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105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 258

Encouraging international resolution of the political status of East Timor.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APRIL 1, 1998

Mrs. LOWEY (for herself, Mr. PORTER, Mr. LANTOS, and Mr. SMITH of New

Jersey) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred

to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Encouraging international resolution of the political status

of East Timor.

Whereas the Indonesian financial collapse and political crisis

have revealed that Indonesian corruption and violent repression are a serious threat to the stability of the international economy;

Whereas many nations and a wide range of international and

non-government organizations have called on President

Suharto to move forward with democratization in Indonesia and self-determination in East Timor;

Whereas Indonesia invaded East Timor in 1975 and has for

the past 22 years illegally occupied and systematically oppressed the people of East Timor;
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HCON 258 IH1S

Whereas the Indonesian occupation has claimed the lives of

over 200,000 East Timorese, a third of the population,

since 1975, through military bombardment, torture and

killings, and starvation;

Whereas Indonesia’s invasion has been condemned in 8

United Nations General Assembly and 2 United Nations

Security Council resolutions;

Whereas on November 12, 1991, Indonesian troops opened

fire on thousands of peaceful mourners and demonstrators at the Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili, the capital of

East Timor, killing hundreds and wounding hundreds

more;

Whereas Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo and Jose

Ramos-Horta were awarded the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize

for their courageous contribution to the East Timorese

struggle for human rights and self-determination;

Whereas both Nobel laureates have called for a United Nations-supervised referendum in East Timor;

Whereas the National Council of Maubere Resistance has offered a peace plan composed of gradual steps, including

a withdrawal of Indonesian troops, the release of Timorese political prisoners, an end to torture, a period of limited autonomy, and a United Nations-supervised referendum;

Whereas the United States co-sponsored a 1997 United Nations Human Rights Commission Resolution calling for

Indonesia to comply with the directives of existing United

Nations resolutions regarding East Timor;

Whereas Indonesian human rights abuses continue in East

Timor, including arbitrary arrests, torture, extra-judicial
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HCON 258 IH1S

executions and disappearances, and general political repression;

Whereas Bishop Belo has stated that conditions in East

Timor have worsened since the awarding of the Nobel

Prize over one year ago;

Whereas United Nations-sponsored tripartite negotiations between the governments of Indonesia and Portugal have

offered renewed hope for a just, comprehensive, and

internationally acceptable settlement on the political status of East Timor but have made little progress toward

that end; and

Whereas the ongoing all-inclusive intra-Timorese dialogue is

limited to nonpolitical topics and there has been no direct

Timorese participation in the United Nations-sponsored

tripartite talks: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the United States should—

3 (1) support an internationally supervised ref4 erendum to determine the political status of East

5 Timor;

6 (2) recognize the need for direct Timorese par7 ticipation in the United Nations-sponsored tripartite

8 talks; and

9 (3) work actively, through the United Nations

10 and with its allies, to realize the directives of exist11 ing United Nations resolutions on East Timor.

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