[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 66 (Tuesday, May 21, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H2739-H2745]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page H2739]]

House of Representatives

COMMEMORATING INDEPENDENCE OF AND EXPRESSING SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT THE 
    PRESIDENT SHOULD ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH EAST TIMOR

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 405) commemorating the 
independence of East Timor and expressing the sense of Congress that 
the President should establish diplomatic relations with East Timor, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 405

       Whereas on May 20, 2002, East Timor became 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 peacekeeping 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 by the Indonesian military and its militia;
       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;
       Whereas East Timor adopted a constitution in March 2002;
       Whereas East Timor is emerging from over 400 years of 
     colonial domination and a 24-year period of occupation by the 
     Indonesian military;
       Whereas, as the people of East Timor move proudly toward 
     independence, many still struggle to recover from the scars 
     of the military occupation and the 1999 scorched-earth 
     campaign that resulted in displacement which, according to 
     the United Nations and other independent reports, exceeded 
     500,000 in number and widespread death, rape, and other 
     mistreatment of women, family separation, and 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 which include the work of the United Nations Serious 
     Crimes Investigation Unit and the East Timorese Commission 
     for Reception, Truth, and Reconciliation to document and 
     assess responsibility for these crimes;
       Whereas recommendations by the Indonesian National Human 
     Rights Commission and the United Nations Security Council 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 faces a substantial shortfall in 
     its recurrent and development budgets over the first 3 years 
     of independence, and is seeking to fill the gap in full with 
     grants from donor countries;
       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 in East Timor is 
     estimated at 80 percent, and the life expectancy in East 
     Timor is only 57 years; and
       Whereas Nobel Peace Laureate Carlos Ximenes Belo, Roman 
     Catholic Bishop of Dili, East Timor, has appealed to the 
     international community and the United States for increased 
     economic and development assistance for the fledgling nation: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That--
       (1) Congress--
       (A) congratulates and honors the courageous people of East 
     Timor and their leaders;
       (B) welcomes East Timor into the community of nations as a 
     sovereign state and looks forward to working with East Timor 
     as an equal partner;
       (C) supports United Nations and international efforts to 
     support reconstruction and development in East Timor, and 
     United Nations and international peacekeeping forces to 
     safeguard East Timor's security;
       (D) 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;
       (E) expresses continued concern over deplorable 
     humanitarian conditions and an environment of intimidation 
     among the East Timorese refugees living in West Timor;
       (F) strongly supports prompt, safe, voluntary repatriation 
     and reintegration of East Timorese refugees, in particular 
     those East Timorese still held in militia-controlled refugee 
     camps in West Timor, especially reunification of East 
     Timorese children separated from their parents through 
     coercion or force;
       (G) expresses a commitment to maintaining appropriate 
     restrictions and prohibitions in law on military assistance, 
     training relations, and technical support to the Indonesian 
     Armed Forces;
       (H) 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; and
       (I) commends the President for immediately extending to 
     East Timor diplomatic relations afforded to other sovereign 
     nations, including the establishment of an embassy in East 
     Timor; and
       (2) it is the sense of Congress that the President and the 
     Secretary of State should--
       (A) maintain a level of United States assistance for East 
     Timor commensurate with the challenges this new nation faces 
     after independence;
       (B) 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;

[[Page H2740]]

       (C) focus bilateral assistance for East Timor on the areas 
     of employment creation, job training, rural reconstruction, 
     microenterprise, environmental protection, health care, 
     education, refugee resettlement, reconciliation and conflict 
     resolution, and strengthening the role of women in society;
       (D) strongly urge the Indonesian Government 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
       (E) review thoroughly information from the East Timorese 
     Commission for Reception, Truth, and Reconciliation and use 
     all diplomatic resources at their disposal to ensure that 
     those officials responsible for crimes against humanity and 
     war crimes against the East Timorese people are held 
     accountable and that the Indonesian Government fully 
     cooperates with the East Timorese judicial system.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).


                             General Leave

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and 
extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 
405.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, just let me say at the outset, I want to welcome the 
Bais Faiga Lakewood school eighth grade students who are here and Mrs. 
Faigy Uhr, who is the assistant principal, notwithstanding the 
admonishment from the Speaker, and let them know how welcome they are 
to be here today.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to extend my congratulations in support of the 
brave and courageous people of East Timor. Yesterday May 20, 2002, was 
their independence day. East Timor is now officially the first new 
nation of the third millennium.
  The people of East Timor have every right, Mr. Speaker, to be proud 
of their newly won independence, because their road to freedom was long 
and arduous, full of intense suffering and death. It entailed not only 
400 years of colonial rule, but also 24 years of brutal military 
occupation by Indonesia that included massacres, forced sterilization, 
and attempts at cultural annihilation.
  Indonesia's tyrannical rule over East Timor reached its zenith during 
the 1999 Scorched Earth campaign conducted by the Indonesian-backed 
militia with ties to the Indonesian military. Women were beaten and 
raped, families were separated, and nearly three-fourths of the 
nation's infrastructure was destroyed. According to U.N. estimates, 
over 500,000 people were displaced.
  Against tremendous odds, however, the brave people of East Timor 
persevered and triumphed. Despite terror, beatings and threats from the 
Indonesian military, the East Timorese people overwhelmingly chose 
independence in August of 1999. Ninety-eight percent of the eligible 
population voted, and almost eight out of ten chose independence.
  Under almost 3 years of U.N. guidance, they continually embraced 
democracy with very high voter turnouts, electing an assembly in August 
of 2001 and on April 14, their first President, their heroic 
independence leader, Xanana Gusmao.
  Mr. Speaker, when I was chairman of the Subcommittee on International 
Operations and Human Rights, my good friend, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Lantos), and I worked on held hearings on Indonesia and 
East Timor.

                              {time}  1300

  I had the privilege of joining Joseph Reese, the general counsel and 
staff director of the subcommittee, on a visit with Xanana Gusmao in 
Cipinang prison. I was struck by his sense of poise. He radiated 
strength and confidence. I was struck by his determination, and his 
fervent belief that one day East Timor would be an independent, free 
state where democracy would flourish. I found that even the warden of 
that prison in Jakarta had an enormous amount of respect and admiration 
for this man who is now president.
  Mr. Speaker, I introduced this resolution, H. Con. Res. 405, and I am 
very proud that the distinguished Democratic leader, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Lantos), also a cosponsor, along with the gentleman 
from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. 
Wolf), the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank), and the gentleman 
from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy) and other Members of this body who have 
joined us in this effort to say, in a bipartisan way, congratulations 
on a job well done. I especially want to thank Chairman Henry Hyde for 
both his strong support of this resolution and his indefatigable and 
tenacious promotion of human rights everywhere.
  Mr. Speaker, while our resolution commemorates East Timor's 
independence, it also addresses the serious challenges this new nation 
faces. It is not going to be easy. These include development of a 
stable economy, holding accountable those who carried out crimes 
against humanity and the crime of genocide during Indonesia's reign of 
terror, and caring for those many victims who still suffer tremendously 
from the scars of war and poverty.
  Obviously, the United States has an interest, Mr. Speaker, in 
ensuring that those who carried out war crimes are brought to justice. 
Crimes committed against the East Timorese have been well documented by 
the United Nations and other international organizations, yet most of 
their perpetrators reside in Indonesia with impunity, while the 
Indonesian government fails to cooperate with the international justice 
system.
  Indonesia refuses, for example, to extradite alleged war criminals, 
and the jurisdiction of its own ad hoc tribunal is so severely limited 
that Indonesian human rights advocates seriously doubt whether the most 
egregious violators of human rights will be brought to justice. H. Con. 
Res. 405 expresses deep concern over the lack of justice in the region, 
and calls on the President to use all diplomatic resources necessary to 
ensure that those responsible for these grave human rights abuses are 
held accountable.
  Similarly, given the well-documented linkages between human rights 
abuse in East Timor and the Indonesian military, our resolution 
expresses the need for continued restrictions on U.S. military 
assistance and training for Indonesia's military in the Foreign 
Operations Appropriation Act for fiscal year 2003.
  Mr. Speaker, the humanitarian needs of the East Timorese people are 
as great as anyone in the world. U.S. foreign aid dollars can do much 
to assist East Timor in developing agricultural programs, building 
solid education, health care, and judicial systems, aiding refugees, 
and repairing the country's infrastructure. Our resolution expresses 
our hope that Congress and the President will adamantly support these 
endeavors.
  I would point out that in fiscal year 2001 and fiscal year 2002, 
Congress approved approximately $25 million in aid to East Timor. The 
President's request for 2003 is about $19 million, and my hope is that 
we can work together with the President in making sure that that which 
is needed, and it will probably be more than that, the $19 million, 
will be made available.
  Mr. Speaker, several amendments to the original resolution have been 
submitted today. These amendments commend the President for immediately 
establishing diplomatic relations with East Timor and include other 
technical changes made for the sake of clarity.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, let me say that, as Americans, we will forever 
honor the brave leaders who founded our Nation by fighting valiantly 
for freedom and democracy, the great ideals we cherish so greatly. They 
guided a revolution based on these ideals that is continued on through 
the ages in so many places throughout the world and, in our time, it 
has been so ably displayed, so nobly, by the East Timorese. The desire 
to live in freedom cannot be extinguished, and they are again another 
people who have risen to that challenge to say we will be free.
  Again, I want to congratulate the people and also especially 
President Gusmao on their independence, because they have set another 
example for those who continue to live under dictatorship to follow.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

[[Page H2741]]

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, 
and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to commend my good friend and 
distinguished colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), for 
introducing this important resolution, as well as my colleagues, the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Wolf), the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank), and 
the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy) for their leadership 
roles in moving it forward.
  Mr. Speaker, when the Indonesian military invaded East Timor in 1975, 
it seemed that the hope of the East Timorese people to live in freedom 
and with dignity had been extinguished forever. Those who subsequently 
spent more than 2 decades fighting for East Timor's independence, both 
in East Timor and internationally, were dismissed as hopeless dreamers. 
East Timor was gone, the argument went, and the United States Congress, 
nongovernmental organizations, and others were only causing unnecessary 
tension in our relationship with Indonesia by continuing to fight for 
justice.
  I might point out, Mr. Speaker, that it was our Congressional Human 
Rights Caucus which held the first hearing on the outrages against East 
Timorese and spoke out for independence and freedom and religious 
freedom in East Timor.
  Well, Mr. Speaker, standing up for human rights and democracy in East 
Timor was the right and moral course of action and, as a result of the 
bravery of the East Timorese people and concerted international 
pressure, we stand here today welcoming East Timor as the first new 
nation of the new millennium.
  When the United Nations first entered East Timor in the brutal 
aftermath of the 1999 independence referendum, they found burned-out 
buildings, a devastated infrastructure, and hundreds of thousands of 
refugees who desperately wanted to return home. Many questioned whether 
the international community and the United Nations were up to the task 
of nation-building.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report that the U.N.'s record in East 
Timor since October 1999 demonstrates the relevance of the United 
Nations when it is not blinded by mindless hostility to the state of 
Israel. I want to pay special tribute to our friends in Australia who 
led the International Security Force that enabled East Timor to be 
created.
  Mr. Speaker, all this was accomplished in slightly over 2 years. The 
resolution before us today not only welcomes East Timor into the 
community of nations, but also expresses strong congressional support 
for the United Nations' peacekeeping forces, which are safeguarding 
East Timor's security.
  Some administration officials recently threatened to hold up the 
renewal of the enormously successful East Timor peacekeeping mission 
because of professed concerns regarding the International Criminal 
Court. I am very pleased that with the passage of this resolution, 
Congress is standing strongly in support of the U.N. mission which does 
include U.S. personnel.
  There is much work left to be done, Mr. Speaker. The House has 
already approved the East Timor Transition to Independence Act, 
legislation I introduced last year, to guide the U.S. political 
security and economic relationship with East Timor in the coming years. 
Our bill will ensure that the United States provides the foreign 
assistance and investment that East Timor so desperately needs, as well 
as help in establishing adequate armed forces so it can defend its own 
borders. I hope that our legislation will be signed into law as part of 
the State Department authorization bill in the very near future.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly believe that East Timor has a bright future. 
East Timor citizens have a democratic government; they enjoy the rule 
of law; they have the support of the international community and the 
strong desire to succeed. I am confident that the United States will 
have a strong friend in East Timor's people and its government. I 
strongly support H. Con. Res. 405, and I urge all of my colleagues to 
do so.
  Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer), my good friend and distinguished colleague.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy in 
yielding me this time.
  One of the most inspirational moments that I enjoyed as a Member of 
this body was meeting with now-President Gusmao when he was in prison 
in Jakarta in Indonesia, having an opportunity to join with some of my 
congressional colleagues to give, hopefully, in a small way, testimony 
of support and interest in this struggle of a gentleman who is one of 
great courage, great dignity, and insight, and to see what has 
transpired in the course of the last couple of years.
  The gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) outlined the focus of the 
people around the world who have been engaged in this. I was struck by 
the dozens of people in Oregon, this little State on the West Coast, 
where there were people that invested personally in this, who traveled, 
who ministered to the people, who helped with humanitarian efforts, and 
helped to put the world spotlight on the atrocities that were occurring 
there; to be able to reflect on the dozens of people who sacrificed 
their lives simply to vote on behalf of independence.
  I am having an Election Day in my State today, Mr. Speaker. Oregon is 
a State where we send out the ballots to people, they get it in their 
home, they can vote at their leisure, drop it into mailbox. No risk, no 
harm. Luckily, maybe we will have 25 percent, 30 percent of the people 
dealing with issues that are so critical to the future of our 
community.
  In contrast, I think about what happened in East Timor where people 
literally gave their lives to be able to cast a vote to move that 
country towards democracy.
  I am hopeful, Mr. Speaker, that we will move forward. This resolution 
today is a symbol of our efforts to be focused on making sure that we 
finish the job on behalf of the people in East Timor; that we continue 
to be a strong friend, a supporter; that we help provide with the rest 
of the international community some modicum of resources to help them 
rebuild this shattered country and, last but not least, that this is a 
signal that we will continue to engage the country of Indonesia.
  Sadly, Indonesia at times appears to be defined by basically the 
concept of whatever the Dutch ruled 50 years ago is an appropriate 
nation state. Well, there are issues that are going on in Irian Jaya, 
in Atjeh, that will test whether that vast country is going to be able 
to adopt a system to deal with those individual differences.
  What we have seen in East Timor is that one can make a modest 
adjustment and not have the whole country spun apart, but it also means 
that the United States is going to have to continue to be engaged.
  It was my privilege to journey to Indonesia with my colleague, the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), whom I see on the floor, who 
helped lead this effort, along with the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. 
Kolbe), and it underscored the need for us to be vigilant for these 
needs in Southeast Asia, in Indonesia, helping the transition. It is 
not just East Timor, but it is really the stability of this vast 
stretch of the world that is a source of problems with terrorism, 
problems of threats to the environment, and governmental instability, 
and I hope this is a chapter of how we can do it right.

                              {time}  1315

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Hyde), chairman of the Committee on International Relations, for his 
leadership in bringing this resolution to the floor today. Without his 
personal and strong support, there would not be a resolution.
  But that is only the half of it. I have been in Congress now 22 
years, Mr. Speaker, and I have known Chairman Hyde all those years. He 
is a champion of human rights anywhere and everywhere. Including East 
Timor. He is also a champion in the cause of promoting the sanctity of 
life wherever and whenever it is threatened.
  East Timor, finally, Mr. Speaker, has an extraordinary future. Its 
leadership has overcome incredible odds, and they

[[Page H2742]]

possess an indomitable spirit and an enormous amount of courage. Our 
prayers and hopes are with President Gusmao and Nobel Peace Prize 
winner Bishop Belo and so many others who are now on the cutting edge 
of ensuring that a beleaguered population which has suffered so much 
finally enjoys the blessings of liberty and freedom.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) and ask unanimous consent that he be permitted 
to control the time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Linder). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 4 minutes to my 
good friend and distinguished colleague, the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern).
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lantos) for yielding time to me. I also want to thank him for his 
strong advocacy for human rights, and especially in East Timor.
  I also want to acknowledge the leadership of the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Smith); and I, too, appreciate his long leadership on 
behalf of the people of East Timor. I want to thank the leadership of 
this House, including the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde), for 
helping to move this bill to the floor in such a timely manner.
  Mr. Speaker, May 20 was a day of celebration when the people of East 
Timor joined the international community as a sovereign, independent 
nation. This bill congratulates and honors the courage of the East 
Timorese people and calls upon the United States and the international 
community to provide the necessary resources to help develop this 
fledgling nation.
  As many of my colleagues know, the Bush administration announced 
yesterday that the United States will open a full embassy in Dili, 
which is the capital of East Timor. This bill commends the 
administration for this important act.
  In September of 1999, the people of East Timor voted for their 
independence. I had the great privilege to be in East Timor 10 days 
before this historic referendum took place. I witnessed the escalating 
violence and the intimidation against the people and the voters of East 
Timor.
  I traveled to the area bordering West Timor to the communities of 
Suai and Maliana. In Suai, I met with Father Hilario Madeira and Father 
Francisco Soares, who were protecting nearly 2,000 people in the 
compound of their church. These were people hoping to participate in 
this historic vote for independence.
  These people introduced me to their world, one filled with worry and 
tension and daily violence; yet they were filled with hope and looked 
forward to voting for their independence. Ten days later, the East 
Timorese people went to the polls. Over 78 percent voted for 
independence.
  Their courage and commitment to freedom were met with a deliberate 
and planned campaign of slaughter. Father Hilario and Father Francisco 
are not with us today to celebrate East Timor's entry into the 
community of nations. Rampaging militias following the 1999 vote 
murdered them and most of the others who were seeking refuge in their 
church.
  As we vote today to honor the courage and spirit of the East Timorese 
people, I want to also remember and honor all of the East Timorese 
whose lives were lost during the long decades of struggle to make East 
Timor free. I want to remember and honor these two dedicated priests 
who died protecting their people.
  The subsequent rebuilding of East Timor demonstrates how vital it is 
that the international community, especially the United States, remain 
involved and engaged in East Timor. East Timor faces many challenges, 
including the economic development of the country, establishing an 
effective judicial system, and securing the safe return of those 
refugees still held in camps in West Timor.
  The international community, along with East Timor, must also find a 
way to bring to justice those accountable for the campaign of violence 
leading up to and following the 1999 referendum.
  This resolution calls upon the United States and other nations to 
provide East Timor with the necessary resources and support to 
successfully meet these challenges.
  Nobel Peace Laureate Bishop Carlos Belo has called upon the 
international community to increase the level of development aid to 
help his country through its first years. I hope that this Congress 
will respond to Bishop Belo's call and increase our own levels of aid.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, let me also pay tribute to the many human 
rights activists in the United States and around the world who refused 
to let the East Timorese struggle fade from our memory. They also 
deserve our praise on this special day. My prayers and my good wishes 
are also with President Gusmao and the people of East Timor.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a proud time for East Timor, and I urge my 
colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to my good 
friend, the gentleman from Guam (Mr. Underwood).
  (Mr. UNDERWOOD asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentleman from 
California, for yielding me the time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 
405 commemorating the independence of East Timor.
  I would also like to take the opportunity to commend the leadership 
of the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for his support of the 
resolution, and to thank our colleagues, the gentleman from Rhode 
Island (Mr. Kennedy) and the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), 
for their unyielding support and leadership in the effort by the East 
Timorese in their struggle for independence.
  Yesterday, May 20, 2002, marked the celebration of the birth of the 
world's newest democracy and is a triumph of the full exercise of the 
unalienable right of self-determination. It is also a triumph for the 
work of the United Nations in seeking the right of self-determination 
for non-self-governing territories. East Timor, like my home island of 
Guam, has been on the list of the U.N. list of non-self-governing 
territories.
  As has been already recounted, East Timor had been annexed by 
Indonesia for nearly 2 decades, until September of 1999. In 1999, the 
East Timorese exercised their voice for freedom by overwhelmingly 
voting in favor of independence from Indonesia, despite all the 
terrible things that the Indonesian Government was doing, officially 
and unofficially, to dissuade them from that effort.
  Today we join in our support for East Timor, which has become the 
first new country of the millenium and stands as a beacon of democratic 
values. East Timor had been under U.N. administration since October 
1999, during which time international peacekeeping forces, supplemented 
by the forces of the U.S. Group for East Timor, have worked to 
stabilize East Timor and provide for its national security.
  The international community and the U.S. Congress have been active 
and vocal in their support for the political freedom of the East 
Timorese. As the Member who represents the closest U.S. jurisdiction to 
East Timor, the independence is of special interest to our region.
  There is much work to be done. There is the need to help them mature 
as a democracy. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to continue their support 
for the new East Timorese government and urge that the resolution be 
passed unanimously.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to my good 
friend and distinguished colleague, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. 
McDermott).
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time 
to me.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in joining to celebrate this event. It is a 
wonderful event to see people determine what they want to be and have 
the opportunity to become independent.
  But there is a cautionary tale here. There are not very many of us in 
this House who were here when the Indonesians marched in and took East 
Timor. And we did not do anything

[[Page H2743]]

then. We let that happen because we felt that our relationship with Mr. 
Sukharno or whomever was such an important thing that we were not going 
to tell them that we did not approve of what they were doing to the 
East Timorese.
  Only because of human rights activists in this country has that issue 
been alive at all. They are to be commended. Sometimes they think that 
they are not heard, they think no one is paying attention, but in fact 
we have come to the point where in fact Congress actually supported the 
East Timorese in becoming independent. It happened because grassroots 
people had a desire to make this wrongness right, or right this wrong, 
and they did it by talking to their Members of Congress.
  We as Americans have to think carefully about what kinds of decisions 
we make in order to keep a certain leader in place in a certain place, 
when we have other concerns at the same time about the people who are 
experiencing that leadership. It is a very difficult task that the 
United States has, but we cannot overlook what is happening at 
something like East Timor. We did for almost 20 years, until it got out 
of control. Then, the Australians took the lead, and we are grateful 
for that, and we followed.
  I think that it is a happy day for everybody who lives in East Timor, 
but it is not over. They still have a long way to go in developing 
their economy.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the sponsors of this legislation for 
bringing it to us here today. We do commend and congratulate East Timor 
on their independence.
  The gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) reminded me of the time 
when we met Mr. Gusmao in prison; he was very obviously a very calm, 
and distinguished man. We knew that, given an opportunity, he could 
lead his home region of East Timor when it became a nation.
  East Timor is not a wealthy country, and that is stating the obvious. 
They have very few developed resources. The devastation that was 
brought to the infrastructure of the country means they have an even 
worse condition. Therefore, the international community, with the 
United States playing a significant part, does need to assist East 
Timor in these early days of its nationhood.
  Hopefully, the agreement now concluded between Australia and East 
Timor with respect to potential offshore oil will be a source of 
revenue that is very important to that country's continued prosperity. 
We certainly hope that is the case.
  In any case, I believe that the independence of East Timor can now 
lead us to improved relations with Indonesia. The East Timor problem 
certainly had a negative effect upon our relationship, and 
understandably so. But I would suggest that we have taken a step in the 
right direction by supporting independence for East Timor. Certainly we 
wish them the very best in their independence.
  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 405, an 
act which congratulates the people of East Timor on the occasion of 
their national independence and establishes official U.S. relations 
with the new country.
  We, in the United States, should take proper account of the enormous 
accomplishment East Timor independence represents, and with great 
humility, honestly recognize America's role in the suppression of East 
Timor.
  The United States government was not a reliable ally of the Timorese 
independence cause. Quite the opposite, in fact. The United States 
government consistently sided against the East Timorese people. 
Recently declassified documents reveal that Secretary of State 
Kissinger gave the go ahead to Indonesia's then-President Suharto to 
invade East Timor in 1975. The United States furnished Indonesia with 
about 90 percent of its military hardware. Over the course of the next 
23 years, Indonesia occupied East Timor, and the United States 
continued to furnish arms and provide training to Indonesia. In all, 
more than 200,000 East Timorese were murdered by the Indonesian 
military during the occupation. The proportional scale of the killing 
was without rival in the 20th century. One-third of the East Timorese 
population was murdered. Unfortunately, in the name of anti-communism, 
then later global stability, the United States abetted mass murder.
  Apart from official Washington, the American people have been a 
reliable friend of the East Timorese. Americans established the East 
Timor Action Network, participated in Peace Brigades International, 
dedicated their personal savings through individual foundations and 
trusts--all with the goal of helping the East Timorese people overcome 
great odds. Americans gathered in living rooms and lecture halls 
throughout the country to learn the truths about the oppression of East 
Timor; they demonstrated on sidewalks and lobbied their Congress, they 
met with newspaper editors and other journalists in order to bring out 
the truth; and a few brave Americans sacrificed their personal safety 
in East Timor to shed light on the reality of Indonesian government 
oppression.
  Constructive change in U.S. policy came in late 1999, after the East 
Timorese had voted for independence, and after the Indonesian military 
invaded again to punish the people for daring to choose independence. 
Over 2,000 East Timorese were killed, and a large share of the 
population was forcibly relocated to refugee camps in Indonesia. But 
the impact of the American people and the confluence of world events 
finally forced a change in U.S. policy. The effect was dramatic. The 
U.S. barred Indonesia from further purchases of weapons and training, 
and immediately the Indonesian Government withdrew from East Timor and 
permitted international peacekeepers to enter. This demonstrates the 
importance and effectiveness of withholding U.S. military support from 
anti-democratic governments that oppress their people.
  The United States government has a moral debt to repay the East 
Timorese people. I consider today's Concurrent Resolution as a very 
modest down payment on that debt. We should faithfully make the next 
installations. We should start with generous, unconditional financial 
grants to the newly independent government of East Timor for 
healthcare, education, rural reconstruction, refugee resettlement, 
reconciliation and conflict resolution, environmental protection and 
the judicial system. The United States should further use its influence 
with international financial institutions to guarantee Timorese 
sovereignty and, in a departure from IFI practice, permit the Timorese 
to design and implement their own economic policies as they see fit. 
This is the least the United States can do. Let us repay our moral debt 
to the East Timorese people fully and expeditiously.
  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. 
Res. 405, Commemorating the Independence of East Timor on May 20, 2002. 
Yesterday's independence of East Timor will make it the first new 
country of the millennium. I extended my full congratulations to all of 
the people of East Timor, their new President, Xanana Gusmao, and Nobel 
Peace Prize Laureates Carlos Xinenes Belo, the Roman Catholic Bishop of 
Dili, and Jose Ramos-Horta who have both worked tirelessly on behalf of 
the people of East Timor. Yesterday was a day which many of us thought 
would never come in our lifetimes.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the 
extraordinary contributions of one individual--Arnold S. Kohen--who has 
made a difference in working for peace and justice in East Timor. He is 
not often recognized but Arnold has worked behind the scenes or over 20 
years raising the issue of East Timor within the U.S. Congress and 
throughout the world. He wrote a book documenting the epic struggles of 
Bishop Belo. Arnold's work has made a contribution to this historic day 
and is a model for me on how one individual can truly make a difference 
in the world. I also want to recognize the hard work and dedication of 
the East Timor Action Network.
  The work in East Timor is not yet finished. (Bishop Belo clearly 
points this out in the following the Washington Post editorial.) 
However, yesterday was a day in which we all can rejoice because an 
oppressed people have now been set free.

                [From the Washington Post, May 18, 2002]

                         Freedom Is Not Enough

                        (by Carlos Ximenes Belo)

       DILI, East Timor.--East Timor will become independent on 
     Monday, the first new nation of the 21st century. We are most 
     fortunate to have reached this juncture: In 1999, ours was an 
     utterly devastated land, after militia forces sponsored by 
     the Indonesian military went on a calculated rampage. Their 
     action was in response to a vote in which nearly 80 percent 
     of the registered voters of East Timor opted for independence 
     after nearly a quarter-century of Indonesian occupation.
       As the United Nations flag comes down and the banner of our 
     new nation ascends, these long-suffering people face a new 
     set of challenges. East Timor is becoming independent at a 
     time when issues of foreign assistance, poverty and debt are 
     high on the international agenda. Efforts should be greatly 
     increased to eradicate poverty from this martyred nation 
     while peace and security are reinforced.
       Militia groups remain in Indonesian territory, vowing to 
     strike once international

[[Page H2744]]

     peacekeeping forces have left. After the terrible price East 
     Timor has paid for its independence, the world must not 
     permit such attacks to take place. It must never be forgotten 
     that 24 years of armed conflict and the tragic loss of more 
     than 200,000 lives--one-third of our original population--
     from war-related causes were followed by further killing and 
     destruction in 1999 that left few families unaffected. 
     Hundreds of thousands were forcibly uprooted while militias 
     destroyed most of their meager possessions. And most of the 
     territory's buildings and infrastructure were also razed.
       The people of East Timor are grateful for the generous 
     support provided by the United Nations and many countries, 
     including the United States, to protect and rebuild their 
     homeland over the past 2\1/2\ years. But the scale of the 
     destruction in 1999 was so huge that much of East Timor, 
     especially the countryside, remains in ruins, with most of 
     the population unemployed. This devastation will require many 
     years to overcome, and any sensible development plan must 
     first focus on putting people to work in reconstruction and 
     road-building.
       Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill was right when he said 
     recently that American carpenters and plumbers shouldn't be 
     asked to pay for ill-conceived foreign aid projects. But what 
     I am suggesting is something practical and of proven value 
     that is in the spirit of what my religious order, the 
     Salesians of St. John Bosco, has done for more than a 
     century: job training. Let us train East Timorese as 
     carpenters, plumbers, auto mechanics, electricians and the 
     like.
       Subsidizing on-the-job training for companies willing to 
     invest in East Timor would also foster a good atmosphere for 
     business. This is important not only because of the dignity 
     of work but because unemployment, especially among youth, 
     breeds instability. Many areas in our small but beautiful 
     island nation are rich in species of wildlife and plants. 
     Jobs for youths to protect the environment in these sensitive 
     rural areas, and to beautify the devastated towns, would make 
     a wonderful contribution to the development of our new 
     nation.
       Our national budget provides little money for employment or 
     job training. At independence, East Timor will be one of the 
     poorest nations in the world, with few resources. Most East 
     Timorese will have less-than-adequate food, housing and 
     health facilities; our country has one of the highest infant 
     mortality rates in the world. Closely related to the question 
     of jobs and sustained economic growth in East Timor and many 
     other places is the need to create the capacity to develop. 
     That means there is a need for strong support of basic 
     literacy, putting all young children in primary school, and 
     for health efforts aimed at preventing easily preventable 
     diseases.
       The last thing that East Timor needs is to incur debt, 
     which would make it much more difficult to rebuild our 
     country and eradicate poverty. If the Untied States could 
     increase the $25 million it provided last year in bilateral 
     assistance to East Timor to $40 million per year over the 
     next three years, it would be of great help in creating jobs 
     and encouraging others to do the same.
       Finally, an independent body should be set up to coordinate 
     employment-related efforts in East Timor on the basis of 
     merit and common sense. By now, many developing nations have 
     learned hard lessons about the costs of corruption. I am 
     determined to fight these maladies before they arise. If we 
     are asking for support from the international community, we 
     must be prepared to meet high standards of performance and 
     transparency in all areas. Nothing less will suffice.

  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 
405, commemorating the independence of East Timor and expressing the 
sense of Congress that the President should establish diplomatic 
relations with East Timor. As the first new nation of the millennium, 
East Timor now strives to leave behind the effects of an oppressive 
occupation by the Indonesian military and Indonesian-backed militias.
  Today's important resolution honors this very struggle, and calls on 
the President to begin diplomatic relations and make the U.S. a partner 
to promote freedom. East Timor, a former Portuguese colony invaded by 
Indonesia in 1975, now celebrates its independence from the brutal 
Indonesian military and Indonesian-backed militias, and a promise of a 
better life for all its citizens. As a member of the Congressional 
Human Rights Caucus, I have been concerned about the situation for East 
Timor for quite some time. I am pleased to note that this resolution 
embodies legislation I cosponsored in the 106th Congress, the East 
Timor Repatriation and Security Act of 2000 (H.R. 4357), which 
prohibited resumption of U.S. military assistance to Indonesia until 
the President certified to Congress that the government of Indonesia 
recognizes the territorial integrity of East Timor. Additionally, this 
legislation called for the safe return of refugees, and the prosecution 
of the militias and government supported forces responsible for the 
violence following a September 1999 United Nations-sponsored referendum 
where the people voted to relinquish Indonesian rule. H.R. 4357 built 
on legislation I introduced in September 1999, H.R. 2822, to direct the 
U.S. representative to the International Monetary Fund and the World 
Bank to oppose any new monetary assistance to Indonesia including until 
the President certified that the crisis in East Timor has been 
resolved.
  More importantly, today's resolution recognizes an end to the reign 
of terror of Indonesia, a regime that employed armed militia violence 
and slaughter as its method of rule. During years of combat and armed 
conflict, the Indonesian military and armed militias displaced the East 
Timorese, prevented their settling in housing camps, murdered U.N. 
workers, and refused to hold accountable those who caused this 
widespread harm. Now that this oppressive regime no longer reigns and 
East Timor begins its independence, I am hopeful that the people of 
East Timor will prosper as a nation, and can count on the support of 
the United States in preserving their newfound freedom.
  For all these reasons, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me 
in support for H. Con. Res. 405, to honor the will and determination of 
the people of East Timor, and to support their efforts to foster new 
hope for all East Timor citizens.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise in strong support 
of House Concurrent Resolution 405, which commemorates the independence 
of East Timor and supports the establishment of diplomatic relations 
with the newest member state of the international community.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the good people and leaders of East Timor 
for their perseverance in overcoming centuries of colonization and 
decades of occupation by Indonesia to gain independence yesterday. With 
a tremendous sacrifice of blood and lives, the East Timorese people 
fought to exercise their right to self-determination, voting 
overwhelmingly in 1999 for independence. Today, their dream has become 
reality.
  Through the legislation before us, the Congress honors the 
achievement of the people of East Timor, urges diplomatic relations 
with the new government, and pledges continued U.S. support and 
assistance for the nation's economic and political development. The 
legislation further calls upon Indonesia for the release of East 
Timorese refugees held captive in West Timor camps and that our nation 
should maintain appropriate restrictions and prohibitions on engagement 
with Indonesia's military until accountability for the atrocities 
committed against the East Timorese people is reached.
  Mr. Speaker, while I share in the international community's joyous 
celebration for the East Timorese people, it is unfortunate that little 
attention has been paid to the people of West Papua New Guinea, who 
have similarly struggled in Irian Jaya to throw off the yoke of 
Indonesian colonialism.
  As in East Timor, Indonesia took West Papua New Guinea by force in 
1963. In a truly pathetic episode, the United Nations in 1969 
sanctioned a fraudulent referendum, where only 1,025 delegates 
handpicked by Jakarta were permitted to participate in an 
``independence'' vote. The rest of the West Papuan people, over 800,000 
strong, had absolutely no voice in the undemocratic process. Recently, 
the U.N. official in charge of the West Papua referendum, United 
Nations Undersecretary-General Chakravarthy Narasimhan, stated that the 
process which resulted in a unanimous vote was a ``sham'' and 
``whitewash.''
  Since Indonesia subjugated West Papau New Guinea, the native Papuan 
people have suffered under one of the most repressive and unjust 
systems of colonial occupation in the 20th century. Like in East Timor 
where 200,000 East Timorese are thought to have died, the Indonesian 
military has been brutal in Irian Jaya. Reports estimate that between 
100,000 to 300,000 West Papuans have died or simply vanished at the 
hands of the Indonesian military.
  While we in Congress celebrate the attainment of independence, peace 
and justice in East Timor, Mr. Speaker, we should not forget the 
violent tragedy that continues to play out today in West Papua New 
Guinea. I would urge my colleagues, our great nation, and the 
international community to revisit the status of West Papau New Guinea 
to ensure that justice is also achieved there.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the legislation before us and request 
that it be adopted by our colleagues.
  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of H. Con. Res. 405.
  This week, on the other side of our Globe, the world celebrates the 
creation of a new democracy, the Democratic Republic of East Timor.
  I congratulate and honor the people of this island nation for their 
perseverance and for their triumph of freedom over oppression.
  The effort to bring self-determination to East Timor was a dream back 
in 1994 when I arrived in Congress, but now it is a reality.
  Since coming to Congress, I have seen how the East Timorese people, 
against tremendous odds, resisted military rule despite the killing of 
one-third of the population in the 1970s and the oppression and 
massacres of subsequent years.

[[Page H2745]]

  There have been many of us in Congress dedicated to the plight of the 
East Timorese largely because of the information we learned over years 
of meetings and visits with the residents of Timor.
  They were willing to risk their lives and futures to share their 
stories with those of us in the Congress who had the ability to help.
  It has been a team effort, and the Members who have been leaders on 
this issue have been assisted in our efforts by the international 
support movement led by groups such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty 
International, the US Catholic Conference of Bishops, the Indonesian 
Human Rights Network, and of course the East Timor Action Network.
  As we move forward, however, we cannot forget the need to continue to 
show our support for East Timor's sustainable development and a 
positive future.
  The United States should work with the United Nations and its members 
to make sure that the job of preparing East Timor for self-rule is 
completed.
  Enough proper expertise and funds must be provided to ensure a smooth 
transition in government services and to train East Timorese to fully 
manage their own affairs.
  After decades of tremendous suffering under military occupation, we 
need to give generously to East Timor to ensure that children are 
guaranteed a quality education, adequate healthcare and shelter, and 
that other needs for a decent standard of living are met.
  This is especially crucial in light of the recently released United 
Nations Development Program Report that classified East Timor as one of 
the twenty poorest countries in the world and the poorest in Asia.
  Life expectancy in the island nation is just 57 years, and nearly 
half the population lives on less than fifty five American cents per 
day.
  This burgeoning democracy will need our hand as we move into the 
Twenty First Century.
  I look forward to working with my Colleagues in Congress on these 
issues and these challenges.
  But today, we celebrate the perseverance and the spirit of the East 
Timorese and we celebrate the creation of democracy,
  I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 405.
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I 
urge my colleagues to support the legislation.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 
405, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________