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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 273 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 273

       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 and 
                                 1966.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 1, 2015

Mr. Udall 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 and 
                                 1966.

Whereas, on October 1, 1965, 6 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'etat'';
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;
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 3 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;
Whereas perpetrators of the 1965 and 1966 mass killings have largely lived with 
        impunity, and the survivors and descendants of the victims suffer 
        continuing economic discrimination and had limited civil and political 
        rights for decades, as noted in the 2012 report by the Indonesian 
        National Commission on Human Rights;
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 during 
        1965 and 1966;
Whereas the United States Government has recently 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 2 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 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
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) condemns the mass murder in Indonesia during 1965 and 
        1966;
            (2) expresses great concern about the lack of 
        accountability enjoyed by those who carried out crimes during 
        this period;
            (3) urges political leaders in Indonesia--
                    (A) to consider a truth, justice, and 
                reconciliation commission to address alleged crimes 
                against humanity and other human rights violations; and
                    (B) to work to mend differences and animosity that 
                remain after the mass killings during 1965 and 1966; 
                and
            (4) calls on the Department of State, the Department of 
        Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency, and others involved 
        in developing and implementing policy towards Indonesia during 
        this time period to establish an interagency working group--
                    (A) to locate, identify, inventory, recommend for 
                declassification, and make available to the public all 
                classified records and documents concerning the mass 
                killings of 1965 and 1966, including records and 
                documents pertaining to covert operations in Indonesia 
                from January 1, 1964, through March 30, 1966;
                    (B) to coordinate with Federal agencies and take 
                such actions as necessary to expedite the release of 
                such records to the public; and
                    (C) to submit a report to Congress that describes 
                all such records, the disposition of such records, and 
                the activities of the Interagency Group.
                                 <all>
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