Subject: RT: Unions, rights groups want Indonesia
funds withheld
Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1999 12:16:11 -0400
From: "John M. Miller" <fbp@igc.apc.org>Unions,rights groups want
Indonesia funds withheld 01:13 p.m Jul 22, 1999 Eastern
PARIS, July 22 (Reuters) - A coalition of unions and human rights groups on Thursday
urged international creditors to withhold fresh funds for Indonesia, saying corruption and
repression were still a problem in the country.
A meeting of the Consultative Group for Indonesia (CGI) is due to be held in Paris
later this month and is expected to pledge between $5.5 to $6.0 billion in new loans to
Indonesia.
The ad hoc group of organisations, including French anti-racist groups, trades' unions
and Timor support movements, said in a statement they had written to French Finance
Minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn to express their concerns.
``''We have asked for a suspension of CGI aid, at least until the Timor ballot
organised by the United Nations for August and until further controls are imposed on the
use of the (funds),'' the organisations said.
The U.N. is overseeing an independence referendum in disputed East Timor, which is
expected to take place next month.
The 11 organisations said Indonesia had used World Bank funds to finance its
anti-independence campaign in East Timor.
``We have alerted Mr Strauss-Kahn about the major problems of corruption in Indonesia,
notably the fraudulent use of public development aid, including by means of repression,''
the groups said. (Paris newsroom, +331 4221 5339, fax +331 4236 1072,
paris.newsroom+reuters.com)
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