Request for Endorsement

of the November 12 Demonstrations on the Anniversary

of the Santa Cruz Massacre in East Timor

On November 12, 1991 in Dili, the capital of East Timor, Indonesian troops

armed with American-made M-16 rifles fired on a crowd of several thousand

unarmed East Timorese civilians gathered at the Santa Cruz cemetery. At

least 271 people were killed that day and as they sought medical treatment

in local hospitals. Today, six years later, dozens of victims of the

massacre remain unaccounted for.

A memorial service for a young man shot by Indonesian security forces two

weeks earlier had turned into a massive and peaceful demonstration against

Indonesia's brutal occupation of their homeland. The demonstrators demanded

that the East Timorese be allowed to vote in a referendum on

self-determination.

The scale of the protest was unprecedented; the killing wasn't. Since

Indonesia illegally invaded the former Portuguese colony at least 200,000,

one-third of the population, have been killed. While not the largest

massacre in this genocidal history, the Santa Cruz massacre was witnessed

and photographed by foreign journalists, inspiring a worldwide outcry.

This November 12, the East Timor Action Network, Peace Action and Amnesty

International USA have joined together to organize protests at the five

Indonesian consulates (Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San

Francisco) and the embassy in Washington, D.C.

We are writing to seek your endorsement of these demonstrations and your

support in organizing and publicizing them.

The common themes of the protests are:

1) Support Human Rights in East Timor and Indonesia

2) Oppose Arms Sales to Indonesia that Violate Human Rights

3) Commemorate the Santa Cruz Massacre.

Endorsing organizations are asked to do one or more of the following:

1) Participate in a November 12 protest

2) Publicize the event and recruit members of your organization to participate

3) Contribute $25 or more to a transportation fund

4) Publish an article in a major newspaper or magazine discussing the

protests and their significance.

If your organization will endorse or if you have questions, contact John M.

Miller at ETAN (718)788-6071, etan-outreach@igc.apc.org or Jim Bridgman at

Peace Action (202)862-9740 x3041, (202)862-9762 (fax); paarmstrade@igc.org.

Cosponsors-to-date include Global Exchange, Jews Against Genocide,

Nonviolence International, Visions in Action, War Resisters League, and

various Catholic Worker Houses.

We look forward to hearing from you. (Please include organizational contact

name, address, phone, fax and e-mail.) Thanks.

END

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John M. Miller Internet: etan-outreach@igc.apc.org

Media & Outreach Coordinator, East Timor Action Network

PO Box 150753, Brooklyn, NY 11215-0014 USA

Phone: (718)788-6071

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Send a blank e-mail message to timor-info@igc.apc.org to

find out how to learn more about East Timor on the Internet

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