Expressing the sense of Congress that Indonesia completes a transition to a democratically elected, nonmilitary government. (Introduced in the House).

Additional co-sponsors include Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Barney Frank (D-MA)

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 22, 1998

Mr. STEARNS (for himself, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. OLVER, Ms. MCKINNEY, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr. STARK, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. EVANS, Mrs. LOWEY, and Mr. SMITH of New Jersey) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of Congress that Indonesia completes a transition to a democratically elected, nonmilitary government.

Whereas the political situation in Indonesia has been in a state of chaos;

Whereas innocent people have been killed by Indonesia's military forces;

Whereas General Suharto has finally resigned, and his vice president, Joseph [sic] Habibie has assumed the presidency of Indonesia;

Whereas General Suharto came to power through a military takeover that led to the deaths of a half million Indonesians;

Whereas President Habibie has hand-picked General Suharto to carry out policies consistent with the past 32 years of economic exploitation and political repression;

Whereas General Suharto has said that he will remain leader of the Golkar ruling party;

Whereas President Habibie has declared that he will serve out the remainder of General Suharto's term that ends in March 2003;

Whereas the policies of General Suharto and the Indonesian military regime have caused the deaths of at least 200,000 people, one-third of the population, in East Timor;

Whereas the State Department Report on Human Rights reports that in 1997, the Indonesian government continued to commit serious human rights abuses' and `demonstrated that it would not tolerate challenges to the fundamental elements of the political system by arresting and placing on trial some of its critics';

Whereas Indonesia continues to imprison democratic, student, labor, religious, and ethnic leaders;

Whereas General Suharto and his family have looted the Indonesian treasury of between $30,000,000,000 and $40,000,000,000; and

Whereas General Suharto's cronyism has enabled his friends to pillage billions of dollars more from the Indonesian people:

Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the United States should support a complete transition that will lead immediately to a democratically elected, nonmilitary government in Indonesia including--

(1) release of political prisoners;

(2) legalization of political organizing activities;

(3) international monitoring of human rights conditions;

(4) roundtable all party discussions;

(5) a transitional government of national unity;

(6) democratic elections;

(7) a truth commission to address past political crimes; and

(8) recognition that past injustices require redress.

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