[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 165 (Friday, November 19, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S15081-S15082]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               EAST TIMOR

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I want to say a few words about a piece 
of legislation that is not moving this year. I want to speak about it 
because it deals with an extremely important topic, one that has not 
received the attention and commitment that it deserves from this body.
  That topic is the appropriate state of U.S.-Indonesian relations 
today.
  Mr. President, I introduced S. 1568, the East Timor Self-
Determination Act of 1999, on September 8--well over two months ago. 
That legislation, which passed the Foreign Relations Committee on 
September 27 by an overwhelming vote of 17-1, was cosponsored by the 
Chairman of that Committee as well as many other Members of the Senate.
  I took that action, in cooperation with my colleagues, because events 
in East and West Timor demanded it.
  On August 30, well over 99% of registered voters in East Timor 
courageously came to the polls to express their will regarding the 
political status of that territory.
  More than 78% of those voters marked their ballot in favor of 
independence.
  But weeks of violence immediately followed the vote, as the 
Indonesian military--a military that our country has long supported--
colluded with militia groups in waging a scorched earth campaign 
against the East Timorese people and their democratic aspirations 
throughout the territory.
  Hundreds of thousands of people were forced to flee, and many were 
killed.
  But for the East Timorese run out of their homes in the fray, the 
nightmare did not end there.
  There seems to be a perception out there that all is well in 
Indonesia today, and that the East Timor crisis is over. Unfortunately, 
that is simply not true.
  Last week, the Associated Press reported on the public comments of 
the spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 
The

[[Page S15082]]

spokesman said that many East Timorese are being forced at gunpoint to 
remain in camps that lack food, sanitation and medical care. He said, 
and this is a direct quote, that ``the moment an East Timorese 
expresses a desire to leave the camps and go home their life is in 
danger.'' And the UNHCR spokesperson noted, in last week's AP report, 
that many relief organizations have received reports of refugees being 
raped and beaten by militiamen.
  Mr. President, to this day, militia members harass and intimidate 
East Timorese in West Timor's refugee camps. Only about 56,000 refugees 
have returned home to East Timor. Approximately two hundred thousand 
remain, in many cases against their will, in the refugee camps of West 
Timor.
  To this day, humanitarian organizations do not have the access that 
they need to all of the refugee camps to which East Timorese fled.
  Throughout all of this pain, throughout the destruction of lives and 
property, throughout this brutal retaliation for courageous acts of 
democratic expression, this Senate has been silent. We have had no 
floor debate and no vote. My original bill, despite being voted out of 
committee with only one dissenting vote, has languished on the calendar 
for weeks.
  In response to that silence, Mr. President, I negotiated an 
arrangement to introduce an amendment to the bankruptcy bill addressing 
this issue. Squeezing this important topic into the middle of a debate 
on an unrelated bill was certainly not the most desirable approach, but 
I was determined to pursue this legislation.
  The amendment I had planned to offer was considerably different from 
my original bill. I made significant alterations to it in order to 
respond to changing events and the concerns of other Senators and the 
Administration.
  Mr. President, I wanted to pursue this legislation to encourage 
democracy and accountability in Indonesia, and to hold out clear 
incentives for a policy of accountability and cooperation. And I wanted 
to hold this Administration to its word, ensuring that passing 
political whims do not soften America's rejection of the kind of 
methods that the Indonesian military used in East Timor.
  The amendment would have reached out to the Indonesian government, 
celebrating its democratic transition and recognizing its economic 
needs, while keeping the pressure on elements in Indonesia that are 
moving in the opposite direction--elements moving away from democracy, 
reform, and accountability and moving toward repression, violence, and 
impunity.
  With its clear message and incentives, this amendment would have set 
the stage for a responsible and strong partnership between the U.S. and 
Indonesia.
  Mr. President, it concerns me that the Administration has behaved as 
though they wish this legislation would just go away, although it is a 
codification of their own policy.
  The Administration has told me that they desire more flexibility--
particularly with regard to licensing defense related articles for 
export to Indonesia--than this amendment would allow.
  Despite the fact that I worked closely and carefully with the State 
Department to develop a reasonable list of conditions that must be met 
in order to re-establish miliary and security relations, in the end, 
the Administration did not want to be pinned down to any standards at 
all.
  Mr. President, I will speak frankly. The Administration's 
unwillingness to commit to a responsible policy and to a solid series 
of prerequisites for resuming military and security ties concerns me, 
and convinces me that vigilance will be necessary in the months ahead.
  And so Mr. President, while I foresee no opportunity to move this 
legislation this year, I want to remind this Senate and this 
Administration that my amendment will remain in order when we return to 
the bankruptcy bill, and I am prepared to take up this issue again in 
January, or at any other time the circumstances warrant it.
  I will continue to be certain that this Senate has a voice in the 
future of U.S.-Indonesian relations. I will continue to push for 
accountability for the abuses perpetrated by the Indonesian military 
and militia groups. And I will continue to insist that U.S. engagement 
with the Indonesian miliary is contingent upon an end to the harassment 
and intimidation of East Timorese refugees with impunity.
  I pledge to my colleagues and to this Administration that I will 
monitor this matter, and monitor it closely in the weeks and months 
ahead. I will stand by, ready with several versions of my legislation, 
should the Indonesian military fail to take the steps toward reform and 
accountability that are absolutely essential prerequisites to a 
military and security relationship with the United States.
  And make no mistake, I will come to the floor again and again should 
this Administration appear ready to engage with and support an 
Indonesian military that has not seriously lived up to its own 
commitment to respect the rights of ordinary East Timorese civilians 
who seek only to live their lives in peace and security.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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