[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 164 (Sunday, December 18, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2611]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE'S RECENT ACTION TO REINSTATE FOREIGN MILITARY 
               FINANCING AND DEFENSE EXPORTS TO INDONESIA

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                           HON. TAMMY BALDWIN

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                       Sunday, December 18, 2005

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the 
U.S. Department of State's recent action to reinstate Foreign Military 
Financing (FMF) and defense exports to Indonesia, by waiving 
restrictions placed on that aid by this Congress.
  In 2000, due to the Indonesian military's record of abuse in places 
such as East Timor, Congress responsibly placed conditions on military 
assistance packages to Indonesia. The restrictions on military aid to 
Indonesia were included, once again, in the Fiscal Year 2006 Foreign 
Operations Appropriations bill. Two days after the bill became law in 
November 2005, the State Department waived all remaining restrictions 
on Foreign Military Financing and defense exports to Indonesia. This 
Administration's waiver was in clear contravention of the will of this 
Congress. It greatly diminishes the leverage we have to press for human 
rights improvements.
  Organizations such as the East Timor Action Group and Human Rights 
Watch are highly critical of this waiver. Indonesian military officers 
and soldiers who have committed human rights violations have not been 
prosecuted. At least 15 human rights defenders, including Indonesia's 
foremost human rights advocate Munir, have been murdered since 2000. To 
date, no senior Indonesian officer has been held accountable for crimes 
against humanity in East Timor in 1999 or before.
  To this day, there are reports of the Indonesian military terrorizing 
the people of West Papua, but documenting these human rights violations 
is nearly impossible because the government and military severely limit 
access to the province.
  While the people of Indonesia have made democratic advances, these 
have happened in spite of the military. I believe the Bush 
Administration's decision to waive the restrictions this Congress 
placed on FMF and defense exports to Indonesia could threaten the 
democratic advances by once again propping up brutal forces. Human 
rights activists in Indonesia and East Timor have repeatedly called for 
continued restrictions of U.S. military assistance to Indonesia. I am 
disappointed the Bush Administration has chosen to ignore them.

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