[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 105 (Thursday, July 30, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1484]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 SAN FRANCISCO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CONDEMN PERSECUTION OF CHINESE IN 
                               INDONESIA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 30, 1998

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I call to the attention of my colleagues in 
the House a resolution condemning the persecution of Chinese in 
Indonesia which was recently adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the 
city of San Francisco. I want to mention in particular two outstanding 
Supervisors--Mabel Teng and Leland Yee--who took the initiative in 
calling for a resolution to condemn the at-times brutal treatment of 
ethnic Chinese living in Indonesia.
  Mr. Speaker, the recent popular unrest in Indonesia led to gross 
abuse of the human rights of the Chinese population there. At my 
direction the Congressional Human Rights Caucus holds a briefing for 
Members of Congress and congressional staff today to understand the 
dimensions of this tragic assault against ethnic Chinese in Indonesia. 
The U.S. Government must make clear to the government in Jakarta that 
such abuses are totally unacceptable, and we must be certain that the 
Indonesian Government works to prevent the recurrence of such actions.
  At a hearing of the Subcommittee on International Operations and 
Human Rights which was held last Thursday (July 23) and which focused 
on human rights in Indonesia, I raised the issue of Chinese human 
rights violations in Indonesia with our Assistant Secretary of State 
for Human Rights, John Shattuck. I want to reiterate, Mr. Speaker, what 
I said on that occasion. I earnestly hope that the cataclysmic changes 
which are sweeping over Indonesia today and which will have enormously 
negative ramifications for tens of millions of Indonesians in an 
economic sense, will herald the opening up of the process of 
democratization and respect for human rights--and particularly, respect 
for the rights of the Chinese population living in Indonesia.
  One of the sad aspects of our Nation's own human rights record has 
been our failure to press for equal rights for the Chinese population 
of Indonesia, which has been pivotal in the economic development of 
that country. In the hearing last week with Assistant Secretary 
Shattuck, Mr. Speaker, I asked and received assurance that the 
Department of State will press the government of Indonesia for a full 
investigation of the brutal and violent acts taken against the ethnic 
Chinese community there and that we will actively and aggressively urge 
full observance of the human rights of Chinese in Indonesia.
  Mr. Speaker, the resolution recently adopted by the San Francisco 
Board of Supervisors is an important statement on this important issue, 
and I commend Supervisor Teng and Supervisor Yee for their initiative. 
I submit the full text of this resolution to be placed in the Record.

           Condemning the Persecution of Chinese in Indonesia

   Condemning the persecution, racial violence and sexual brutality 
   against ethnic Chinese in Indonesia and urging our congressional 
 representatives to call for a full investigation into these atrocious 
  acts of violence and pressure the Indonesian government for a full 
           investigation to seek accountability and justice.

       Whereas, recently 1,200 people died in Indonesia as a 
     result of targeted and vicious attacks and riots; and
       Whereas, ethnic Chinese in Indonesia were targeted for 
     racial violence, looting and sexual brutality; and
       Whereas, various human rights groups report that at least 
     70 Chinese women were systematically raped, and 20 of those 
     women died due to complications from their injuries; and
       Whereas, rape victims included young girls; and
       Whereas, Indonesian Chinese have been subjected to 
     organized persecution that included looting, burning of 
     churches and homes and mass raping in public; and
       Whereas, human rights groups, including the Jakarta Legal 
     Aid Institute, have accused the Indonesian government 
     represented by security forces of failing to control the 
     violence, and encouraging the brutality; and
       Whereas, the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute and other human 
     rights groups have filed a class action lawsuit against the 
     Indonesian government for these attacks; and
       Whereas, much of the media worldwide covered the student 
     demonstrations in Jakarta, however, the specific reports of 
     the widespread violence and attacks against the ethnic 
     Chinese have been largely ignored; and
       Whereas, the United States must condemn and denounce these 
     horrific atrocities of violence and express the moral outrage 
     of the American people; therefore be it
       Resolved, That the Board of Supervisors in the City and 
     County of San Francisco condemns the persecution, racial 
     violence and sexual brutality against ethnic Chinese in 
     Indonesia; and be it
       Further Resolved, That the Board of Supervisors in the City 
     and County of San Francisco urges that our Congressional 
     Representatives call for a full investigation into these 
     atrocious acts of violence and pressure the Indonesian 
     government for a full investigation to seek accountability 
     and justice.

     

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