[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 58 (Thursday, May 9, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4165-S4166]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 109--COMMEMORATING THE INDEPENDENCE OF 
  EAST TIMOR AND EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT THE PRESIDENT 
 SHOULD ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH EAST TIMOR, AND FOR OTHER 
                                PURPOSES

  Mr. CHAFEE (for himself and Mr. Feingold) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations:

                            S. Con. Res. 109

       Whereas on May 20, 2002, East Timor will become the first 
     new country of the millennium;
       Whereas the perseverance and strength of the East Timorese 
     people in the face of daunting challenges has inspired the 
     people of the United States and around the world;
       Whereas in 1974 Portugal acknowledged the right of its 
     colonies, including East Timor, to self-determination, 
     including independence;
       Whereas East Timor has been under United Nations 
     administration since October, 1999, during which time 
     international peace-keeping forces, supplemented by forces of 
     the United States Group for East Timor (USGET), have worked 
     to stabilize East Timor and provide for its national 
     security;
       Whereas the people of East Timor exercised their long-
     sought right of self-determination on August 30, 1999, when 
     98.6 percent of the eligible population voted, and 78.5 
     percent chose independence, in a United Nations-administered 
     popular consultation, despite systematic terror and 
     intimidation;

[[Page S4166]]

       Whereas a constitution for East Timor was adopted in March, 
     2002;
       Whereas East Timor is emerging from more than 400 years of 
     colonization and occupation;
       Whereas the East Timorese people again demonstrated their 
     strong commitment to democracy when 91.3 percent of eligible 
     voters peacefully participated in East Timor's first 
     democratic, multiparty election for a Constituent Assembly on 
     August 30, 2001, and when 86.3 percent of those eligible 
     participated in the first presidential election on April 14, 
     2002, electing Xanana Gusamo as their first President;
       Whereas, as the people of East Timor move proudly toward 
     independence, many still struggle to recover from the scars 
     of the military occupation and 1999 anti-independence 
     violence that resulted in displacement which, according to 
     United Nations and other independent reports, exceed 500,000 
     in number, and widespread death, rape and other mistreatment 
     of women, family separation, large refugee populations, and 
     the destruction of 70 percent of the country's 
     infrastructure;
       Whereas efforts are ongoing by East Timorese officials and 
     others to seek justice for the crimes against humanity and 
     war crimes that have been perpetrated in recent years, 
     efforts that include the work of the Serious Crimes 
     Investigation Unit of the United Nations and the East 
     Timorese Commission for Reception, Truth, and Reconciliation 
     to document and assess responsibility;
       Whereas Indonesian National Human Rights Commission and 
     United Nations Security Council recommendations to 
     investigate and prosecute senior Indonesian military and 
     civilian officials for their roles in promoting the 1999 
     anti-independence violence in East Timor have not yet been 
     fully implemented;
       Whereas, although the people of East Timor are working 
     toward a plan for vigorous economic growth and development, 
     the Government of East Timor will face a substantial 
     shortfall in its recurrent and development budgets over the 
     first 3 years of independence, and is seeking to fill the gap 
     entirely with grants from donor countries; and
       Whereas a large percentage of the population of East Timor 
     lives below the poverty line, with inadequate access to 
     health care and education, the unemployment rate is estimated 
     at 80 percent, and the life expectancy is only 57 years: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That (a) Congress--
       (1) congratulates and honors the courageous people of East 
     Timor and their leaders;
       (2) welcomes East Timor into the community of nations as a 
     sovereign state and looks forward to working with East Timor 
     as an equal partner;
       (3) supports United Nations and other multilateral efforts 
     to support reconstruction and development in East Timor, and 
     United Nations and other multilateral peacekeeping forces to 
     safeguard East Timor's security, including continuing the 
     periodic visits by United States military forces;
       (4) remains committed to working toward a debt-free start 
     to East Timor and just, sustainable, and secure development 
     programs as well as adequate resources for the judicial 
     system for East Timor for the foreseeable future beyond 
     independence;
       (5) expresses continued concern over deplorable 
     humanitarian conditions and an environment of intimidation 
     among the East Timorese refugees living in West Timor;
       (6) strongly supports the prompt, safe, and voluntary 
     repatriation and reintegration of East Timorese refugees, in 
     particular those East Timorese still held in militia-
     controlled refugee camps in West Timor, especially children 
     separated from their parents through coercion or force;
       (7) expresses a commitment to maintaining appropriate 
     restrictions and prohibitions in law on military assistance, 
     training, relations, and technical support to the Indonesian 
     Armed Forces; and
       (8) acknowledges that a United Nations International 
     Commission of Inquiry found in January 2000 that justice is 
     ``fundamental for the future social and political stability 
     of East Timor'', and remains deeply concerned about the lack 
     of justice in the region.
       (b) It is the sense of Congress that the President should--
       (1) immediately extend to East Timor the diplomatic 
     relations afforded to other sovereign nations, including the 
     establishment of an embassy in East Timor;
       (2) maintain a robust level of United States assistance for 
     East Timor commensurate with the challenges this new nation 
     faces after independence;
       (3) work to fund in a generous and responsible way East 
     Timor's financing gap in its recurrent and development 
     budgets, and coordinate with other donors to ensure the 
     budget gap is addressed;
       (4) focus bilateral assistance on the areas of employment 
     creation, job training, rural reconstruction, micro-
     enterprise, environmental protection, health care, education, 
     refugee resettlement, reconciliation and conflict resolution, 
     and strengthening the role of women in society;
       (5) strongly urge the Government of Indonesia to step up 
     efforts to disarm and disband all militia, hold them 
     accountable to the rule of law, ensure stability along the 
     border, and promptly reunite East Timorese children separated 
     from their parents through coercion or force; and
       (6) review thoroughly information from the East Timorese 
     Commission for Reception, Truth, and Reconciliation, and use 
     all diplomatic resources at the disposal of the President to 
     ensure that--
       (A) those officials responsible for crimes against humanity 
     and war crimes against the East Timorese people are held 
     accountable; and
       (B) the Government of Indonesia fully cooperates with the 
     East Timorese judicial system.

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