IV
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. RES. 285
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the ref-
erendum in East Timor and calling on the Government of Indonesia
and all other parties to the current civil unrest in East Timor to assist
in any attempts to immediately terminate the paramilitary’s campaign
of violence and terror and comply with the overwhelming results of
the August 30, 1999, popular consultation.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SEPTEMBER 9, 1999
Mr. CAPUANO (for himself, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. BLAGOJEVICH, Mr. CROWLEY,
Mr. DELAHUNT, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. HALL of Ohio,
Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Mr. KING, Ms. LEE, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr.
LUTHER, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. NORTON,
Mr. OLVER, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. PELOSI, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. WEXLER,
Mr. WOLF, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. BAIRD, Mr. MEEHAN, and Mrs. MORELLA)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on International Relations
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regard-
ing the referendum in East Timor and calling on the
Government of Indonesia and all other parties to the
current civil unrest in East Timor to assist in any at-
tempts to immediately terminate the paramilitary’s cam-
paign of violence and terror and comply with the over-
whelming results of the August 30, 1999, popular con-
sultation.
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Whereas in 1975 the newly independent Portuguese colony of
East Timor was invaded and occupied by Indonesia;
Whereas for the past 24 years, East Timorese pro-independ-
ence groups have been brutally repressed by the Indo-
nesian military (ABRI/TNI) and more recently by mili-
tary-backed paramilitary units engaged in kidnapping,
torture, and murder;
Whereas more than 200,000 East Timorese have perished in
violent conflicts;
Whereas on May 5, 1999, Portugal, Indonesia, and the
United Nations concluded an historic agreement intended
to resolve the long-standing issue of East Timor through
a popular consultation based upon a universal, direct,
and secret ballot;
Whereas the agreement gave the East Timorese people an op-
portunity to accept a proposed special autonomy for East
Timor within the unitary Republic of Indonesia or reject
the special autonomy and opt for independence;
Whereas on June 11, 1999, the United Nations Security
Council established the United Nations Mission in East
Timor (UNAMET), which proceeded to organize and con-
duct the popular consultation; and
Whereas on August 30, 1999, in a show of courage and de-
termination, 98.5 percent of registered East Timorese
went to the polls to express their will as to the future of
their territory, and by a vote of 344,580 to 94,388 over-
whelmingly chose independence: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) commends the people of East Timor for
their unrelenting perseverance to cast their vote on
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the future status of East Timor in a democratic
manner;
(2) congratulates the people of East Timor on
their exemplary participation in the August 30,
1999, popular consultation;
(3) condemns the post-election violence carried
out by paramilitary groups against United Nations
personnel and the people of East Timor;
(4) is concerned about the imposition of martial
law by Indonesia in East Timor;
(5) further condemns the assaults upon refu-
gees seeking protection in churches, the Inter-
national Red Cross, and other places of sanctuary;
(6) calls for international action to address the
humanitarian crisis in which thousands of refugees
from East Timor are blocked from receiving food or
medical care;
(7) reaffirms the profound concern of the
United States for the incalculable human suffering
inflicted on the East Timorese and demands an im-
mediate halt to the violence and a peaceful transi-
tion to independence for East Timor;
(8) encourages efforts on behalf of the United
Nations to put pressure on the Government of Indo-
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nesia to attempt to control, disarm, and disband the
brutal militias in East Timor;
(9) calls on the President—
(A) to suspend all remaining military as-
sistance to Indonesia until the paramilitaries in
East Timor are controlled; and
(B) to condition all future assistance to In-
donesia, except for humanitarian assistance,
upon the ability and willingness of the Govern-
ment of Indonesia to control paramilitary and
militia forces and to restore order and respect
for human rights in East Timor;
(10) calls upon international organizations, in-
cluding the World Bank and the International Mone-
tary Fund, to condition all future assistance to Indo-
nesia, except for humanitarian assistance, upon the
ability and willingness of the Government of Indo-
nesia to control paramilitary and militia forces and
to restore order and respect for human rights in
East Timor;
(11) encourages efforts by the United Nations
envoys in Indonesia to express the outrage of the
international community over the violence in East
Timor and to make plain to the Government of In-
donesia its responsibility to restrain paramilitary
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forces and to restore order and respect for human
rights in East Timor;
(12) calls upon the United Nations Security
Council to offer assistance to the Government of In-
donesia in restoring order in East Timor;
(13) welcomes continued dialogue between
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and
Indonesian authorities, including President B.J.
Habibie and Defense Minister Wiranto, for further
measures to restore law and order in East Timor;
(14) encourages increased United States sup-
port for an expanded United Nations mandate with
respect to East Timor, and significantly more
United Nations personnel, leading toward assump-
tion of responsibility by the United Nations for ad-
ministration and security in East Timor;
(15) calls upon the international community to
play an active role in helping to resolve the internal
conflict in East Timor by encouraging all sides to
participate in the peace process; and
(16) further calls upon the United Nations Se-
curity Council, should it determine that the Govern-
ment of Indonesia is unable or unwilling to maintain
order in East Timor, to authorize member states of
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the United Nations to protect the lives and human
rights of East Timor refugees.
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