_aceh_dc_1
Indonesian Consulate in San Francisco
1111 Columbus Avenue San Francisco, CA 94133
Phone: (415) 474-9571
Fax: (415) 441-4320
1111 Columbus Avenue San Francisco, CA 94133
Phone: (415) 474-9571
Fax: (415) 441-4320
Hmm what is the likelihood that the indonesian government will take any notice of the opinion of some americans at all.
"When people push the world moves." Malhmoud
Never underestimate the will of the people.
The letter writing campaign works. So far, voiced outrage influenced the Lugar and the US governemtn to take an active role in ensuring the Nessen's safe passage outta indonesia.
Keep pushing, all.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it's the only thing that ever has"
- Margaret Mead
Never underestimate the will of the people.
The letter writing campaign works. So far, voiced outrage influenced the Lugar and the US governemtn to take an active role in ensuring the Nessen's safe passage outta indonesia.
Keep pushing, all.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it's the only thing that ever has"
- Margaret Mead
Wrong. When ENOUGH people push the world moves.
Billy:
Weŕe all with you!
Weŕe all with you!
http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=7&id=264061
Indonesia sends British-made tanks to fight rebels in Aceh
Tuesday, June 24, 2003 at 09:00 JST
JAKARTA — Indonesia has sent three dozen British-made Scorpion tanks to the province of Aceh in a bid to crush rebels of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), a senior military officer said Monday.
"They are to secure the main roads as part of efforts to revive the economy," Army Chief of Staff Maj Gen Ryamizard Ryacudu told reporters. (Kyodo News)
Indonesia sends British-made tanks to fight rebels in Aceh
Tuesday, June 24, 2003 at 09:00 JST
JAKARTA — Indonesia has sent three dozen British-made Scorpion tanks to the province of Aceh in a bid to crush rebels of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), a senior military officer said Monday.
"They are to secure the main roads as part of efforts to revive the economy," Army Chief of Staff Maj Gen Ryamizard Ryacudu told reporters. (Kyodo News)
Billy faces 5 years for supposed visa violations, and faces penalty of death if military can puff up it's bogus charges of espionage based solely upon Billy's travel with GAM as a journalist and his reports of human rights abuses and military atrocities, ie, using US made F-16s to fire on un-armed villagers.
Top stories from TVRI, Jakarta
5.7.2003. 14:27:08
http://www.suaramerdeka.com/tvri/index.html
broadcast on SBS in Bahasa Indonesia Mon to Sat 11.00-11.30 am
http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/articles/2/62885.html
MILITARY HAILS ‘EVIDENCE’ FIND
Four members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) have been killed in a fire fight with members of the Indonesian military’s 18th Airborne Brigade in the Cot Blang area. Those killed were said to have been found with evidence that places US journalist William Nessen with the rebel group. The military found a battery recharger as well as an Aceh-English dictionary that they believe was sent to Nessen. Brigade commander, Colonel F. G. Siahan says the military’s finds indicate that Nessen was involved with the rebels. He speculated that the dictionary was sent to Nessen from outside Indonesia, possibly Sweden.
New Zealand Herald JULY 2nd, 2003
By JOHN MARTINKUS Herald Correspondent EXERPT: >>Aceh a forbidden province as military step up war on rebels It was obvious they couldn't tell what kind of visa it was and presumed I was the last of the tourists.
The official said: "As long as you are not American. We are looking for an American. If you are American I kill you".
It was a bad joke. He was referring to William Nessen, who at that time was still at large. >>>
Top stories from TVRI, Jakarta
5.7.2003. 14:27:08
http://www.suaramerdeka.com/tvri/index.html
broadcast on SBS in Bahasa Indonesia Mon to Sat 11.00-11.30 am
http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/articles/2/62885.html
MILITARY HAILS ‘EVIDENCE’ FIND
Four members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) have been killed in a fire fight with members of the Indonesian military’s 18th Airborne Brigade in the Cot Blang area. Those killed were said to have been found with evidence that places US journalist William Nessen with the rebel group. The military found a battery recharger as well as an Aceh-English dictionary that they believe was sent to Nessen. Brigade commander, Colonel F. G. Siahan says the military’s finds indicate that Nessen was involved with the rebels. He speculated that the dictionary was sent to Nessen from outside Indonesia, possibly Sweden.
New Zealand Herald JULY 2nd, 2003
By JOHN MARTINKUS Herald Correspondent EXERPT: >>Aceh a forbidden province as military step up war on rebels It was obvious they couldn't tell what kind of visa it was and presumed I was the last of the tourists.
The official said: "As long as you are not American. We are looking for an American. If you are American I kill you".
It was a bad joke. He was referring to William Nessen, who at that time was still at large. >>>
International press groups are outraged, yet US press remains ambiguous. check it out.
to find out more on Nessen
Google ("William Nessen")
Google>News: (William Nessen)
Join Human Rights Groups and International Jounalists organizations letter writing appeals to Indonesian Government and US Government Officials demanding protections for a free press and immediate release of freelance photo-journalists WIlliam Nessen, now being persecuted for his coverage of military atrocities against the peoples of the Aceh Province.
http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?Index=1750&Language=EN
http://www.cpj.org/news/2003/Indonesia24june03na.html#more
Dear Senator Lugar/Your Gov Official:
I am aware that US journalist William Nessen is being detained by the Indonesian police in the Aceh Province.
It is the international right of journalists to travel freely and interview who they choose in the course of their work.
Government authorities, such as yourself, your colleagues, and Her Excellency Megawati Sukarnoputri, have a duty to protect civilians, including journalists, in wartime under the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
I insist that a ranking member of the US embassy travel to Aceh province and demand the Indonesian government allow William Nessen, a credentialed journalist, safe passage to the United States immediately.
Sincerely,
Your name
___________________________
State Department:
Indonesia Desk: Michael Heath 202-647-2769
Bureau of East Asian and Pacific affairs:
Asst. Sec'ty James A. Kelly 202-647-9596
Political and military adviser:
Alan G. Young: 202-647-2769
http://foia.state.gov/MMS/OrgDirectory/OrgDir.asp?ID=30
Indonesian Embassy: call/fax/email
Main: 202-775-5200 Fax: 202-775-5365
Ambassador Soemadi DM Brotodiningrat
karta [at] embassyofindonesia.org
Sec to Ambassador Mr. Faisa: 202-775-5209
Political counselor Dr. Hasan Klieb- no listing
Billy is NYer Clinton:(http://clinton.senate.gov/)
DC: Phone: (202)224-4451; General Fax:(202)228-0282;
NYC: Phone: (212)688-6262 Fax:(212)688-7444
to find out more on Nessen
Google ("William Nessen")
Google>News: (William Nessen)
Join Human Rights Groups and International Jounalists organizations letter writing appeals to Indonesian Government and US Government Officials demanding protections for a free press and immediate release of freelance photo-journalists WIlliam Nessen, now being persecuted for his coverage of military atrocities against the peoples of the Aceh Province.
http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?Index=1750&Language=EN
http://www.cpj.org/news/2003/Indonesia24june03na.html#more
Dear Senator Lugar/Your Gov Official:
I am aware that US journalist William Nessen is being detained by the Indonesian police in the Aceh Province.
It is the international right of journalists to travel freely and interview who they choose in the course of their work.
Government authorities, such as yourself, your colleagues, and Her Excellency Megawati Sukarnoputri, have a duty to protect civilians, including journalists, in wartime under the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
I insist that a ranking member of the US embassy travel to Aceh province and demand the Indonesian government allow William Nessen, a credentialed journalist, safe passage to the United States immediately.
Sincerely,
Your name
___________________________
State Department:
Indonesia Desk: Michael Heath 202-647-2769
Bureau of East Asian and Pacific affairs:
Asst. Sec'ty James A. Kelly 202-647-9596
Political and military adviser:
Alan G. Young: 202-647-2769
http://foia.state.gov/MMS/OrgDirectory/OrgDir.asp?ID=30
Indonesian Embassy: call/fax/email
Main: 202-775-5200 Fax: 202-775-5365
Ambassador Soemadi DM Brotodiningrat
karta [at] embassyofindonesia.org
Sec to Ambassador Mr. Faisa: 202-775-5209
Political counselor Dr. Hasan Klieb- no listing
Billy is NYer Clinton:(http://clinton.senate.gov/)
DC: Phone: (202)224-4451; General Fax:(202)228-0282;
NYC: Phone: (212)688-6262 Fax:(212)688-7444
willim is alive he is my dad
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