[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 292 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                 In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

                                                    September 28, 1999.
Whereas on May 5, 1999, the Governments of Portugal and Indonesia and the United 
        Nations concluded an historic agreement intended to resolve the status 
        of East Timor through a popular consultation based upon a universal, 
        direct, and secret ballot;
Whereas the agreement gave the people of East Timor an opportunity to accept a 
        proposed special autonomy for East Timor within the unitary Republic of 
        Indonesia or reject the special autonomy and opt for independence;
Whereas on August 30, 1999, 98.5 percent of registered voters participated in a 
        vote on the future of East Timor, and by a vote of 344,580 to 94,388 
        chose the course of independence;
Whereas after the voting was concluded, violence intensified significantly in 
        East Timor;
Whereas the declaration by the Government of Indonesia of martial law in East 
        Timor failed to quell the violence;
Whereas it has been reported that hundreds of people have been killed and 
        injured since the violence began in East Timor;
Whereas it has been reported that as many as 200,000 of East Timor's 780,000 
        residents have been forced to flee East Timor;
Whereas it has been reported that East Timor militias are controlling the 
        refugee camps in West Timor, intimidating the refugees and limiting 
        access to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, relief 
        agencies, and other humanitarian nongovernmental organizations;
Whereas it has been reported that a systematic campaign of political 
        assassinations that has targeted religious, student, and political 
        leaders, aid workers, and others has taken place;
Whereas the compound of the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) was 
        besieged and fired upon, access to food, water, and electricity was 
        intentionally cut off, and UNAMET personnel have been killed, forcing 
        the temporary closure of UNAMET in East Timor;
Whereas Catholic leaders and lay people have been targeted to be killed and 
        churches burned in East Timor;
Whereas the international community has called upon the Government of Indonesia 
        to either take immediate and concrete steps to end the violence in East 
        Timor or allow a United Nations Security Council-endorsed multinational 
        force to enter East Timor and restore order;
Whereas on September 9, 1999, the United States suspended all military relations 
        with Indonesia as a result of the failure to quell the violence in East 
        Timor;
Whereas on September 12, 1999, Indonesian President B.J. Habibie announced that 
        Indonesia would allow a United Nations Security Council-endorsed 
        multinational force into East Timor;
Whereas on September 15, 1999, the United Nations Security Council approved 
        Resolution 1264, authorizing the establishment of a multinational force 
        to restore peace and security in East Timor, to protect and support 
        UNAMET in carrying out its tasks and, within force capabilities, to 
        facilitate humanitarian assistance operations, and authorizing countries 
        participating in the multinational force to take all necessary measures 
        to fulfill this mandate; and
Whereas on September 20, 1999, the multinational force led by Australia arrived 
        in East Timor and began to deploy for an initial period of four months 
        until replaced by a United Nations peacekeeping operation, or as 
        otherwise determined by the United Nations Security Council: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) congratulates the people of East Timor on their exemplary 
        participation in the August 30, 1999, popular consultation;
            (2) commends the professionalism, determination, and courage of the 
        United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) personnel in support of 
        the August 30, 1999, vote on the future of East Timor;
            (3) recognizes the overwhelming expression of the people of East 
        Timor in favor of independence from Indonesia;
            (4) condemns the violent efforts of East Timor militias and elements 
        of the Indonesian military to overturn the results of the August 30, 
        1999, vote;
            (5) notes with grave alarm the failure of the Government of 
        Indonesia, despite repeated assurances to the contrary, to have 
        guaranteed the security of the people of East Timor and further notes 
        that it was the responsibility of the Government of Indonesia to 
        restrain elements of the Indonesian military and paramilitary forces and 
        restore order in East Timor;
            (6) calls upon the Government of Indonesia to recognize its 
        responsibilities as a member of the United Nations and a signatory to 
        the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to cooperate with appropriate 
        United Nations authorities in the restoration of order in, and the safe 
        return of refugees and other displaced persons to, East Timor;
            (7) urges the Government of Indonesia to allow unrestricted access 
        to refugees and displaced persons in West Timor and elsewhere and to 
        guarantee their safety;
            (8) urges the international community to investigate the human 
        rights abuses and atrocities which occurred with respect to the 
        situation in East Timor subsequent to August 30, 1999, and calls upon 
        the Government of Indonesia to hold accountable those responsible for 
        these acts;
            (9) notes with approval the decision of the United States to suspend 
        military relations with, and the sale of any military weapons or 
        equipment to, the Government of Indonesia until the Indonesian military 
        has effectively cooperated with the international community in 
        facilitating the transition of East Timor to independence;
            (10) expresses approval of Indonesia's belated decision to allow the 
        United Nations Security Council-endorsed multinational force into East 
        Timor;
            (11) expresses support for a rapid and effective deployment 
        throughout East Timor of the United Nations Security Council-endorsed 
        multinational force;
            (12) urges that the United States consider additional measures, 
        including the suspension of bilateral and international financial 
        assistance (except for humanitarian assistance and assistance designed 
        to promote the development of democratic institutions) to the Government 
        of Indonesia should it curtail or suspend cooperation with the 
        multinational force in East Timor, interfere with the full deployment of 
        this multinational force, hinder the operation of UNAMET, hinder the 
        safe return of refugees and displaced persons to East Timor, or 
        otherwise interfere with the restoration of order and respect for human 
        rights in East Timor;
            (13)(A) expresses approval of United States logistical and other 
        technical support for the multinational force for East Timor; and
            (B) declares that neither subparagraph (A) nor any other provision 
        of this resolution--
                    (i) shall constitute a waiver of any right or power of the 
                Congress under the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1541 et 
                seq.); or
                    (ii) shall be construed as authority described in section 
                8(a) of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1547(a));
            (14) strongly commends Australia for its willingness to lead the 
        multinational force for East Timor and for rapidly deploying its initial 
        contingent of forces and welcomes and commends New Zealand, Canada, 
        Thailand, the United Kingdom, Singapore, the Philippines, Italy, Brazil, 
        France, and other nations that will participate in this force;
            (15) urges the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly to 
        expeditiously ratify the vote of August 30, 1999, in East Timor and to 
        otherwise speed the transition to full independence for East Timor; and
            (16) recognizes that an effective United States foreign policy for 
        this region requires both an effective near-term response to the ongoing 
        humanitarian crisis in, and progress toward independence for, East Timor 
        and a long-term strategy for supporting stability, security, and 
        democracy in Indonesia and East Timor.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.