ETAN LEGISLATIVE ALERT

SUPPORT EAST TIMOR & STOP THE VIOLENCE IN INDONESIA NOW 
Co-Sponsors Needed for 2 New Resolutions in the House of Representatives 
Call Congress Today

Two important resolutions have been introduced in the House of Representatives. H.Con.Res. 395 addresses the murder of three UN refugee workers, including U.S. citizen Carlos Caceres, in West Timor and increasingly brutal militia activity; the second, H. Res. 580, condemns the murder of New York-based Jafar Siddiq Hamzah, an Acehnese human rights lawyer and good friend of ETAN. Please call your Representative and urge him or her to co-sponsor these resolutions today!

* H.Con.Res. 395, "Expressing the sense of the Congress condemning the September 6, 2000, militia attack on United Nations refugee workers in West Timor and calling for an end to militia violence in East and West Timor," was introduced by Chris Smith (R-NJ), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Jim McGovern (D-MA) and others. It calls on the U.S. and Indonesian governments to bring the perpetrators of these killings to justice and states that the U.S. should suspend all military relations and cooperation with the armed forces of Indonesia until certain conditions are met, including establishing civilian rule and the rule of law in Indonesia and safe repatriation of refugees. It also urges the U.S. government to press Indonesia to disarm and disband all militias in West Timor, arrest known militia leaders, and extradite to East Timor those who committed crimes in that country. 

* H. Res. 580, A resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the murder of human rights lawyer Jafar Siddiq Hamzah in Medan, Indonesia, introduced by Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Chris Smith and others. Jafar's mutilated and badly decomposed body was found on September 7. He had disappeared on August 5. This resolution calls on the State Department and Indonesian government to work for a thorough and open investigation of the murder of Jafar and the four other unidentified men found with him, to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice and to initiate broader investigations into the numerous other cases of killings and disappearance in Aceh. 

* Support is still very much needed for S. 2621, The East Timor Repatriation and Security Act of 2000. S. 2621 would continue the current prohibition of military cooperation with the Indonesian armed forces. Urge your Senators to become co-sponsors.

WHAT YOU CAN DO 
Call your Representative and ask for the foreign policy staffer. Explain the urgent need to put Congress on record fully opposing Indonesian military violence. Ask them to become co-sponsors and actively support both resolutions.

The congressional switchboard number is 202-224-3121, or consult www.congress.gov for fax or email information. To find out who your members of Congress are, contact your local League of Women Voters.

Please let us know the results of your contacts. Thank you! Your calls make a big difference.

The text of the resolutions and updates on this and other legislative initiatives can be found at http://www.etan.org/legislation. (The text of last week's Action Alert with recent background can be found at http://www.etan.org/action/08alert.htm). Additional background on the issues can be found at http://www.etan.org.

Contact: Karen Orenstein at ETAN's Washington office, 202-544-6911, karen@etan.org.

September 15, 2000

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