[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 191 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 191

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding East Timor and supporting 
                the multinational force for East Timor.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 29, 1999

  Mr. Harkin (for himself, Mr. Conrad, Mr. Moynihan, Mr. Schumer, Mr. 
 Lieberman, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Chafee, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Feingold, and Mrs. 
 Murray) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding East Timor and supporting 
                the multinational force for East Timor.

Whereas on May 5, 1999, the Governments of Portugal and Indonesia and the United 
        Nations signed an agreement that provided for an August 8, 1999, ballot 
        organized by the United Nations on the political status of East Timor;
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, 78.5 percent of the people in East Timor voted for 
        independence;
Whereas after the voting was concluded, the militias in East Timor intensified 
        their ongoing campaign of terror;
Whereas it has been reported that thousands of people have been killed and 
        injured since the violence began in East Timor;
Whereas the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reported 
        that as many as 200,000 of East Timor's 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 UNHCR, relief agencies, and other humanitarian 
        nongovernmental organizations;
Whereas it has been reported that a systematic campaign of political 
        assassinations that 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 the UNAMET mission in East Timor;
Whereas Catholic leaders and lay people have been targeted for killing and 
        churches have been burned in East Timor; and
Whereas on September 12, 1999, Indonesian President B.J. Habibie announced that 
        Indonesia would allow a United Nations Security Council authorized 
        multinational force into East Timor: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate hereby--
            (1) congratulates the people of East Timor for their heroic 
        vote on August 30, 1999;
            (2) commends the United Nations Security Council for 
        passing Resolution 1264 authorizing a multinational force to 
        address the security situation in East Timor;
            (3) expresses support for a rapid and effective deployment 
        throughout East Timor by the multinational force;
            (4) commends Australia for its readiness to lead the 
        multinational force for East Timor and welcomes the 
        participation of other nations in this force, especially Asian 
        participation;
            (5) expresses approval for the United States to assist in 
        this effort in an appropriate manner;
            (6) commends the professionalism, determination, and 
        courage of the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) 
        personnel;
            (7) recognizes the overwhelming expression of the people of 
        East Timor in favor of independence;
            (8) condemns the violent efforts of the East Timor militias 
        and elements of the Indonesian military to overturn the results 
        of the August 30, 1999, vote;
            (9) notes 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 is 
        the responsibility of the Government of Indonesia to restrain 
        elements of the Indonesian military and paramilitary forces and 
        restore order in East Timor;
            (10) 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 order in East Timor;
            (11) urges the Government of Indonesia to allow 
        unrestricted access to refugees and displaced persons in West 
        Timor by UNHRC and other relief agencies and to guarantee their 
        security; and
            (12) calls upon the Government of Indonesia to hold 
        accountable those responsible for the violence, human rights 
        abuses and atrocities and to cooperate with the international 
        community in establishing an international commission of 
        inquiry to investigate human rights abuses in East Timor as a 
        first step in bringing to justice those responsible.
                                 <all>