People's Democratic Party (PRD) activists I Gusti Astika Anom and Wilson were captured by the police in Java's third largest city, Semarang, on September 9. Five other PRD activists were caught with them but have since been released. Wilson and Anom were being held at the Ungaran police station and reports indicate that they have been handed over to BIA, one of the state intelligence services.
Wilson and Anom were key speakers at the international conference on East Timor held at the University of Technology, Sydney and the University of Sydney in June.
Wilson is the coordinator of SPRIM (Indonesian People in Solidarity with the Maubere People) and led 40 Indonesians and 40 East Timorese inside the grounds of the Dutch Embassy last December 7 in a protest against the Suharto dictatorship's occupation of East Timor. Anom is the head of the education and organisation department of the PRD.
"The democracy movement needs our support more now than ever", Max Lane, Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor national coordinator, told Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly.
"The PRD in particular needs our support. In Jakarta, journalist Goenawan Mohammad, who has just been interrogated, has called on the democracy movement to take a stand. He has made it clear that the accusation that the PRD caused the July 27 riots is nonsense. He knows the PRD leaders well, as he has worked with them on the Free Elections Monitoring Committee (KIPP).
"People in Australia need to take a stand too. We urge everybody to support the appeal for financial support for the PRD and their defence campaign. We urge people to contact ASIET and support the October 28 International Day of Protest for Democracy and Human Rights."
Donations to help the Indonesian solidarity campaign can be sent to ASIET National Secretariat, PO Box 458, Broadway NSW 2007.