Messages from members of Australia Indonesia Arts Alliance Dear Friends >Just to let people know what is happening here in Bali, ( for those of you >who may have forgotten Balinese are also Indonesian,) are also doing their bit for >fundraising and lobbying and with in the next few days food and supplies >collected by Balinese volunteers will be going to East Timorese refugees.) >It may be something that people don't want to believe because Australian >press says all Indonesians are bad and because they are bad then the >human cost doesn't count - well it does and while it is hard to stand up to >the forces that are in control of this country, people here are still human >and are trying to help in the best way they can KJ, in Bali > >>Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1999 17:44:39 +1000 >> >>Dear Judy >> Allow me to join Victoria in thanking you, and also to thank Tom, for >>your >>sensible responses on behalf of our association. We must do >>all we can to aid those in East Timor who are suffering, but attacking and >>alienating the entire population of Indonesia is not the way to do it. I, >>too, believe that the majority of the Indonesian people are just as >>devastated by these events as we are -- support of Indonesian protest >>movements will be far more productive than the indiscriminate >>anti-Indonesian attacks we have seen in this country. >>Trevor Dear Ian If you took the time to investigate exactly what the focus and key objectives of AIAA (Australia Indonesia Arts Alliance)are, you would realise that it is exactly these types of initiatives which need to be maintained, strengthened and supported in troubled times such as these. AIAA is concerned with making links between Indonesians and Australians at a grassroots level. ie- between ordinary Australians and ordinary Indonesians. Your feelings appear to have been ignited by our reactionary mainstream press which urges that we cut *all* ties with Indonesia. Ian, ask yourself why has anti-Indonesian sentiment flared up so quickly throughout middle Australia since the referendum in East Timor? Because for the majority of Australians the Australia-Indonesia relationship is intangible; it is conducted by top level politicians and business leaders. For most Australians, Indonesians remain the 'other'. By promoting people-to-people links as AIAA does, ordinary Australians have the opportunity to make contact with Indonesians due to the fact that these people actually come and live as part of their community. The same also works in reverse when Australian artists and cultural workers spend time in Indonesia. Invariably these types of exchanges allow people to realise that the Indonesian (or Australian) visitor is a good person who shares more or less the same ideology as themselves, ie- to live happily, healthily and harmoniously on this planet. The end result will be that your average Australian (or average Indonesian) won't be drawn into racist rhetoric such has been whipped up over the Timor issue because they will realise that the blame lays in the hands of the political and military leaders. Not the common people. Yes, I agree that we should condemn the Indonesian government for its actions/inactions over East Timor. We should also condemn the UN, the world superpowers and the leaders of our own country for being so weak in not acting to save the lives of tens of thousands of Timorese. Furthermore, we should condemn Australian businesses who are involved in unethical joint ventures in Indonesia. We should *not* condemn organisations such as AIAA nor waste their valuable time by demanding press releases. It is ground level initiatives such as AIAA who are doing the real work in forming meaningful and ongoing relationships between Indonesia and Australia. Regards Tom
