[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 71 (Tuesday, May 22, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S5429]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE FOR EAST TIMOR

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, last week, the Standard Times of New 
Bedford, MA, published an op-ed piece by Senator Kennedy on the 
situation in East Timor, in which he discussed the legislation on East 
Timor that he introduced with Senator Chafee, which is also cosponsored 
by myself and Senators Feingold, Harkin, Kerry, Jeffords, and Reed. 
This legislation recently passed the House of Representatives as part 
of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act.
  Senator Kennedy's legislation would provide additional economic 
assistance for East Timor, which is struggling to overcome the violence 
and destruction perpetrated by Indonesian militias, with the support of 
the Indonesian military, after the vote for independence in August 
1999. It would also provide for scholarships for East Timorese 
students, funding for the Peace Corps to start a program there, and 
other initiatives.
  This legislation outlines a comprehensive approach to a new, positive 
relationship between the United States and East Timor, including the 
establishment of full diplomatic relations as soon as independence 
takes place.
  As one who, like Senator Kennedy, has admired the courage and 
determination of the East Timorese people and their capable leaders, 
Xanana Gusmao and Jose Ramos-Horta, I commend him for this legislation 
and ask unanimous consent that his op-ed piece be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

        [From the New Bedford, MA Standard Times, May 16, 2001]

                   Prepare Now for the New East Timor

       Two leaders of the East Timor independence movement are in 
     Washington, D.C., this week for the first time since the 
     people of East Timor voted overwhelmingly for independence in 
     August 1999. Nobel Prize winner Jose Ramos-Horin spent 24 
     years in exile rallying support for East Timor's independence 
     and will be foreign minister in the new government. Xanana 
     Gusmao led the domestic opposition and will be a prominent 
     figure in an independent East Timor. The goal of their visit 
     is to obtain the support of the Bush Administration and 
     Congress for their new country, and they deserve to receive 
     it.
       East Timor's road to independence has been long and 
     violent. Portugal ruled East Timor for 550 years before 
     pulling out in August 1975. East Timor was independent for 
     four months before it was invaded by Indonesia in December 
     that year. The U.N. General Assembly and Security Council 
     strongly condemned the invasion, and never recognized 
     Indonesian sovereignty over East Timor.
       After two decades of unrest, former Indonesian President B. 
     J. Habibie finally agreed to a referendum in January 1999. In 
     August that year, the people of East Timor voted 
     overwhelmingly in favor of independence from Indonesia, and 
     they did so at great personal risk. Before, during and after 
     the vote, the Indonesian military and anti-independence 
     militia groups killed more than a thousand people and 
     displaced thousands more, hoping to intimidate the 
     independence movement.
       Although the militias succeeded in destroying 70 percent of 
     East Timor's infrastructure, they failed to derail East 
     Timor's desire for freedom.
       On August 30 this year, looking to America as an example, 
     East Timor will elect a constituent assembly to decide which 
     form of democratic government to adopt.
       It is a process that reminds us of our own Constitutional 
     Convention and would make our founders proud. A few months 
     after that, East Timor, which is currently governed by the 
     United Nations, will formally declare its independence. After 
     years of hardship, violence and death, a new democracy will 
     take its rightful place in the world. The new nation is a 
     great success story, but it is far from complete.
       East Timor is rebuilding itself from ashes following 24 
     years of Indonesian rule, and it needs international 
     assistance. It remains one of the poorest countries in Asia. 
     The annual per capita gross national product is $340. As many 
     as 100,000 East Timorese refugees languish in militia-
     controlled refugee camps in West Timor, which is still part 
     of Indonesia and where there has been a sharply reduced 
     international presence since militias murdered three U.N. 
     workers last September.
       In the aftermath of the violence in East Timor, the United 
     States has provided important humanitarian aid and assistance 
     for nation-building. But our assistance has been provided on 
     an ad hoc basis. We have made no commitment to a longterm 
     political investment in a newly independent East Timor, and 
     we should do so.
       We should leave no doubt in the minds of any government 
     officials in Indonesia that the United States will recognize 
     and support the new nation of East Timor.
       To advance this objective, I, along with Sen. Chafee, have 
     introduced legislation in the Senate to facilitate East 
     Timor's transition to independence.
       Reps. Tom Lantos and Chris Smith have introduced similar 
     legislation in the House of Representatives. Its purpose is 
     to lay the groundwork for establishing a strong relationship 
     with East Timor, including a bilateral and multilateral 
     assistance program. Our legislation encourages President 
     Bush, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the Trade 
     and Development Agency and other U.S. agencies to put in 
     place now the tools and programs necessary to create a 
     reliable trade and investment relationship with East Timor.
       It provides a three-year commitment of $30 million in U.S. 
     assistance, including $2 million for a Peace Corps presence 
     and $1 million for a scholarship fund for East Timorese 
     students to study in the United States, and supports economic 
     assistance through international financial institutions.
       To help professionalize the army, it authorizes the 
     president to provide excess defense materials and 
     international military education and training, if the 
     president certifies that doing so is in the interest of the 
     United States and will help promote human rights in East 
     Timor and the professionalization of East Timor's armed 
     forces. Our bill also supports efforts to ensure justice and 
     accountability for past atrocities in East Timor.
       The bill specifically calls on the State Department to 
     establish diplomatic relations with East Timor as soon as 
     independence takes place. It took President Truman 10 minutes 
     to establish diplomatic relations with Israel in 1948. 
     President Bush should be able to do the same with East Timor 
     in 2001.
       The people of East Timor have chosen democracy, and the 
     United States has a golden opportunity to help them create 
     their new democracy. We must prepare for that day now. The 
     great faith in the democratic process they showed by voting 
     for independence under the barrel of a gun must not go 
     unrewarded.
       We should put U.S. governmental programs and resources in 
     place now to prepare for the reality of an independent East 
     Timor. If we wait until East Timor declares its independence 
     before we do the preliminary work, we will lose vital time 
     and do a disservice to both the United States and East Timor. 
     We must not miss this unique opportunity to help.

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