The crisis in East Timor continues, and the Congress needs to respond. Some 100,000 refugees remained trapped in squalid and threatening conditions inside West Timor. The overwhelming majority of these refugees want to return to their home in East Timor, but they cannot because the camps are under the control of the militias. The militias and elements of the Indonesian Army continue cross-border attacks into East Timor.
Reconstruction continues to be a slow and laborious task.
Our bill maintains Congressional restrictions and the President's suspension on military cooperation with the Indonesian Armed Forces until the refugees are safely repatriated and military attacks against East Timor are ended. It calls upon the President to help the safe repatriation of the refugees and to help rebuild East Timor, and it salutes the members of the United States Armed Forces who have participated in the peacekeeping operation in East Timor. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to cosponsor the McGovern-Smith bill on East Timor. The Indonesian government has given the refugees, some 100,000 people, until the end of the month to choose whether to go back to East Timor or remain in Indonesia. Indonesia says it will end all delivery of food and other assistance as of March 31.