109 HRES 456 IH: Expressing 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. U.S. House of Representatives 2005-09-21 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 109th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 456 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 21, 2005 Mr. Crowley (for himself, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. Wexler, and Mr. Blumenauer) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations RESOLUTION Expressing 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.

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

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.