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Media Release For Immediate Release
Contact John M. Miller; (718)596-7668; (516)317-6257 (mobile) Karen Orenstein; (202)544-6911 Senate Passes Appropriations Bill Restricting U.S. Military
Assistance to Indonesia 19 November 1999 -- This evening, the U.S. Senate linked restoration of U.S. military assistance to Indonesia to substantial progress in prosecuting members of the Indonesian armed forces and militia members responsible for the extensive destruction in East Timor following the overwhelming pro-independence vote. The Omnibus/DC Appropriations Conference Report (HR 3194), passed by the House of Representatives on Thursday, would restrict military assistance until East Timorese forcibly displaced to West Timor and other parts of Indonesia return home. Indonesia must also take "effective measures to bring to justice" members of the Indonesian military involved in "aiding or abetting militia groups" and members of the military and militias involved in human rights violations. Military aid is also conditioned on Indonesia assisting in investigations of human rights violations by the Indonesian military and its militias and preventing further militia attacks. The East Timor Action Network/U.S. (ETAN) praised the congressional action which took place as two high Clinton administration officials, Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Stanley Roth prepared to visit Indonesia and East Timor. "This bill makes clear that the U.S. Congress intends to maintain pressure on the Indonesian military and government until East Timorese refugees have returned and a peaceful transition to independence is achieved," said Lynn Fredriksson, Washington Representative of the ETAN/U.S. The appropriations bill would bind into law for Fiscal Year 2000 much of the Clinton administration's temporary ban on military assistance to Indonesia first announced in early September as the Indonesian military and its militias began their scorched earth campaign in the wake of East Timor's August 30 vote for independence. President Clinton has said he will sign the bill. "Indonesia's new president has said he wants to see the refugees return. He also wants to establish good relations with East Timor. Continued U.S. pressure on the Indonesian military will help achieve these goals," said Fredriksson. "Investigating and prosecuting those responsible for the destruction of East Timor can only help build democracy in Indonesia. Bans on military assistance should remain in place until there are fundamental changes in the Indonesian military, including an end to human rights abuses in Indonesia itself," she added. The appropriations bill also increases Economic Support Funds for the Agency for International Development (USAID) by $168.5 million. ETAN is encouraging the administration to utilize a significant portion of this money to aid reconstruction in East Timor. Two additional provisions of the bill deal with military training. One requires a detailed report of all overseas military training for foreign militaries past or planned by the Pentagon. This provision resulted from controversy over the Joint Combined Exchange Training program (JCET) of the Indonesian military, which members of Congress, including Rep. Lane Evans (IL), and ETAN exposed last year. A second provision continues the ban on International Military Education and Training (IMET) aid to Indonesia, which has been restricted since 1992. The bill also affirms current law by retaining the ban on Indonesia's use of U.S.-supplied weapons in East Timor. Key leaders in congressional efforts to maintain restrictions on the Indonesian military and to support East Timor include Senators Patrick Leahy (VT), Russell Feingold (WI) and Tom Harkin (IA) and Representatives Patrick Kennedy (RI), Nita Lowey (NY) and Chris Smith (NJ). Over 200,000 East Timorese remain in West Timor and other parts of Indonesia; most against their will. On Friday, the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said that militia activity is forcing its staff to mount "commando-style snatch-and-run" operations in West Timor to help East Timorese refugees return home. On Thursday, it reported that militias attacked a UNHCR convoy, injuring at least two refugees. Indonesian police stood by as the attack took place. Komnas HAM, Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights, recently reported that militia groups in West Timor control the refugee camps and have committed "systematic and organized human rights violations," including forced disappearances, arbitrary detention and violence against women. Indonesian security forces "let these things continue," Komnas HAM said. The East Timor Action Network/U.S. was founded in November 1991, following the massacre of more than 271 peaceful demonstrators in Dili, East Timor. ETAN supports genuine self-determination and human rights for the people of East Timor. ETAN has 27 local chapters throughout the U.S. See Action Alert FY 2000 FOREIGN OPERATIONS APPROPRIATIONS BILL LANGUAGE PASSED ON INDONESIA AND EAST TIMOR (5 GENERAL PROVISIONS) 1. IMET Ban Renewed INTERNATIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION AND TRAINING For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of section 541 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, $50,000,000, of which up to $1,000,000 may remain available until expended: Provided, That the civilian personnel for whom military education and training may be provided under this heading may include civilians who are not members of a government whose participation would contribute to improved civil-military relations, civilian control of the military, or respect for human rights: Provided further, That funds appropriated under this heading for grant financed military education and training for Indonesia and Guatemala may only be available for expanded international military education and training and funds made available for Guatemala may only be provided through the regular notification procedures of the Committees on Appropriations: 2. Prohibition on U.S. weapons use (by Indonesia) in East Timor Renewed and Report on Indonesian Officers and Units Deployed and Involved in Recent Violence in East Timor LIMITATIONS ON TRANSFER OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO EAST TIMOR Sec. 565. In any agreement for the sale, transfer, or licensing of any lethal equipment or helicopter for Indonesia entered into by the United States pursuant to the authority of this Act or any other Act, the agreement shall state that the items will not be used in East Timor. Sec. 565. Limitations on transfer of military equipment to East Timor The conference agreement includes language from the Senate amendment that requires that in any agreement for military assistance or sales a statement shall be included that the items will not be used in East Timor. The House language included a proviso that stated nothing in this section shall be construed to limit Indonesia's inherent right to self-defense as recognized under the UN charter and in international law, and that military sales, assistance, or lease agreements include the statement that the United States `expects' that the military assistance will not be used in East Timor. The conferees direct the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and other appropriate agencies, to submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations not later than February 1, 2000, identifying all Indonesian commanding officers and units deployed in East Timor during 1999, and providing any available information linking those officers and units to the violence prior to and after the August 30, 1999 referendum in East Timor. Such report may be provided in classified form, if appropriate. 3. New Provision Locks in U.S. Military Restrictions on Indonesia until Six Conditions on East Timor are Met Note: The ban includes not only IMET, but E-IMET, and Foreign Military Financing (FMF) includes all grants and loans to subsidize weapons transfers to Indonesia! INDONESIA Sec. 589. (a) Funds appropriated by this Act under the headings `International Military Education and Training' and `Foreign Military Financing Program' may be made available for Indonesia if the President determines and submits a report to the appropriate congressional committees that the Indonesian government and the Indonesian armed forces are-- (1) taking effective measures to bring to justice members of the armed forces and militia groups against whom there is credible evidence of human rights violations; (2) taking effective measures to bring to justice members of the armed forces against whom there is credible evidence of aiding or abetting militia groups; (3) allowing displaced persons and refugees to return home to East Timor, including providing safe passage for refugees returning from West Timor; (4) not impeding the activities of the International Force in East Timor (INTERFET) or its successor, the United Nations Transitional Authority in East Timor (UNTAET); (5) demonstrating a commitment to preventing incursions into East Timor by members of militia groups in West Timor; and (6) demonstrating a commitment to accountability by cooperating with investigations and prosecutions of members of the Indonesian armed forces and militia groups responsible for human rights violations in Indonesia and East Timor. 589. Indonesia The conference agreement includes new language that conditions the obligations of funds appropriated by this Act under the headings `International Military Education and Training' and `Foreign Military Financing Program' on a Presidential determination and report to Congress that the Government of Indonesia and the Indonesian Armed Forces are meeting specified criteria regarding accountability for past acts and ongoing activities in Indonesia and East Timor. 589. Indonesia The conference agreement includes new language that conditions the obligations of funds appropriated by this Act under the headings `International Military Education and Training' and `Foreign Military Financing Program' on a Presidential determination and report to Congress that the Government of Indonesia and the Indonesian Armed Forces are meeting specified criteria regarding accountability for past acts and ongoing activities in Indonesia and East Timor. 4. Military Training Requirements Expanded Since Last Year's (after the JCET exposure) FOREIGN MILITARY TRAINING REPORT Sec. 575. (a) The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State shall jointly provide to the Congress by March 1, 2000, a report on all military training provided to foreign military personnel (excluding sales, and excluding training provided to the military personnel of countries belonging to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) under programs administered by the Department of Defense and the Department of State during fiscal years 1999 and 2000, including those proposed for fiscal year 2000. This report shall include, for each such military training activity, the foreign policy justification and purpose for the training activity, the cost of the training activity, the number of foreign students trained and their units of operation, and the location of the training. In addition, this report shall also include, with respect to United States personnel, the operational benefits to United States forces derived from each such training activity and the United States military units involved in each such training activity. This report may include a classified annex if deemed necessary and appropriate. (b) For purposes of this section a report to Congress shall be deemed to mean a report to the Appropriations and Foreign Relations Committees of the Senate and the Appropriations and International Relations Committees of the House of Representatives. SEC. 1307. ANNUAL FOREIGN MILITARY TRAINING REPORT. Chapter 3 of part III of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2401 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 655 the following: SEC. 656. ANNUAL FOREIGN MILITARY TRAINING REPORT. `(a) Annual Report: Not later than January 31 of each year, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State shall jointly prepare and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on all military training provided to foreign military personnel by the Department of Defense and the Department of State during the previous fiscal year and all such training proposed for the current fiscal year. `(b) Contents: The report described in subsection (a) shall include the following: `(1) For each military training activity, the foreign policy justification and purpose for the activity, the number of foreign military personnel provided training and their units of operation, and the location of the training. `(2) For each country, the aggregate number of students trained and the aggregate cost of the military training activities. `(3) With respect to United States personnel, the operational benefits to United States forces derived from each military training activity and the United States military units involved in each activity. `(c) Form: The report described in subsection (a) shall be in unclassified form but may include a classified annex. `(d) Availability on Internet: All unclassified portions of the report described in subsection (a) shall be made available to the public on the Internet through the Department of State. `(e) Definition: In this section, the term `appropriate congressional committees' means-- `(1) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives; and `(2) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.'. ANNUAL MILITARY ASSISTANCE REPORT Section 1306 expands and clarifies the information relating to military assistance and military exports that the President is required to transmit to Congress each February 1, pursuant to section 655 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. Currently, this report includes information about the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program, but not about other military education and training activities that the United States conducts with foreign countries. It is intended that future reports include information about activities under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, such as the Military-to-Military Contacts Program (MMCP) and the Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) program. This provision is not intended, however, to cover joint military exercises or NATO operations. Section 1306 also requires separate identification of defense articles furnished with the financial assistance of the U.S. government, such as Foreign Military Financing loans and U.S. government-backed loan guarantees. These items are currently grouped together with commercial sales. Finally, the provision requires that the report be published in unclassified form on the internet through the State Department. 5. Several Appropriations for Use for East Timor: These include several general mentions of support, funding for U.S. participation in INTERFET, funding for Peacekeeping, $25 million in USAID for East Timor, and $500,000 for the next two years for scholarships for East Timor. CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 3194, CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2000 (House of Representatives - November 17, 1999) [Page: H12315] TITLE III--MILITARY ASSISTANCE Funds Appropriated to the President CONTRIBUTIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING ACTIVITIES ... The conference agreement includes additional resources, which may be applied to additional assessments subject to reprogramming requirements. The conferees are aware that additional assessments are expected in fiscal year 2000 for new and expanded peacekeeping missions, including those in Kosovo, Sierra Leone and East Timor. OPERATING EXPENSES OF THE AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of section 667, $25,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2001, which sum shall be available for the Office of the Inspector General of the Agency for International Development. Other Bilateral Economic Assistance ECONOMIC SUPPORT FUND ...That of the funds appropriated under this heading, not less than $25,000,000 should be made available for assistance for East Timor: TITLE V--GENERAL PROVISIONS Southeast Asia The conference agreement does not include reservations of specific minimum funding allocations for Indonesia as proposed by the Senate. The House bill did not address this matter. The managers support the highest possible level of assistance to promote the economic recovery of the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia from the Asian financial crisis. Effective support for private investment, better governance, and less corruption in these countries should be given a higher priority in development assistance and Economic Support Fund allocation decisions. The Accelerated Economic Recovery in Asia and United States-Asia Environmental Partnership programs should be augmented by specific efforts to retain existing major United States private sector investments in the region, especially in the infrastructure sector. ... The managers encourage support for the democratic transition now underway in Indonesia. The managers recognize that humanitarian and economic assistance from many nations will be needed to enable East Timor to recover from the violence and destruction perpetrated by anti-independence forces following the referendum of August 30, 1999. The recovery of East Timor will also depend on the cooperation of its Indonesian neighbors. The conference agreement provides that not less than $25,000,000 from the `Economic Support Fund' account should be made available for a United States contribution to the recovery of East Timor. SEC.104. UNITED STATES INFORMATIONAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND CULTURAL PROGRAMS. ... (iii) East Timorese scholarships: Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated under clause (i), $500,000 for the fiscal year 2000 and $500,000 for the fiscal year 2001 is authorized to be available for `East Timorese Scholarships'. TITLE IV--DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND RELATED AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF STATE Administration of Foreign Affairs EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMS The conference agreement includes $205,000,000 for Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs of the Department of State, instead of $175,000,000 as proposed in the House bill and $216,476,000 as proposed in the Senate bill. The conference agreement also provides that not to exceed $800,000 may be credited to this appropriation from fees and other payments. The availability of significant carryover and recovered funds in this account is noted, and the Department is directed to submit a proposed distribution of the total resources available under this account no later than December 31, 1999, through the normal reprogramming process. The conferees intend that the distribution of funds under this account shall support, to the maximum extent possible, Fulbright Scholarship Programs, Humphrey Fellowships, educational advising and counseling, Citizen Exchange Programs, Pepper Scholarships, the Regional Scholar Exchange Program, the Disability Exchange Clearinghouse, the National Youth Science Camp, and exchanges with Tibet, the South Pacific, and East Timor. Note: For those without a fax application on their computer - CallCenter V3.5.8, is a Native 32-bit Voice Telephony software application integrated with fax and data communications... and it's free of charge! Download from http://www.v3inc.com/ |
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