311 
(F) enhancing international exchanges, in-
cluding youth and student exchanges, as well as 
advanced professional training programs for 
leaders and members of the democratic forces 
in skill areas central to the development of civil 
society; and 
(G) supporting educational initiatives such 
as the European Humanities University, a 
Belarusian university in exile based in Vilnius, 
Lithuania; and 
(2) the United States should support radio, tel-
evision, and internet broadcasting to the people of 
Belarus in languages spoken in Belarus, including 
broadcasting by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 
European Radio for Belarus, and Belsat. 
SEC. 1122. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE HUMANITARIAN 
SITUATION IN SRI LANKA. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) both the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam 
(LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka must 
abide by their commitments to respect human life 
and cease offensive operations; 
(2) the United States Government remains 
deeply concerned about the current danger to civil-
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
05:45 May 15, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00311
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2410.IH
H2410
SMARTINEZ on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
312 
ian lives and the dire humanitarian situation created 
by the fighting in the Mullaittivu area in Sri Lanka; 
(3) the United States should call upon the Gov-
ernment and military of Sri Lanka and the LTTE 
to allow a humanitarian pause sufficient for the tens 
of thousands of civilians in the conflict area to es-
cape the fighting; 
(4) both sides must respect the right of free 
movement of those civilian men, women and children 
trapped by the fighting; 
(5) the LTTE must immediately allow civilians 
to depart; 
(6) the LTTE should then lay down their arms 
to a neutral third party; 
(7) the Government of Sri Lanka should allow 
the United Nations High Commission for Refugees 
(UNHCR) and the International Committee of the 
Red Cross (ICRC) access to all sites where newly ar-
rived displaced persons are being registered or being 
provided shelter, as well as to implement established 
international humanitarian standards in the camps 
for internally displaced persons; 
(8) a durable and lasting peace will only be 
achieved through a political solution that addresses 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
05:45 May 15, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00312
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2410.IH
H2410
SMARTINEZ on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
313 
the legitimate aspirations of all Sri Lankan commu-
nities; and 
(9) the Government of Sri Lanka should put 
forward a timely and credible proposal to engage its 
Tamil community who do not espouse violence or 
terrorism, and to develop power sharing arrange-
ments so that lasting peace and reconciliation can be 
achieved. 
SEC. 1123. WEST PAPUA. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) West Papua was a former Dutch colony just 
as East Timor was a former Portuguese colony just 
as Indonesia was a former colony of the Nether-
lands. 
(2) In 1949, the Dutch granted independence 
to Indonesia and retained West Papua. 
(3) In 1950, the Dutch prepared West Papua 
for independence. 
(4) However, Indonesia, upon achieving inde-
pendence, demanded the entire archipelago including 
the Dutch holding of West Papua and the Por-
tuguese controlled territory of East Timor. 
(5) In 1962, the United States mediated an 
agreement between the Dutch and Indonesia. Under 
terms of the agreement, the Dutch were to leave 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
05:45 May 15, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00313
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2410.IH
H2410
SMARTINEZ on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
314 
West Papua and transfer sovereignty to the United 
Nations after which time a national election would 
be held to determine West Papua’s political status. 
But almost immediately after this agreement was 
reached, Indonesia violated the terms of the transfer 
and took over the administration of West Papua 
from the United Nations. 
(6) Indonesia then orchestrated an election that 
many regarded as a brutal military operation. In 
what became known as an ‘‘act of no-choice’’, 1,025 
West Papua elders under heavy military surveillance 
were selected to vote on behalf of more than 800,000 
West Papuans on the territory’s political status. The 
United Nations Representative sent to observe the 
election process produced a report which outlined 
various and serious violations of the United Nations 
Charter. In spite of the report and in spite of 
testimonials from the press, the opposition of fifteen 
countries, and the cries of help from the Papuans 
themselves, West Papua was handed over to Indo-
nesia in November 1969. 
(7) Since this time, the Papuans have suffered 
blatant human rights abuses including extrajudicial 
executions, imprisonment, torture, environmental 
degradation, natural resource exploitation and com-
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
05:45 May 15, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00314
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2410.IH
H2410
SMARTINEZ on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
315 
mercial dominance of immigrant communities and it 
is now estimated that more than 100,000 West 
Papuans and 200,000 East Timorese died as a di-
rect result of Indonesian rule especially during the 
administrations of military dictators Sukarno and 
Suharto. 
(8) Today, the violence continues. In its 2004 
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices the 
Department of State reports that Indonesia ‘‘secu-
rity force members murdered, tortured, raped, beat 
and arbitrarily detained civilians and members of 
separatist movements especially in Papua’’. 
(9) In response to international pressure, Indo-
nesia has promised to initiate Special Autonomy for 
West Papua. 
(10) Considering that East Timor achieved 
independence from Indonesia in 2002 by way of a 
United Nations sanctioned referendum, Special Au-
tonomy may be an effort to further disenfranchise a 
people who differ racially from the majority of Indo-
nesians. 
(11) West Papuans are Melanesian and believed 
to be of African descent. 
(b) REPORTS.— 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
05:45 May 15, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00315
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2410.IH
H2410
SMARTINEZ on PROD1PC64 with BILLS