III 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 596 

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the need for reconciliation 

in Indonesia and disclosure by the United States Government of events 

surrounding the mass killings during 1965–66. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 10, 2014 

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico submitted the following resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the need for 

reconciliation in Indonesia and disclosure by the United 

States Government of events surrounding the mass 

killings during 1965–66. 

Whereas, on October 1, 1965, six Indonesian Army generals 

were killed by military personnel, including members of 

Indonesia’s Presidential Guard, and these killings were 

blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party and labeled 

an ‘‘attempted Communist coup d’e ́tat’’; 

Whereas this alleged coup was used to justify the mass killing 

of alleged supporters of the Indonesian Communist 

Party, with estimates of the number of dead ranging 

from 500,000 to 1,000,000 killed; 


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•SRES 596 IS 

Whereas the targeted individuals were predominantly unarmed civilians, and often included members of trade 

unions, intellectuals, teachers, ethnic Chinese, and those 

involved in the women’s movement; 

Whereas these killings and the imprisonment of up to 

1,000,000 targeted individuals were done without due 

process of law; 

Whereas the targeted individuals were subject to extrajudicial 

execution, torture, rape, forced disappearance, forced 

labor, and forced eviction; 

Whereas the United States Central Intelligence Agency in a 

1968 research study described the period as one of the 

worst mass murders of the twentieth century; 

Whereas the United States Government provided the Indonesian Army with financial, military, and intelligence 

support during the period of the mass killings, and did 

so aware that such killings were taking place as recorded 

in partially declassified documents in the Department of 

State history, ‘‘Foreign Relations of the United States’’, 

pertaining to this period; 

Whereas, within months of military leader Suharto’s assumption of the Presidency following the mass killing, the 

United States Government began sending economic and 

military support to Suharto’s military regime, and played 

an indispensable role in its consolidation of power; 

Whereas aid to the Suharto government continued for more 

than three decades, despite on-going crimes against humanity committed by the Suharto government, including 

mass killing and other gross violations of human rights 

during the invasion and subsequent 24-year occupation of 

East Timor; 


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Whereas perpetrators of the 1965–66 mass killings have 

largely lived with impunity, and the survivors and descendants of the victims suffer continuing discrimination 

economically and for decades had limited civil and political rights, as noted in the 2012 Indonesia National Commission on Human Rights report; 

Whereas the United States Government has not yet fully declassified all relevant documents concerning this time period, and full disclosure could help bring historical clarity 

to atrocities committed in Indonesia between 1965 and 

1966; 

Whereas the United States Government has in recent years 

supported the declassification and release of documents 

in support of truth and reconciliation efforts following periods of violence in countries such as Chile and Brazil; 

Whereas open dialogue about alleged past crimes against humanity and past human rights violations is important for 

continued efforts to reconcile populations of Indonesia 

and to ensure a stable, sustainable peace that will benefit 

the region and beyond; 

Whereas, Indonesia has undergone a remarkable democratic 

transition over the last two decades, and is the world’s 

third largest democracy with the largest Muslim population in the world; 

Whereas through free and fair elections, the people of Indonesia have elected new leaders who now have the opportunity to establish a culture of accountability in partnership with the country’s vibrant civil society, press, academia, and human rights activists; 

Whereas the relationship between the United States and Indonesia is strong and involves many shared interests, as 


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reflected in the 2010 United States-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership, including democracy and civil society, education, security, climate and environment, energy, and trade and investment; 

Whereas the economic relationship between the United States 

and Indonesia is strong, with bilateral goods trade exceeding $27,000,000,000 and with major United States 

companies making significant long-term investments in 

Indonesia; and 

Whereas strong relations between the United States and Indonesia are mutually beneficial to both countries: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) condemns the mass murder in Indonesia in 

3 1965–66; 

4 (2) expresses great concern about the lack of 

5 accountability enjoyed by those who carried out 

6 crimes during this period; 

7 (3) urges political leaders in Indonesia to con8 sider a truth, justice, and reconciliation commission 

9 to address alleged crimes against humanity and 

10 other human rights violations, and to work to mend 

11 differences and animosity that remain after the 

12 1965–66 mass killings; and 

13 (4) calls on the Department of State, the De14 partment of Defense, the Central Intelligence Agen15 cy, and others involved in developing and imple16 menting policy towards Indonesia during this time 


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1 period to establish an interagency working group 

2 to— 

3 (A) locate, identify, inventory, recommend 

4 for declassification, and make available to the 

5 public all classified records and documents con6 cerning the mass killings of 1965 and 1966, in7 cluding records and documents pertaining to 

8 covert operations in Indonesia from January 1, 

9 1964, through March 30, 1966; 

10 (B) coordinate with Federal agencies and 

11 take such actions as necessary to expedite the 

12 release of such records to the public; and 

13 (C) submit a report to Congress describing 

14 all such records, the disposition of such records, 

15 and the activities of the Interagency Group. 

Æ 


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