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Support Human Rights in Indonesia
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Progressive Portal
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Jun 25, 2005 13:25 PDT
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URGE YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TO SIGN LETTER OPPOSING
MILITARY AID; OPPOSE UNION-BUSTING AT INDONESIAN HOTEL
[From East Timor Action Network <http://www.etan.org>, the International
Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and
Allied Workers’ Associations <http://www.iuf.org/en/>, and Labourstart
<http://www.labourstart.org/>]
In the wake of action by the House Appropriations Committee to remove
*all* restrictions on military assistance for Indonesia, the East Timor
Action Network is calling for members of Congress to sign two House
letters concerning human-rights abuses by that country.
Meanwhile, Labourstart.org is supporting a call from labor for
solidarity letters to management of the Jakarta Sofitel-managed Gran
Mahakam Hotel, urging the hotel to recognize its workers' trade union
and stop union-busting activities.
>> Two Congressional Letters
ETAN emphasizes that the Congressional letters about Indonesia are
especially timely. They can help build momentum to overturn the recent
House Appropriations Committee decision removing all restrictions on
military assistance for Indonesia. In addition, the United Nations
Commission of Experts report and recommendations on justice for East
Timor are due out shortly. ETAN urges U.S. residents to call their
Representatives and urge them to sign on to the letters, or thank them
if they've already done so.
Reps. Nita Lowey (D-NY) and Chris Smith (R-NJ) are circulating a letter
to President Bush urging him to reconsider strengthening ties with the
brutal Indonesian military until it makes considerable progress in
improving its human rights record, accountability, and security-force
reforms. The deadline for signatures is June 30. To sign on, offices
should contact Beth Tritter in Rep. Lowey's office or George Phillips in
Rep. Smith's office. Signers (14) as of 16 Jun 2005: Tammy Baldwin
(D-WI), Tim Bishop (D-NY), Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), Rosa L. DeLauro
(D-CT), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), John Lewis (D-GA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA),
James P. McGovern (D-MA), Jim Oberstar (D-MN), Steve Rothman (D-NJ),
Martin Olav Sabo (D-MN), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), and sponsors Lowey and
Smith.
Reps. Joseph R. Pitts (R-PA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) are circulating a
letter to the heads of state of Indonesia and East Timor expressing
Congress's strong belief that justice must be done for crimes against
humanity perpetrated against the people of East Timor. The deadline for
the House letter is June 28. House offices should contact Karin Finkler
in Rep. Pitts' office or David Stacy in Rep. Baldwin's office. Signers
(15) as of 20 Jun 2005: Cardoza, Phil English (R-PA), Lane Evans (D-IL),
Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Hastings (FL), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Dennis
Kucinich (D-OH), Lewis (GA), Lofgren, McGovern, Michael McNulty (D-NY),
Oberstar, Woolsey, and sponsors Pitts and Baldwin.
>> Solidarity Appeal from Indonesian Hotel Workers
According to Labourstart.org, Sofitel, the management of the Gran
Mahakam Hotel in Jakarta, refuses to recognize the legitimate,
legally-registered trade union affiliated with the IUF (the
International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering,
Tobacco and Allied Workers Associations), and is engaged in a classic
union-busting campaign. When bribery and the promise of promotions
failed to persuade the union leadership to drop their demand for a
collective agreement, the hotel set up a phony employee "association"
and is challenging the legitimate union's legal right to represent
Sofitel employees. The union needs support now.
CONTINUED BELOW ...
>>>> "PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT"; "DON'T MOURN, ORGANIZE";
>>>> AND OTHER PRO-LABOR BUTTONS & STICKERS AT:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.progressiveportal.org/resources/buttons.html?alrt
>>>> http://www.progressiveportal.org/resources/stickers.html?alrt
Take Action
-----------------------------------
(1) Call or e-mail your Representative and urge her/him to sign the two
Congressional letters (Lowey-Smith and Pitts-Baldwin) supporting human
rights in Indonesia and East Timor. To contact your Representative,
enter your ZIP Code in the Write Congress box in the left column at
http://www.progressiveportal.org/ (and most ProgressivePortal.org)
pages.
(2) Send a letter to the Sofitel Hotel in Indonesia urging management to
recognize the legitimate labor union and stop its union-busting
campaign:
http://www.iuf.org/cgi-bin/campaigns/show_campaign.cgi?c=82
More Information
-----------------------------------
More information, including the text of the Congressional letters, may
be found at:
Lowey-Smith Letter (ties with Indonesia):
http://etan.org/action/action05/06tiesltr.htm
Pitts-Baldwin Letter (East Timor justice):
http://etan.org/action/action05/06justltr.htm#House%20Letter
Labor union at Gran Mahakam Hotel, Indonesia:
http://www.iuf.org/cgi-bin/dbman/db.cgi?uid=default&ID=2128&view_records=1&en=1
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