H. Res. 292

In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

September 28, 1999.

Whereas on May 5, 1999, the Governments of Portugal and

Indonesia and the United Nations concluded an historic

agreement intended to resolve the status of East Timor

through a popular consultation based upon a universal,

direct, and secret ballot;

Whereas the agreement gave the people of East Timor an opportunity to accept a proposed special autonomy for East

Timor within the unitary Republic of Indonesia or reject

the special autonomy and opt for independence;

Whereas on August 30, 1999, 98.5 percent of registered voters participated in a vote on the future of East Timor,

and by a vote of 344,580 to 94,388 chose the course of

independence;

Whereas after the voting was concluded, violence intensified

significantly in East Timor;

Whereas the declaration by the Government of Indonesia of

martial law in East Timor failed to quell the violence;

Whereas it has been reported that hundreds of people have

been killed and injured since the violence began in East

Timor;
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Whereas it has been reported that as many as 200,000 of

East Timor’s 780,000 residents have been forced to flee

East Timor;

Whereas it has been reported that East Timor militias are

controlling the refugee camps in West Timor, intimidating the refugees and limiting access to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, relief agencies,

and other humanitarian nongovernmental organizations;

Whereas it has been reported that a systematic campaign of

political assassinations that has targeted religious, student, and political leaders, aid workers, and others has

taken place;

Whereas the compound of the United Nations Mission in

East Timor (UNAMET) was besieged and fired upon, access to food, water, and electricity was intentionally cut

off, and UNAMET personnel have been killed, forcing

the temporary closure of UNAMET in East Timor;

Whereas Catholic leaders and lay people have been targeted

to be killed and churches burned in East Timor;

Whereas the international community has called upon the

Government of Indonesia to either take immediate and

concrete steps to end the violence in East Timor or allow

a United Nations Security Council-endorsed multinational force to enter East Timor and restore order;

Whereas on September 9, 1999, the United States suspended

all military relations with Indonesia as a result of the

failure to quell the violence in East Timor;

Whereas on September 12, 1999, Indonesian President B.J.

Habibie announced that Indonesia would allow a United

Nations Security Council-endorsed multinational force

into East Timor;
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Whereas on September 15, 1999, the United Nations Security Council approved Resolution 1264, authorizing the

establishment of a multinational force to restore peace

and security in East Timor, to protect and support

UNAMET in carrying out its tasks and, within force capabilities, to facilitate humanitarian assistance operations, and authorizing countries participating in the

multinational force to take all necessary measures to fulfill this mandate; and

Whereas on September 20, 1999, the multinational force led

by Australia arrived in East Timor and began to deploy

for an initial period of four months until replaced by a

United Nations peacekeeping operation, or as otherwise

determined by the United Nations Security Council: Now,

therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) congratulates the people of East Timor on their

exemplary participation in the August 30, 1999, popular

consultation;

(2) commends the professionalism, determination,

and courage of the United Nations Mission in East

Timor (UNAMET) personnel in support of the August

30, 1999, vote on the future of East Timor;

(3) recognizes the overwhelming expression of the

people of East Timor in favor of independence from Indonesia;
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(4) condemns the violent efforts of East Timor militias and elements of the Indonesian military to overturn

the results of the August 30, 1999, vote;

(5) notes with grave alarm the failure of the Government of Indonesia, despite repeated assurances to the

contrary, to have guaranteed the security of the people

of East Timor and further notes that it was the responsibility of the Government of Indonesia to restrain elements of the Indonesian military and paramilitary forces

and restore order in East Timor;

(6) calls upon the Government of Indonesia to recognize its responsibilities as a member of the United Nations and a signatory to the Universal Declaration of

Human Rights to cooperate with appropriate United Nations authorities in the restoration of order in, and the

safe return of refugees and other displaced persons to,

East Timor;

(7) urges the Government of Indonesia to allow unrestricted access to refugees and displaced persons in

West Timor and elsewhere and to guarantee their safety;

(8) urges the international community to investigate

the human rights abuses and atrocities which occurred

with respect to the situation in East Timor subsequent

to August 30, 1999, and calls upon the Government of
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Indonesia to hold accountable those responsible for these

acts;

(9) notes with approval the decision of the United

States to suspend military relations with, and the sale of

any military weapons or equipment to, the Government

of Indonesia until the Indonesian military has effectively

cooperated with the international community in facilitating the transition of East Timor to independence;

(10) expresses approval of Indonesia’s belated decision to allow the United Nations Security Council-endorsed multinational force into East Timor;

(11) expresses support for a rapid and effective deployment throughout East Timor of the United Nations

Security Council-endorsed multinational force;

(12) urges that the United States consider additional measures, including the suspension of bilateral

and international financial assistance (except for humanitarian assistance and assistance designed to promote

the development of democratic institutions) to the Government of Indonesia should it curtail or suspend cooperation with the multinational force in East Timor,

interfere with the full deployment of this multinational

force, hinder the operation of UNAMET, hinder the safe

return of refugees and displaced persons to East Timor,
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or otherwise interfere with the restoration of order and

respect for human rights in East Timor;

(13)(A) expresses approval of United States

logistical and other technical support for the multinational force for East Timor; and

(B) declares that neither subparagraph (A) nor any

other provision of this resolution—

(i) shall constitute a waiver of any right or

power of the Congress under the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1541 et seq.); or

(ii) shall be construed as authority described in

section 8(a) of the War Powers Resolution (50

U.S.C. 1547(a));

(14) strongly commends Australia for its willingness

to lead the multinational force for East Timor and for

rapidly deploying its initial contingent of forces and welcomes and commends New Zealand, Canada, Thailand,

the United Kingdom, Singapore, the Philippines, Italy,

Brazil, France, and other nations that will participate in

this force;

(15) urges the Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly to expeditiously ratify the vote of August 30,

1999, in East Timor and to otherwise speed the transition to full independence for East Timor; and
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(16) recognizes that an effective United States foreign policy for this region requires both an effective

near-term response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis

in, and progress toward independence for, East Timor

and a long-term strategy for supporting stability, security, and democracy in Indonesia and East Timor.

Attest:

Clerk.