The resignation of Indonesian dictator Suharto last May brought new hope to the island country of East Timor, a former Portuguese colony located 400 miles northwest of Australia. East Timor was invaded by Indonesia in 1975 and has since been held under an incredibly brutal military occupation that has claimed the lives of at least 200,000 people–one-third of the pre-invasion population. This hope exists despite continuing military oppression and brutality. Armed bands of paramilitary thugs (called ninjas by the East Timorese) continue to roam the countryside terrorizing supporters of an independent East Timor. Arbitrary executions and arrests, rape, torture, and nighttime raids on people’s homes are common. On July 11th, ten young East Timorese, who were part of a night-time neighborhood defense group attempting to protect their community from the nightly raids, were detained and tortured in Dili (the capital city).
Recognizing that Indonesia’s illegal military occupation of East Timor is damaging to Indonesia’s international image, B.J. Habibie (Suharto’s successor) has made some symbolic gestures in an attempt to signal flexibility on the East Timor issue.
For example, he recently offered to give East Timor an undefined ‘special status’ and to free imprisoned East Timorese political leader Xanana Gusmao in exchange for international recognition of Indonesia’s annexation of the territory. Gusmao, the Portuguese government and East Timorese Nobel Peace Laureate José Ramos-Horta, have all rejected the proposal unless it allows for an eventual referendum on self-determination (as called for by international law). But, Habibie has refused to consider the possibility of eventual East Timorese independence or of a UN-supervised referendum on self-determination. Recent reports have stated that Indonesia is training 2,000 to 4,000 individuals to take part in destabilizing activities in East Timor. This activity is part of Indonesia’s attempt to prevent a referendum from taking place on the grounds that a free election in East Timor would result in civil war.
The US has provided both military and diplomatic support to Indonesia throughout its illegal occupation of East Timor–90% of the weaponry used was supplied to Indonesia by the US. Daniel P. Moynihan, the 1975 US ambassador to the UN, writes in his memoirs that he was instructed by the State Department to ensure that the UN prove "utterly ineffective" in its response to the Indonesian invasion of East Timor. In his own words, "I carried that assignment out with considerable success." In March, 1997, it also was revealed that US Green Berets have been providing military training to the Kopassus, the most feared divisions of the Indonesian army.
Its members commonly conduct torture sessions and are known to have opened fire on non-violent demonstrations for democracy and human rights.
People have been working to ensure that no more weapons or military training should be provided to Indonesia by the US until the repression of political freedoms and human rights in Indonesia and East Timor ends and until arrangements have been made for a UN-supervised referendum on self-determination in East Timor. On July 10th, the US Senate unanimously passed Senate Resolution 237, which urges the Clinton administration to "Work actively...to support an internationally supervised referendum on self-determination [in East Timor]." A similar resolution (Res. 258) has been introduced in the House of Representatives. Now is a crucial time for us to be in solidarity with the people of East Timor! Please write or call your Representative and ask him or her to co-sponsor the following legislation: House Concurrent Resolution 258, which supports East Timor’s right to self-determination; and International Military Training Accountability Act (H.R. 3802). This bill would close loopholes for US military training of Indonesian troops, banning all such training.
You can contact write your Representative by calling the congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121 or by writing to: US House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515. For more information or to get in touch with an East Timor Action Network chapter in your area, you can call 914-428-7299 or e-mail etan-us@igc.apc.org.
Search the DGH Web Site Now!
Legal Notice
