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







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 292

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the 
  referendum in East Timor, calling on the Government of Indonesia to 
 assist in the termination of the current civil unrest and violence in 
 East Timor, and supporting a United Nations Security Council-endorsed 
                  multinational force for East Timor.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 14, 1999

 Mr. Bereuter (for himself, Mr. Gilman, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Gejdenson, Mr. 
   Hastings of Florida, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Goss, Mr. Faleomavaega, Mr. 
  Greenwood, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Pombo, Mr. Underwood, Mr. 
  Moran of Virginia, Mr. Bilbray, Mr. Hall of Ohio, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. 
  Smith of New Jersey, and Mr. Brown of Ohio) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the 
  referendum in East Timor, calling on the Government of Indonesia to 
 assist in the termination of the current civil unrest and violence in 
 East Timor, and supporting a United Nations Security Council-endorsed 
                  multinational force for East Timor.

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 has 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 denying 
        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 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; and
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: 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 
        guarantee the security of the people of East Timor and further 
        notes that it is 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 East Timor;
            (7) urges the Government of Indonesia to allow unrestricted 
        access to refugees and displaced persons in West Timor and to 
        guarantee their safety;
            (8) calls upon the Government of Indonesia to hold 
        accountable those responsible for the violence and human rights 
        abuses and atrocities in East Timor;
            (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 order is effectively restored;
            (10) expresses approval of Indonesia's belated decision to 
        allow a United Nations Security Council-endorsed multinational 
        force into East Timor and strongly urges Indonesia to accept 
        the rapid deployment of this force and to cooperate fully 
        without preconditions on the composition and deployment of this 
        force;
            (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 to end the current civil unrest and violence in East 
        Timor, 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 until such time as 
        it has demonstrated cooperation with respect to the deployment 
        of a multinational force in East Timor and such force is fully 
        deployed, UNAMET is fully operational in East Timor, refugees 
        and displaced persons are able to return to East Timor safely, 
        and order and respect for human rights are restored in East 
        Timor;
            (13) expresses approval of United States logistical and 
        other technical support for deployment of a multinational force 
        for East Timor;
            (14) commends Australia for its readiness to lead the 
        multinational force for East Timor and welcomes the 
        participation of other nations 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 violence in, and progress toward 
        independence for, East Timor and a long-term strategy for 
        supporting stability, security, and democracy in Indonesia and 
        East Timor.
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