(HRW/IFEX) – East Timor activist Vaughan Williams from the Darwin-based Australians for a Free East Timor was due to appear at the Northern Territory’s Darwin Magistrates Court on 15 December 1997 for publicly displaying pictures of East Timorese women being tortured by the Indonesian Armed Forces (Abri). He is being charged by police under the […]
(HRW/IFEX) – East Timor activist Vaughan Williams from the
Darwin-based Australians for a Free East Timor was due to appear
at the Northern Territory’s Darwin Magistrates Court on 15
December 1997 for publicly displaying pictures of East Timorese
women being tortured by the Indonesian Armed Forces (Abri). He is
being charged by police under the Northern Territory’s Summary
Offences Code 320 for “offensive behaviour in a public place”
which carries a fine of Aus$ 105.
Mr Williams’s exhibition, at the Darwin City Mall, was in
conjunction with World Human Rights Day (10 December) and he had
a valid permit, issued by the Darwin City Council, to hold it.
The pictures were confiscated by the Northern Territory Police
and were to be used as evidence against Williams.
These photographs were released around the world on the eve of
the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Vancouver
in late November, in which Indonesia’s President Suharto
attended. The photographs show hooded Abri soldiers torturing
naked and half-naked young East Timorese women, tying them to a
tree and holding cigarette butts close to their naked bodies —
which appear to be bruised and spattered with blood. The
photographs also show a Christian Cross and messages in Bahasa
Indonesia written on their skin. The words read: “This is a
Timorese champion, this is what becomes when anti-RI,” or
Republic of Indonesia.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
abrogation of the rights of freedom of expression in Australia
Appeals To
Police Commander Bob Fields
Police Headquarters Darwin
Fax: +61 8 8927 0381Shane Stone
The Northern Territory Chief Minister
Fax: +61 8 8941 1491The Northern Territory News
Fax: +61 8 8981 6045The AustralAsian
Fax: +61 8 8981 2454
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
