Carmel Budiarjo
Encyclopedia
Carmel Budiardjo is a British
human rights
activist, founder of the organisation Tapol and a recipient of the Right Livelihood Award
.
Carmel was born in London in 1925. She received a Bachelors degree in Economics in 1946 from the University of London
. She met Suwondo (Bud) Budiardjo, an Indonesia
n Government official while working in Prague for the International Union of Students
, and married and moved to Indonesia in 1951. After General Suharto seized power in 1965, her husband was imprisoned, spending 12 years in jail. She herself was imprisoned for 3 years, and was then expelled to England on her release in 1971.
Upon returning she founded Tapol (Tahanan Politik - political prisoner), to campaign for political prisoners in Indonesia. The organisation expanded its activities, and was prominent in getting out information on military activity and human rights violations in East Timor
, and West Papua. The Tapol Bulletin
was a major source of information about the human rights situation in Indonesia under the dictatorship. She is also the author of a number of books on human rights and politics in Indonesia. The organisation remains active, with Carmel still playing a very important part in its activities.
In 1995 Carmel Budiardjo was awarded the Right Livelihood Award
for her work, being nominated by the International Federation for East Timor.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activist, founder of the organisation Tapol and a recipient of the Right Livelihood Award
Right Livelihood Award
The Right Livelihood Award, also referred to as the "Alternative Nobel Prize", is a prestigious international award to honour those "working on practical and exemplary solutions to the most urgent challenges facing the world today". The prize was established in 1980 by Jakob von Uexkull, and is...
.
Carmel was born in London in 1925. She received a Bachelors degree in Economics in 1946 from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. She met Suwondo (Bud) Budiardjo, an Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n Government official while working in Prague for the International Union of Students
International Union of Students
The International Union of Students is a worldwide nonpartisan association of university student organizations.The IUS is the umbrella organization for 155 such student organizations across 112 countries and territories representing approximately 25 million students.-Aim and work areas:The aims of...
, and married and moved to Indonesia in 1951. After General Suharto seized power in 1965, her husband was imprisoned, spending 12 years in jail. She herself was imprisoned for 3 years, and was then expelled to England on her release in 1971.
Upon returning she founded Tapol (Tahanan Politik - political prisoner), to campaign for political prisoners in Indonesia. The organisation expanded its activities, and was prominent in getting out information on military activity and human rights violations in East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
, and West Papua. The Tapol Bulletin
Tapol Bulletin
The Tapol Bulletin is a British-based bulletin that monitored the "New Order" government of Suharto's measures against alleged members of the Communist Party of Indonesia after the 1965-1966 crisis in Indonesia...
was a major source of information about the human rights situation in Indonesia under the dictatorship. She is also the author of a number of books on human rights and politics in Indonesia. The organisation remains active, with Carmel still playing a very important part in its activities.
In 1995 Carmel Budiardjo was awarded the Right Livelihood Award
Right Livelihood Award
The Right Livelihood Award, also referred to as the "Alternative Nobel Prize", is a prestigious international award to honour those "working on practical and exemplary solutions to the most urgent challenges facing the world today". The prize was established in 1980 by Jakob von Uexkull, and is...
for her work, being nominated by the International Federation for East Timor.