[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[House]
[Pages 24356-24357]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                               INDONESIA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Ose). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, once again I rise to share my concern over 
the continued bloodshed in Indonesia. I continue to receive reports 
that, despite statements of the Indonesian government in Jakarta, the 
violence, destruction and murder continues in Ambon.
  The people living in the Malukus are pleading for the international 
community to get involved and bring them relief, both in terms of 
humanitarian aid and physical protection.
  Reports from Indonesian NGOs state that refugees are not only 
neglected, but are harassed.
  Recently, at least 32 people were killed in a day-long attack by 
Muslims on an outlying village in Ambon, the capital of the Maluka 
Islands. Eyewitnesses stated that the Jihad attackers were aided by 
government soldiers during the attack on the village of Hatiwe Besar.
  Many who were killed died violently. Most of them, including a 10-
month-old infant, were shot and their bodies were tossed in the fires 
of houses burned by the attackers.
  In a different account of recent violence, families in one village 
that refused to fight were killed and their bodies were found deposited 
in the wells in the village.
  Yet another account tells of women and girls who, at the sound of 
gunfire, ``were desperately clawing at the small yellow buses, 
hammering on the side for the driver to stop and let them on. As we 
slowed down, they tried to board our vehicle. I had never seen such 
fear in people's faces, people who knew the sound of automatic guns 
meant that the army was in action and that death was not far away.''
  More eyewitness accounts reveal that even 3 weeks ago Jihad warriors 
were still moving by boat into the Malukus from Java and surrounding 
islands.
  One man said, ``We desperately need weapons to defend ourselves. 
Nobody cares about us. Nobody offers to help us. We cannot trust the 
army because they are often supporting the Jihad fighters. The 
politicians and authorities talk a lot, but their words and promises 
are not translated into action.''
  Many people who witness the violent attacks confirmed that, although 
the Indonesian Army was present during the attacks, either nothing was 
done to protect the villagers or some of the soldiers actually joined 
the aggressors in shooting at the escaping villagers.
  Unfortunately, even people such as the current leader of the People's 
Consultative Assembly, Dr. Armien Rais, openly supported calls for 
Jihad or an Islamic holy war against the Christians and other religious 
believers in Indonesia.
  However, there are other Islamic leaders who clearly state that this 
jihad should not be happening. ``A.T. Zees, a Muslim leader in 
Minahasa, told a crowd of Protestant, Catholic, Hindu, and Buddhist 
leaders Sept. 14 that the jihad fighters should leave . . . In Islam, 
jihad is a holy war against all evils--not murdering Christians, 
destroying their houses and churches, robbing, and doing other 
contemptible deeds,'' he said. ``A number of peaceful Muslims have 
tried to protect Christians.''
  Why does the world not pay attention to the continued violence in 
which reportedly over 4,000 people have been killed and over 350,000 
are now refugees?
  When the three U.N. workers were killed in East Timorese refugee 
camps, the whole world raised their voices and condemned the killings--
rightly so. Yet, thousands have died in the Malukus, but instead of 
outrage, silence has reverberated.
  Church leaders and other community leaders are pleading for the 
international community to send aid and protect the people against 
death from the Jihad fighters. Church leaders say that, if the U.N. 
will not send peacekeepers, the least we ask is that ships be kept 
ready to evacuate the surviving Christians. Otherwise they will be 
forced to choose between Islam and death.
  Mr. Speaker, a whole population has been targeted and is slowly being 
wiped out or forced out of their homeland. Why will the Indonesian 
Government not act so that the killing stops? Where is the outrage in 
the international community? Something must be done, or we will see the 
destruction of an entire society.
  Both Christians and Muslims from this area want peace. They have 
lived in peace for many years and in friendship with their neighbors.

[[Page 24357]]

  We should ask that the IMF, the World Bank, U.N. officials take 
appropriate action to let the Indonesian Government know that they must 
take steps to stop the killing. It is not simply an internal Indonesian 
affair. The Indonesian people are crying out for help from the 
international community because they are not receiving it from their 
own government.
  Delegations from the U.N. and other countries need to visit the 
Malukus to investigate and report on the bloodshed and destruction 
throughout the area.
  In addition, our government needs to seriously consider the 
implications of resuming the close military ties with the Indonesian 
Government. The record of human rights abuses by the Indonesian 
military is well documented.
  Further, our government needs to examine the religious nature of 
these killings. This is not simply a local economic conflict. 
Declarations of Jihad underscore the religious aspects to the violence, 
and this must be considered in terms of U.S. Government actions.
  I enjoyed my visit to Indonesia earlier this year. Indonesia is a 
land of many resources in its people and its abundance of natural 
resources. We are friends of the Indonesian people. It is our hope that 
all the people in Indonesia will be able to live in peace.

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