III 

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’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 273 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 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; 


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•SRES 273 IS 

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 


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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 

3 during 1965 and 1966; 

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— 

8 (A) to consider a truth, justice, and rec9 onciliation commission to address alleged crimes 

10 against humanity and other human rights viola11 tions; and 

12 (B) to work to mend differences and ani13 mosity that remain after the mass killings dur14 ing 1965 and 1966; and 

15 (4) calls on the Department of State, the De16 partment of Defense, the Central Intelligence AgenVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:24 Oct 02, 2015 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR273.IS SR273

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1 cy, and others involved in developing and imple2 menting policy towards Indonesia during this time 

3 period to establish an interagency working group— 

4 (A) to locate, identify, inventory, rec5 ommend for declassification, and make available 

6 to the public all classified records and docu7 ments concerning the mass killings of 1965 and 

8 1966, including records and documents per9 taining to covert operations in Indonesia from 

10 January 1, 1964, through March 30, 1966; 

11 (B) to coordinate with Federal agencies 

12 and take such actions as necessary to expedite 

13 the release of such records to the public; and 

14 (C) to submit a report to Congress that 

15 describes all such records, the disposition of 

16 such records, and the activities of the Inter17 agency Group. 

Æ 


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