APISC Bulletin, March 12

Indonesia, Cuba, The Philippines, United States: more speakers at APISC Conference

3^rd Asia Pacific International Solidarity Conference, 24-28 March, 2005, Sydney, Australia.

(Venue: Ashfield High School, from 7.00pm Thursday 24 March.)

Register through the web on www.apsc.net.au

Two weeks before the 3^rd Asia Pacific International Solidarity Conference (APISC 2005) we are now confirming more speakers from Indonesia, the Philippines, Cuba, and the United States.

Indonesia - Joesoef Isak

Joesoef Isak (74) has been a journalist, publisher and political activist since the 1940s. In the late 1950s and early 1960s he held senior positions in Indonesian Journalists Association. He was editor of the mass circulation daily, Merdeka, until 1962 until its proprietor removed him for taking the paper too far in a left wing direction. After 1962, he became Secretary-General of the Asia Africa Journalists Association working to build cooperation among anti-imperialists and journalists throughout the Third World.

In 1965 General Suharto seized power, began the process of overthrowing President Sukarno, and annihilating the Indonesian Left. More than 1 million people were murdered. Tens of thousands more were imprisoned. Joesoef Isak was one of these. Between 1965 and 1977, was dragged in and out of detention in various military safe houses.. Finally, in 1967 he was imprisoned in Salemba prison, Jakarta until 1977. he was never charged or tried for any crime.

Soon after release from prison, in 1979, and in complete defiance of the Suharto dictatorship, he joined with two other people who had been just released from prison camp after they had been fourteen years detained without charge or trial. These were Hasyim Rahman, who had been publisher of the biggest selling left-wing daily before 1965, Bintang Timur, and Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Indonesia's leading fiction writer at the time and a columnist in Bintang Timur. They had all been part of the movement attempting to win socialism in Indonesia. These three formed a publishing company, Hasta Mitra, which proceeded to defy a ban by the dictatorship on former leftists working in the publishing arena. Between 1981 and the late 1980s they published novels written in prison camp by Pramoedya Ananta Toer. The novels were quickly banned - but they still were in the bookshops long enough to become best sellers. Joesoef was arrested again when he was accused of helping organize for Pramoedya to speak on University of Indonesia campus. Three more months were spent in gaol.

Hasta Mitra has remained the most important alternative and left publisher in Indonesia for more than 20 years despite the bans and harassment. Since the fall of Suharto, there have been many major publications organized by Joesoef Isak through Hasta Mitra. Two of the most important have also involved massive translation efforts. The first was an 800 page volume of translations of US State Department and CIA documents relating the overthrow of Sukarno, the installation of Suharto and the mass murders of the socialist movement. This was published as "The CIA Documents" in 2003.

In 2005, Hasta Mitra published the first ever Indonesian translation of the three volumes of Marx's Capital. Former president Abdurrahman Wahid launched the publication which was attended by other leading left intellectuals.

Joeseof Isak will give special greetings to APISC on the occasion of the 50^th anniversary of the Asia Africa Conference in Bandung, Indonesia. This conference, held in 1955, began the non-aligned movement of the 50s and 60s during its period as an international coalition against imperialism. The visit of Joeseof Isak will be the first ever visit to Australia of an important figure from the Left which was active before 1965.

Cuba

The new Cuban Consul-General in Sydney, Nelida Hernandes, has agreed to participate in a plenary session on the future of socialism as well as to give a workshop at APISC. She will also be one of the people giving a toast at the solidarity dinner on Saturday night. Her last posting before Australia was Venezuela!

The Philippines

Professor Francisco Nemenzo will be able to attend. Professor Nemenzo attended the 1998 APSC conference. He joined the socialist movement as a student ending up as a guerilla fighting Marcos in the 1970s. He was caught and imprisoned, including for a long time in solitary confinement. After being released, he studied political science in the U.K. and then returned to the University of the Philippines to become the country's leading Marxist intellectual. He was deeply involved in the anti-Marcos movement and played a major role in founding a radical socialist organisation, Socialist Ideas and Practice (BISIG). He astounded everbody four years ago when he won in elections at the University of the Philippines for the position of University President (i.e. Viced-Chancellor). He has just finished his time as head of the University of the Philippines, having led a struggle to renovate the university up against the neo-liberal policies of the Philippines government.

United States

Ahmed Shawki, a leader of the International Socialist Organisation in the United States has confirmed his attendance at the conference. He will be speaking on the anti-war movement in the United States and on the World Social Forum and global campaigning against neo-liberalism.

For a full list of international speakers see www.apsc.net.au

You can also register at the conference but why not avoid the longer queues and register online at www.apsc.net.au or ring 02-96901230; fax 02-96901381; email apisc2005@bigpond.com or write to APISC 2005, P.O. Box 458, Broadway NSW 2007, Australia.

See you there,

Max Lane

Conference Convenor