Richard W. Franke Files on Indonesia and East Timor
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Extent
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
Dr. Richard W. Franke is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Montclair State University. Franke served on the board of the now defunct U.S. branch of TAPOL, a UK-based advocacy organization initially formed in 1973 to support political prisoners in Indonesia. This collection contains Dr. Franke's research material related to the Indonesian occupation of East Timor, the East Timor genocide, and Indonesian political prisoners. The collection consists of correspondence, publications, reports, articles, clippings, manuscripts, and a small grouping of photographs, other print material and memorabilia.
Biographical Note
Dr. Richard W. Franke is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Montclair State University, after serving on the faculty from 1972 to 2009. Franke wrote and advocated extensively on the Indonesian occupation of East Timor. Franke also served on the board of the now defunct U.S. branch of TAPOL (located in Montclair, NJ), a UK-based advocacy organization initially formed in 1973 to support political prisoners in Indonesia. Their mission later expanded to encompass general human rights concerns in Indonesia and East Timor. Franke edited the U.S. Tapol Bulletin, the official publication of TAPOL USA, from 1975 until 1980.
Arrangement
Materials from each series, with the exception of the photographic materials, were physically grouped together with little further arrangement. Oversize materials and audio visual materials were separated out and appropriately housed.
The collection is organized into eight series: I. Publications and Reports; II. Subject Files; III. Articles and Clippings; IV. Correspondence; V. Franke's Writings; VI. Photographic Materials; VII. Graphic Materials and Memorabilia; VIII. Unprocessed Audiovisual Materials.
Scope and Contents
The Richard W. Franke Files on Indonesia and East Timor contains research material dating from 1961-1991 related to Indonesia's genocidal occupation of East Timor, which lasted from 1975 to 1999. The bulk of the collection is dated 1975-1980 and consists of articles and clippings from U.S and international news media, and publications and reports from human rights and advocacy organizations. The articles and clippings reflect the news coverage of the Indonesian occupation and other writings on the history, politics, and culture of Indonesia, East Timor, and other Asian and Pacific Island nations. The publications and reports, as well as the subject files, and correspondence, details the advocacy work of organizations such as TAPOL USA and UK, East Timor Defense Committee, and Amnesty International. Many of the organizations are US, UK, and Australia based. Much of the correspondence reflects Franke's work with TAPOL and other activist or advocacy groups. The collection also contains a substantial number UN and US. Congressional records, predominantly statements and testimonies. A small number of materials reflect liberation struggles of Western Sahara, Asian and Pacific Island nations and peoples. There is a small number of photographic and graphic materials, and memorabilia related to the work and causes of TAPOL and other political and human rights groups.
Subjects
Organizations
People
Topics
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive has no information about copyright ownership for this collection and is not authorized to grant permission to publish or reproduce materials from it. Materials in this collection, which were created in circa 1960-circa 1990, are expected to enter the public domain in 2110.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Richard W. Franke Files on Indonesia and East Timor; TAM 590; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The materials were found in collection and the provenance is unknown. The accession number associated with this collection is 2011.118.
Audiovisual Access Policies and Procedures
Audiovisual materials have not been preserved and may not be available to researchers. Materials not yet digitized will need to have access copies made before they can be used. To request an access copy, or if you are unsure if an item has been digitized, please contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu, (212) 998-2630 with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. A staff member will respond to you with further information.
Appraisal
A small number of financial records were deaccessioned in 2019.
Separated Materials
In September 2011, approximately one hundred issues of the Tapol Bulletin (UK), Tapol Bulletin (US), Southeast Asian Chronicle, Indonesia: feiten en meningen, and the East Timor Estafeta were separated for cataloging, as were a couple dozen books.
About this Guide
Processing Information
The collection was inventoried by Rachel Ann Schimke and Daniel Michelson in September 2011. Periodicals and books were separated for cataloging. Some routine financial information was discarded.
The collection was processed by Makoroba Sow in October 2019. Folder titles for materials in Series II. Subject Files were mostly retained from original folder titles, with clarifying description in brackets.
