From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: Timor: Action Fact Sheet
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 03:19:37 GMT

/** reg.easttimor: 350.0 **/
** Topic: E.T. Congressional Action Fact She **
** Written  8:26 pm  Apr 12, 1992 by cscheiner in cdp:reg.easttimor **
 The following is the text of a one-sheet leafet produced by the East
Timor Action Network / U.S.  Printed copies are available from 
cscheiner@igc.org.
------------------------------------
East Timor Congressional Action Fact Sheet

April 11, 1992

Introduction

Indonesia invaded the tiny half-island of East Timor on December 7, 1975, the
day after President Gerald Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger left
Jakarta. Most of the 200,000 Timorese (one-third of the populations) killed
since died from the use of U.S.-supplied weapons.

Yet, in spite of numerous U.N. and Congressional resolutions, the U.S.
administration continues to support and sell weapons to the Jakarta regime.
In 1990 alone, more than $200,000,000 worth of arms deliveries from the U.S.
to Indonesia was allowed by Congress. In the wake of the November 12, 1991
massacre, when U.S.-supplied M-16's were used to slaughter over 100 unarmed
civilians in a memorial procession, the Administration proposes to increase
military training for the murderous Indonesian Army.

The U.S. government has supported the Suharto regime militarily and
financially since the army killed at least a half million suspected leftists
after taking power in 1965. Washington was grateful for the overthrow of the
actively non-aligned President Sukarno  the escalating war in Vietnam was
keeping Lyndon Johnson busy enough in Southeast Asia.  This support continues
27 years later.

The East Timor Action Network/U.S. hopes this guide will give you some ideas
about how to reduce the U.S. government's and our individual complicity in
Indonesia's ongoing genocidal occupation of East Timor. We do not necessarily
endorse all the suggestions below, but offer them in the spirit of casting a
wide net. We welcome your feedback, suggestions, and contributions.

What To Ask For When Talking and Writing to Senators and Representatives

Here are some ways the U.S. government could improve human rights and advance
self-determination for East Timor, as well as the likely arguments against
each action.

*    Security Assistance: Indonesia receives $1.8 million a year from the
International Military Education and Training (IMET) program. The Pentagon
wants to increase this to $2.3 million for 1992. Congress is currently
considering foreign aid appropriations. Ask that IMET be terminated. The
amount of money is small but it sends a message. IMET supporters claim that
it professionalizes security forces to improve their respect for human
rights, but there is little evidence that it has ever had this effect
anywhere. In El Salvador, army units that received US military training were
responsible for well-documented massacres.  Political killings in El Salvador
were reduced (not eliminated) only after Congress was on the verge of cutting
off military aid.

*    Bilateral Economic Assistance: Indonesia currently receives
approximately $50 million in economic assistance. Many in the East Timor
Action Network want this to stop. This could be criticized as hurting the
poor in Indonesia, but we feel that most US economic assistance programs do
little to benefit those most in need, and sometimes make them worse off (see
for example Food First by Frances Moore Lappe and Joseph Collins). One
approach is to ask for the cutoff of all economic assistance that does not
serve genuine humanitarian purposes (this could potentially be used as a
loophole). Economic sanctions and isolation of South Africa have proven
effective in pushing the minority government toward ending apartheid.

*    Arms Sales. Under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, the US
government acts as broker and banker between a foreign government and an arms
exporter. In 1990 FMS deliveries to Indonesia were $233,154,000.  Pentagon
sources expected FMS sales of $30-45 million in 1991. A sale of $500 million
for surveillance planes has been approved by the US government but was
postponed because Indonesia did not have the necessary funds. Other
commercial arms sales must be licensed. 1990 commercial arms sales to
Indonesia were worth $15,219,000. US arms sales have been very important for
Indonesia. OB-10 Bronco counter-insurgency aircraft from the US were
essential to many deaths in East Timor. Ask that all arms sales be
prohibited.

*    Multilateral Economic Assistance. The Inter-Governmental Group on
Indonesia (IGGI), a coordinating body of government donors and multilateral
development agencies pledged $4.75 billion in economic assistance to
Indonesia for 1992. Although most of this money comes from the World Bank,
the Asian Development Bank and Japan, the U.S. promised $113 million
directly.

Indonesia recently called for the dissolution of the IGGI, which had been
chaired by the Netherlands, and requested that it be replaced by a new body
chaired by the World Bank. Indonesia accused the Netherlands of using
development assistance as "a tool for threatening Indonesia" after the
Netherlands placed some limits on aid following the November 12 massacre. Aid
from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank continues.  The US government
could oppose multilateral assistance since it participates in the decision
making. Calls for cutting off this aid are susceptible to the same kinds of
criticisms discussed previously for economic assistance.

*    U.S. trade with Indonesia. Indonesia receives preferential duties under
the Generalized System of Preferences. These preferences could be suspended.
Congress could also impose punitive duties or embargo trade.  The US
government also helps to provide financing for trade through the
Export-Import Bank. Economic sanctions are susceptible to the same criticisms
mentioned previously.

*    Support for Action at the United Nations. In the most recent session of
the UN Human Rights Commission, the US government and others successfully
lobbied Portugal to withdraw a proposed resolution; in its place the Human
Rights Commission made a consensus declaration, a weaker action.
Congresspeople could request to President Bush that the United States sponsor
and support resolutions in the UN Security Council, General Assembly and
Human Rights Commission.

*    Prisoner Appeals. Several Timorese are being placed on trial, some for
subversion, for which they could face the death penalty. Hundreds of others
are arrested and held for weeks without charges, or forced to undergo
political indoctrination. Congresspeople could send appeals for release of
the prisoners to President Suharto. Amnesty International publishes frequent
alerts on Timorese political prisoners.

Recent Actions Taken by Congress

In November 1991, the House and Senate  each passed non-binding resolutions
which urged Indonesia and President Bush to promote the resolution of the
problem in East Timor. Senator Malcolm Wallop (R-WY) initiated a letter to
President Bush (signed by 52 Senators) asking him to seek diplomatic
opportunities to help achieve East Timorese self- determination.

On February 4, Representatives Frank Wolf (D-VA) and Tony Hall (D-OH) warned
that Congress may cut off US aid and trade benefits to Indonesia if human
rights abuses in East Timor do not cease. At a public forum at Brown
University on March 13 Rep. Ronald Machtley (R-RI) promised to introduce
legislation to suspend all aid to Indonesia, and Rep. Barney Frank  (D-MA)
committed himself to see that similar legislation would be introduced.

Senator Claiborne Pell (D-RI), the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, held hearings on East Timor on February 27 and March 6. On March
13, his office said that the Senator supports a requirement in the proposed
foreign appropriations bill preventing IMET funds from being released until
President Bush certifies that IMET will improve human rights in Indonesia. On
March 16 Senator Pell supported provisions in the foreign appropriations bill
requiring the President to notify Congress of any money to be spent in
Indonesia.

Specific Pending East Timor Legislation

As of mid-April, no new bills have been introduced to require that any of
these actions be taken. Until bills are introduced, we need to ask Senators
and Representatives to introduce them. Rep. Tony Hall and others are expected
to act soon; if your Senator or Representative is interested they could speak
to him. Senators and Representatives should be asked to cosponsor bills. Also
ask that the foreign aid appropriation for Indonesia be reduced or
eliminated. As of April 1992 it appears that Congress will not pass a foreign
aid bill this year, but will pass a continuing resolution (a stopgap measure)
to provide funding for the next six months. The continuing resolution may be
passed very quickly.

Relevant Laws Already on the Books

*    Foreign Assistance Act, Section 502B prohibits US security assistance to
countries which violate human rights.

*    Foreign Assistance Act, Section 116 prohibits economic aid on human
rights grounds "unless such assistance will directly benefit the needy people
in such country."

*    International Financial Institutions Act, Section 701, requires US
representatives to multilateral development banks to vote against loans of
the banks on human rights grounds.

*    International Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act, prohibits
commercial arms sales on human rights grounds.

All provisions apply to countries with a consistent pattern of gross
violations of human rights. Some of these have exceptions, e.g. the President
can certify that there are "exceptional circumstances" that justify aid
despite a poor human rights record, or that there have been "significant
improvements" in a country's human rights record.

The US State Department claims that human rights conditions in East Timor
have been improving since the November 12 massacre. These claims are
contradicted by reports from Amnesty International, Asia Watch, and every
other credible source. The new military commander there has vowed to end all
demonstrations, foreign journalists have again been excluded, and the
Timorese people live in a renewed state of terror.

The State Department frequently refuses to enforce human rights provisions.
Congress has sometimes passed legislation specific to a particular country to
accomplish similar objectives. This type of legislation has been more likely
to be enforced, although it still encounters many of the same problems.

This legislation applies only to human rights abuses. ETAN not only wants
respect for human rights, but also self-determination for the people of East
Timor.

International Law

The Indonesian invasion of East Timor blatantly violated the United Nations
Charter. The UN Security Council and General Assembly have passed many
resolutions (still outstanding) calling for Indonesian withdrawal from East
Timor. Respect for human rights is required by international human rights
agreements such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Key Congressional Subcommittees

Although you should always approach your own Senators and Representative,
there are key subcommittees whose members are especially important. All
Senators can be written to at U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510.
Representatives are at U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515.
You can phone any of them by calling the Capitol switchboard at
(202)224-3121. In each listing in the next column, Democrats are on the left
and Republicans on the right. Members are listed by seniority, with the Chair
and Ranking Members first.

Senate Foreign Relations - East Asian and Pacific Affairs
Alan Cranston (CA)       Frank Murkowski (AK)
Joseph Biden (DE)        Richard Lugar (IN)
Christopher Dodd (CT)    Mitch McConnell (KY)
John Kerry (MA)          Hank  Brown (CO)
Charles Robb (VA)

Senate Appropriations - Foreign Operations (foreign aid appropriations)
Patrick Leahy (VT)       Robert Kasten (WI)
Daniel Inouye (HI)       Mark Hatfield (OR)
J.Bennett Johnston(LA)   Alfonse D'Amato (NY)
Dennis DeConcini (AZ)    Warren Rudman (NH)
Frank Lautenberg (NJ)    Arlen Specter (PA)
Tom Harkin (IA)          Don Nickles (OK)
Barbara Mikulski (MD)

House Foreign Affairs - Asian and Pacific Affairs
Stephen Solarz (NY)      Jim Leach (IA)
Tom Lantos (CA)          Robert Lagomarsino (CA)
Robert Torricelli (NJ)   Toby Roth (WI)
Gary Ackerman (NY)
Thomas Foglietta (PA)

House Foreign Affairs - Human Rights and International Organizations
Gus Yatron (PA)          Doug Bereuter (NE)
Wayne Owens (UT)         Christopher Smith (NJ)
Ted Weiss (NY)           Henry Hyde (IL)
Eliot Engel (NY)         Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL)
Gerry Studds (MA)
Frank McCloskey (IN)

House Appropriations - Foreign Operations
David Obey (WI)          Mickey Edwards (OK)
Sidney Yates (IL)        John Porter (IL)
Matthew McHugh(NY)       Bill Green (NY)
William Lehman (FL)      Bob Livingston (LA)
Charles Wilson (TX)
Ronald Coleman (TX)
Lawrence Smith (FL)
** End of text from cdp:reg.easttimor **
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