[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 456 Engrossed in House (EH)]


H. Res. 456

                 In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

                                                     December 18, 2005.
Whereas for three decades there has been a continuous armed conflict in Aceh, a 
        province in Sumatra, Indonesia;
Whereas violence between the Indonesian military and the Free Aceh Movement has 
        resulted in an estimated 15,000 deaths in the region;
Whereas the tsunami that occurred on December 26, 2004, killed at least 165,000 
        people in Aceh and devastated the landscape;
Whereas after the tsunami both the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh 
        Movement recognized that a peaceful settlement of the conflict would 
        have to be reached to enable the rebuilding of Aceh;
Whereas after months of negotiating through the Crisis Management Initiative 
        chaired by former President Martti Ahtisaari of Finland, the parties 
        agreed to a draft memorandum of understanding to end the conflict in 
        July 2005;
Whereas Hamid Awaludin, Minister of Law and Human Rights of Indonesia, and Malik 
        Mahmud, of the Free Aceh Movement, signed the final memorandum of 
        understanding on August 15, 2005, in Helsinki;
Whereas the memorandum of understanding provides a timetable for disarmament of 
        the Free Aceh Movement and troop withdrawals by the Indonesian military;
Whereas the memorandum of understanding provides the people of Aceh with new 
        political powers and the right to retain 70 percent of the revenues from 
        certain natural resource extractions from the province;
Whereas a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and a Human Rights Court will be 
        established for Aceh;
Whereas the Free Aceh Movement has agreed to forego its demand for independence; 
        and
Whereas Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has provided amnesty and 
        released hundreds of Free Aceh Movement members being held in prison 
        since the signing of the peace agreement: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses support for the memorandum of understanding signed by 
        the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement 
        on August 15, 2005, to end the conflict in Aceh, a province in Sumatra, 
        Indonesia, and congratulates both parties for their willingness to 
        compromise;
            (2) expresses the hope that both parties live up to their 
        commitments under the memorandum of understanding and that peace and 
        security can finally be achieved in Aceh after three decades; and
            (3) encourages the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the 
        United States Agency for International Development to commit resources 
        in guaranteeing the peace and building a strong civil society in Aceh.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.