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been practically orphaned for 10 years. In April 1975, the International Secretariat and coordination groups publicized the special plight of women prisoners in a campaign centered around Kartini Day, which is officially cele- brated in Indonesia as Women's Day to commemorate a famous national heroine. In the context of International Women's Year, Indonesia is prominent as the country with probably the largest number of women political prisoners.
Approaches were made from the International Secretariat and from national sections to the member states of the Inter-Governmental Group on Indonesia, a consortium of 13 governments which has provided extensive development aid to Indonesia since 1967. It was emphasized to the member governments that the Indonesian authorities have not responded to the many discreet appeals in the past to improve the conditions for prisoners, to make better provision for fair trials and to release all those held without trial.
Although the main reason given by the government continues to be that the 1965 prisoners constitute a subversive communist threat if released-despite contrary evidence relating to the majority of those prisoners-it is apparent from official policy regarding detention of others held in connection with the January 1974 events that its overall policy has identical effect for those whom the government cannot, and does not, claim to be communist.
Of the more than 700 people arrested in January 1974, about 40 are still in prison without trial. Although less than 10 were released in early 1975, an official spokesman stated that they could be re-arrested at any time. Moreover, although detention without trial under the Subversion Law of 1963 is limited to one year, the official view is that at the expiry of that year, all that is required by the authorities to continue holding the prisoner is to charge him again under
Reprinted by permission of the Dutch artist Fritz Behr
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