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Statements endorsed by Conference
The following statements were endorsed by acclamation in the final plenary session of the Asia Pacific Solidarity Conference, April 10-13, Sydney, Australia.
More than 750 people attended the conference, including 67 representatives from Asian, Pacific, Nicaraguan, United States and European progressive organisations.
1. Asia Pacific regional coordination
2. Counter-APEC conference in Auckland, New Zealand, 1999
3. East Timor
4. Indonesia
5. Statement by the Pacific delegates to the Asia Pacific Solidarity Conference
6. Sri Lanka - Tamil Eelam
7. Burma
1. Asia Pacific regional coordination
(The following resolution was presented to the final plenary session by Lisa McDonald, member national executive Democratic Socialist Party on behalf of the conference organisers.)
Given imperialism's escalating attacks on the peoples of this region through the deepening and widening neo-liberal austerity policies; and
given increasing state repression of those who are resisting and organising against these attacks,
this conference calls on all participants and all progressive forces in the region
(1) to maintain and increase the contacts and information exchange between struggles and parties in the region and
(2) to continue and step up solidarity in particular in campaigns in solidarity with those forces struggling to bring an end to the most repressive military regimes in the region
We urge that more conferences like this one be held in the future, whether in Australia or whatever country has the conditions and resources to host it.
And we encourage attendance at any future regional gatherings, such as that being planned for the end of this year by the forces present at the conference from Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan.
2. Counter-APEC conference in Auckland, New Zealand, 1999
(The following resolution was presented to the final plenary session following a motivation of the call for a counter-APEC conference in Auckland by Matt Robson, MP for the New Zealand Alliance.)
That this Asia Pacific Solidarity Conference endorses the calling of a conference in Auckland, New Zealand in September 1999 which will provide alternatives to the aggressive social and economic policies of APEC and which will aim to strengthen the ties between the eprogressive parties and movements of all Asian and Pacific countries fighting for social and economic justice and the rights of indigenous peoples.
(The following statement was presented to the final plenary session on behalf of Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor - ASIET).
This conference condemns the Indonesian government's bloody occupation of East Timor and supports the courageous struggle of the Maubere people for freedom and self-determination.
The Australian government is the only government in the world to formally annoyance that it gives de jure recognition to Indonesia's annexation of East Timor. We demand that this recognition be withdrawn.
We condemn the Australian government's abuse of the human rights of East Timorese refugees in Australia and demand: Let them stay!
And we call on the Indonesian government to release East Timor resistance leader, Xanana Gusmao and East Timorese freedom fighters imprisoned in its jails.
(The following statement was presented to the final plenary session on behalf of Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor - ASIET).
This conference supports the valiant struggle of the pro-democracy movement in Indonesia to oust the dictator Suharto and his corrupt and repressive regime. We condemn the Australian government's support for the dictatorship and demand that all Australian aid to Suharto to withdrawn.
We also condemn the Liberal, National and Labor parties' vote in the Australian Senate on April 6 against the motion put by Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown which expressed concern for the welfare of 4 members of the Peoples Democratic Party arrested by the Indonesia regime in recent weeks and called on Suharto to ensure their safety and early and fair trials.
The conference supports the international campaign to free the political prisoners in Indonesia and endorses efforts to organise a national day of action in Australia on April 24 and an international day of action on August 22 as part of this campaign.
5. Statement by the Pacific delegates to the Asia Pacific Solidarity Conference
(The following resolution was proposed to the final plenary session by Rex Rumakiek, a representative of the Free Papua Movement, on behalf of the participants from the indigenous Pacific.)
We delegates from indigenous Pacific, from Te Ao Maohi (French Polynesia), Aetearoa (New Zealand), Australia, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, West Papua and East Timor wish to remind delegates again that dispossession, social injustice, economic inequality and disempowerment of people across our region are perpetuated by continued colonial domination are now aggravated further by capitalist expansion.
We ask for the support of delegates for our campaign to have the following issues raised at the South Pacific Forum:
1. Self determination and independence for all colonised peoples of the PacificWe are made painfully aware that similar injustices are committed against people everywhere. We therefore take this opportunity to pledge our solidarity with peoples movements and struggles that you represent.
2. The continuation of the mandate of the UN decolonisation committee
3. An end to resource exploitation and environmental destruction in the South Pacific
Please take home with you to your people and your beautiful countries the warmest greetings from the indigenous people of the Pacific.
Your struggle is our struggle.
(This resolution was presented to the final plenary session on behalf of participants in the workshop on Women and the Tamil struggle.)
This conference is gravely concerned by the continued Sri Lankan - Tamil Eelam war and the increasing genocidal dimension of that war evidenced by:
(a) the targeting of civilian population by the Sri Lankan forces
(b) the proportion of disappearances, torture, extra judicial killings, rape, arbitrary arrest and indefinite detention of Tamils
This conference
(1) calls upon both the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation to secure a negotiated political solution that allows the Tamil people to realise its right to self-determination will full rights to all the people of Sri Lanka and Tamil Eelam.
(2) calls upon the Sri Lankan government for the immediate withdrawal of its armed forces from the Tamil homeland
(3) calls for genuine negotiations for a political solution to be commenced with a neutral third party acceptable to both the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamale Eelam.
(This statement was presented to the final plenary session on behalf of the All Burma Students Democratic Front.)
1. To call on the illegitimate military regime, State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners including student leader Min Ko Naing and to take due process to transfer power to the National League for Democracy led by Aung San Suu Kyi which won the landslide victory in the 1990 elections
2. To call on the Australian Government to impose trade sanctions as called for by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and to review the foreign policy of benchmark in the light of practical developments for democracy and human rights in Burma.