ETAN Changes Name and Mission Statement

For Immediate Release
Contact: John M. Miller, 718-596-7668

East Timor and Indonesia Action Network: ETAN Changes Name and Mission Statement

Group’s Current Work and Goals More in Focus

May 2005 – With great pleasure, ETAN today announced a new name for the 13-year-old organization -- East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN). The group also updated its mission statement to better reflect its goals of supporting rights, justice, and democracy in both East Timor and Indonesia.

"The new name and mission statement more clearly reflect who we are and what we currently do," said John M. Miller, spokesperson for ETAN. "While East Timor remains our priority, we have for many years advocated for human rights in Indonesia, especially with regards to U.S. military assistance."

"We think these changes will bring new energy and resources to ETAN in support of democracy, justice and human rights," said Elizabeth Venable, a member of ETAN's Executive Committee from Riverside, CA.

"It is obvious that Indonesian military repression and human rights violations have not been restricted to East Timor," said Miller, a co-founder of ETAN. "While both countries have made progress, we continue to believe that justice for past violations and restrictions on U.S. security assistance to Indonesia are essential to building a just and democratic East Timor and Indonesia."

ETAN further supports an international tribunal for war crimes and other human rights violations in East Timor from 1975 to 1999 and accountability for the U.S. role in supporting the Indonesian military invasion and occupation.

ETAN promotes a fair maritime boundary between East Timor and Australia.

ETAN works with East Timorese civil society and NGOs to support democracy, human rights and economic alternatives for East Timor. ETAN regularly brings grassroots perspectives on both East Timor and Indonesia to policymakers, media, academia and many others, serving as an important and credible source of information and analysis.

ETAN recently collected funds to support Acehnese grassroots efforts to aid victims of the December 26 earthquake and tsunami and rebuild the devastated region.

For the sake of consistency and familiarity, the group decided to maintain its acronym as ETAN.

Founded after the November 1991 Santa Cruz massacre of peaceful demonstrators in Dili, East Timor, ETAN successfully supported self-determination for East Timor. For more information see www.etan.org.

New Mission Statement

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network/U.S. (ETAN) is a U.S.-based grassroots organization working in solidarity with the peoples of East Timor and Indonesia. ETAN educates, organizes, and advocates for human rights, women's rights, societal and economic justice, democracy and genuine self-determination. ETAN works for justice for historic and ongoing crimes against humanity, war crimes, and human rights violations in East Timor and Indonesia.

ENDS

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