Allan Nairn to speak at Occupy Wall Street

Journalist/Activist Allan Nairn will speak to Occupy Wall Street

MONDAY, January 9, 2012, 5:30 - 7 p.m.

60 Wall Street Atrium, Manhattan, New York City

Journalist and activist Allan Nairn will be speaking at OccupyWallStreet. Nairn has over 20 years of experience in global justice movements, and will speak about strategies for change, protest, and police violence.Allan will share his experiences with violence and activism in East Timor, and then OWS ThinkTank will facilitate a discussion about these issues.

On Thursday, January 5, 2012, Allan spoke talk on 20 years of organizing for justice for East Timor and Indonesia, including his work with ETAN. 

Watch this space for video of that talk which will be posted soon.

More info on Allan Nairn is here.

West Papua Report January 2012 is out

Read it here: http://etan.org/issues/wpapua/2012/1201wpap.htm

Summary: Indonesian security forces, including the U.S. and Australian supported Detachment 88, conducted "sweeping operations" in the Paniai area of West Papua that destroyed churches, homes and public buildings, and forced hundreds of civilians from their homes. The Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) urged the Police Commander to remove forces from the region, echoing civil society leaders in Paniai. Jakarta's failure to provided basic health services to Papuans has led to a high rate of death among mothers at child birth according to a recent report. An unconfirmed report claims that President Yudhoyono has committed to withdraw non-organic troops from West Papua and to suspend the operations of a special unit proposed to address fundamental Jakarta-Papua problems. The cost in human life for Papuans of Jakarta's decades of neglect of the Papuan population is well documented. Amnesty International met with a senior official in Jakarta to press for release of political prisoners, particularly in West Papua and Maluku. The three-month old strike by workers at the Freeport McMoRan mines appears to be headed toward resolution.

Contents:

• Brutal "Sweeping Operation" Continues to Displace Civilians in Paniai
• Indonesian Human Rights Commission Calls for Withdrawal of Security Forces from Paniai
• Inadequate Health Care Responsible for High Rate of Death of Mothers at Child Birth
• President Yudhoyono Reportedly Offers Pledge to Withdraw Non-Organic Troops from West Papua
• Amnesty International Appeals for Political Prisoners Release
• Freeport Strike Grinds Toward Resolution