April-May 2001:
East Timor ACTION ALERT
TAKE ACTION FOR EAST TIMOR
BRING THE REFUGEES HOME
SUPPORT JUSTICE FOR EAST TIMOR
What You Can Do
Background
Also call administration officials this month
THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION IS STILL FORMULATING ITS POLICIES
toward East Timor and Indonesia. Now is an important time to raise your
voice for human rights!
- Strong and clear U.S. congressional support for establishing an
international tribunal is needed. A resolution "Condemning the
Violence in East Timor and Urging the Establishment of an
International War Crimes Tribunal" (Senate Concurrent Resolution
9 and House Concurrent Resolution 60) needs more co-sponsors. An
international tribunal is necessary to achieve justice for East Timor
and to hold the Indonesian military responsible for its actions in
East Timor. Call your Representative and Senators today and ask them
to co-sponsor!
- Up to 100,000 East Timorese refugees continue to languish in
militia-controlled refugee camps in West Timor. Until the refugee
crisis is resolved, the Indonesian government asserts full control
over its military and holds it accountable for human rights violations
committed in East Timor and Indonesia, the current suspension of all
military ties between the U.S. and Indonesia must be maintained.
What You Can Do
Contact your Senators and Representatives
Urge them to support congressional resolutions calling for an
international tribunal for crimes against humanity committed in East
Timor, House Concurrent Resolution
60 and Senate Concurrent
Resolution 9, Condemning the Violence in East Timor and Urging the
Establishment of an International War Crimes Tribunal for Prosecuting
Crimes Against Humanity That Occurred During That Conflict.
Urge them to:
- Co-sponsor S.
Con. Res. 9, introduced by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), or H.
Con. Res. 60, introduced by Rep. Lane Evans (D-IL),
"condemning the violence in East Timor and urging the
establishment of an international war crimes tribunal for prosecuting
crimes against humanity that occurred during that conflict." See current
list of co-sponsors.
- Maintain and expand conditions
in the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill restricting U.S.
military assistance to Indonesia.
- Pressure the U.S. and Indonesian governments to ensure significant
UN and international NGO oversight and participation in any refugee
registration process in West Timor. Indonesia must disarm and disband
militia controlling refugee camps in West Timor.
- Appropriate $30 million in U.S. assistance during fiscal year 2002
for reconstruction and nation building in East Timor.
Call the congressional switchboard (202-224-3121) and ask for your
Senator or Representative's office and ask for the foreign policy aide, or
consult http://www.congress.gov for
fax or e-mail information.
Possible dialogue to gain co-sponsors of resolutions:
"May I speak with the foreign policy staffer, please?
"Hello, I am calling to encourage [Representative/ Senator] X to
co-sponsor a resolution calling for U.S. support for the creation of an
international tribunal for crimes against humanity committed in East
Timor. For the East Timorese people, an international tribunal is an
important and necessary avenue to justice. A tribunal would also serve as
a means by which to pressure Indonesia to hold its military accountable
for gross violations of human rights and to deter further military abuses.
Since the overwhelming destruction of East Timor in 1999, no Indonesian
military personnel have been held accountable. Can we count on his/her
support for [H. Con. Res. 60/S. Con. Res. 9]?"
Call or write the President and the Secretary of State and
Tell them to support human rights and democracy in East Timor and
Indonesia by maintaining a complete ban on U.S.-Indonesia military ties.
Your efforts make a difference. Thanks to the hard work of East
Timor activists like you last year, we maintained a complete cut-off of
military training and weapons sales to the Indonesian military and ensured
a high level of U.S. financial assistance for East Timor for 2001.
Background
No Indonesian military or police personnel have been held accountable
for the extensive human rights violations committed in East Timor. On the
contrary, many of the Indonesian officers responsible for crimes in East
Timor have been promoted. East Timor's own justice system remains flawed,
under-resourced, and unable to try or even question any of the Indonesian
military officers responsible for heinous crimes. The few militia leaders
brought to trial in Indonesia have only been charged for minor crimes
committed in Indonesian West Timor. A UN request to the Indonesian
government to hand over a militia member accused of killing a UN
peacekeeper in East Timor last summer has been rejected. The Indonesian
court system has repeatedly and consistently failed to punish human right
violators. Only an international tribunal can provide full justice for the
East Timorese people. There must be no further delay. Senator Harkin
introduced S. Con. Res. 9 saying, "Wherever and whenever conflict has
resulted in great bloodshed, human suffering, and destruction, there has
been no real peace established without real justice. The people of East
Timor deserve peace--and to establish peace, we must first seek
justice."
In the fall of 1999, the U.S. Congress cut off military training and
weapons transfers until Indonesia meets certain conditions pertaining to
East Timor. These include the return to East Timor of displaced persons
and refugees and bringing to justice military and militia members
responsible for human rights atrocities. The bill also stipulates that
Indonesia must prevent militia incursions into East Timor and cooperate
fully with the UN administration in East Timor. The legislation containing
this language -- the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act -- must be
renewed every year, and work will soon begin on this year's bill. The
current conditions are far from being met, and others relating to civilian
control of the Indonesian military should be added. However, some in the
State Department and the Pentagon are pressing for re-engagement with the
Indonesian military. We must continue to protest any initiation of
U.S.-Indonesia military ties.
In both 1999 and 2000, Congress allocated $25 million in U.S. economic
assistance for East Timor through the Foreign Operations Appropriations
Act. Rebuilding East Timor is progressing very slowly, especially with
regard to health, education, and justice, and the UN will soon decrease
its presence. An increase to $30 million from the U.S. with an additional
$2 million for scholarships for East Timorese students is needed. However,
achieving this modest increase in aid will not be easy. Your elected
representatives need to know of your support for this aid.
Up to 100,000 East Timorese refugees continue to languish in
militia-controlled refugee camps in West Timor. Humanitarian organizations
report as many as five deaths per day in the camps, with conditions
worsening. There has been almost no international presence in the West
Timor camps since last September when militia murdered three UN workers.
Without significant involvement of international NGOs and the UN, refugees
will not be able to freely express whether they want to repatriate or
resettle in Indonesia during any registration process. "The refugees
in the camps are suffering great hunger. They have had no support from
local aid groups since January and from international agencies since
September," the Jesuit Refugee Services, the only international NGO
with a regular presence in West Timor, recently wrote.
A UN team is due to visit West Timor this month to assess whether
conditions are secure enough for the UN to resume its work there. The
Indonesian government is pushing for a rapid registration of the refugees
this spring, precluding the significant international involvement needed
to make sure that refugees' choices are made freely. Returning refugees
continue to report militia intimidation and propaganda, and reports of
violence against women in the camps are prevalent. The continued presence
of armed, hostile militia gangs in West Timor backed by the Indonesian
military is a serious threat to East Timor's security, peace, and
integrity. The people of West Timor also suffer from increased
militarization and violence.
Militias based in West Timor have recently stepped-up their aggressive
tactics, firing machine guns and throwing grenades at UN peacekeepers and
East Timorese along the border. One young East Timorese woman was killed
in these attacks. At the same time, violence against civilians by
Indonesian security forces is escalating throughout the Indonesian
archipelago, especially in Aceh and West Papua. Until the refugee crisis
is resolved, the Indonesian government asserts full control over its
military and holds it accountable for human rights violations committed in
East Timor and Indonesia, the current suspension of all military ties
between the U.S. and Indonesia must be maintained.
East Timor Action Network
PO Box 1182 White Plains, NY 10602
(914) 428-7299;
etan@etan.org
http://www.etan.org
Also call administration officials this month
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