Media Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Kurt Biddle, Indonesia Human Rights Network,
510-559-7762; 510-375-2114 (mobile)
John M. Miller, East Timor Action Network, 718-596-7668
Congress Expresses Deep Concern about Military Offensive and
Human Rights Violations in Aceh
Representatives Criticize Indonesia’s Use of U.S. Military
Equipment
June 27, 2003 - Members of both chambers of the U.S. Congress
have called on the administration to work for an end to Indonesia’s
military assault on Aceh and a return to the negotiating table.
In separate letters, members of the House of Representatives and
Senate wrote yesterday that they were “disturbed” over the use
of U.S.-supplied weapons in Aceh against Indonesian citizens. The
bipartisan House letter, signed by 46 members, urged Secretary of
State Colin Powell “to ask the Indonesian government at the
highest level to end the use of U.S. equipment in Aceh.”
The House letter continued, “If the
military campaign and human rights violations persist, the
U.S.-Indonesia bilateral relationship will undoubtedly be
jeopardized.”
Both letters also highlighted reports of human rights abuses by
the Indonesian military, including the targeting of human rights
monitors. Criticizing ongoing rights abuses, 17
Senators urged Indonesia to “cease attacks and intimidation
against civilians, peaceful human rights and political activists,
journalists and others now under threat.”
The Senate and House letters further encouraged “the United
States to take a leadership role in building an international
consensus for cessation of hostilities and the protection of human
rights in Aceh.”
Representatives Tom Lantos (D-CA) and Christopher Smith (R-NJ)
and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) initiated the letters in the
House and Senate, respectively.
The texts of the letters are available at
http://www.etan.org/action/action2/06acehltr.htm.
In additional letters sent this week, Senators and
Representatives supported justice for rights violations committed by
Indonesia during its occupation of East Timor. The final verdict in
Indonesia’s ad hoc court on East Timor is expected on July 1. The
prosecution has asked the court to acquit General Adam Damiri, the
highest-ranking official tried. Damiri has missed a number of court
appearances due to his leadership in the military assault on Aceh
(see http//www.etan.org/news/2003a/06letters.htm).
Background:
Aceh, on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra, is the site
of one of Asia's longest running wars. For almost 27 years, the
armed Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has been demanding independence from
Indonesia. On December 9, 2002, an important cease-fire agreement (CoHA)
was signed between Indonesia and GAM. Both sides were cited as
violating the agreement. In February, Indonesian security forces
began targeting peaceful political and human rights activists for
arrest. On May 19, 2003, Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri
declared martial law in Aceh and a few hours later hundreds of
troops poured in and renewed the fighting, in Indonesia’s largest
military operation since the invasion of East Timor in 1975.
Numerous civilians and five GAM negotiators were arrested. Under
martial law they are not allowed legal representation for twenty
days; this can be extended to fifty days. During the last month,
Indonesia has tightened restrictions on the activities of foreign
and domestic journalists and humanitarian and human rights groups.
Support in Aceh for independence from Indonesia is widespread and
growing in response to a lack of benefit from Aceh's vast natural
resource wealth and the brutality of the Indonesian military and
police.
Indonesia Human Rights Network (IHRN) is a U.S.-based grassroots
organization working to educate and activate the American public and
influence U.S. foreign policy and international economic interests
to support democracy, demilitarization, and justice through
accountability and rule of law in Indonesia. IHRN seeks to end armed
forces repression in Indonesia by exposing it to international
scrutiny. IHRN works with and advocates on behalf of people
throughout the Indonesian archipelago to strengthen civil society.
East Timor Action Network (ETAN) advocates for democracy,
sustainable development, justice and human rights, including women's
rights, for the people of East Timor. ETAN calls for an
international tribunal to prosecute crimes against humanity that
took place in East Timor since 1975.
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Congressional Letters on Aceh
Senate Letter
June 26, 2003
President George Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
We are writing to express deep concern about the offensive
launched by the Indonesian military on May 19, 2003 against
separatist rebels in the northern province of Aceh and reports of
human rights abuses against civilians and non-governmental
organizations.
The offensive -- the largest military operation since the
invasion of East Timor in 1975 - has already resulted in mass
atrocities reportedly being committed against civilians by the
Indonesian military, including extrajudicial execution, torture,
arbitrary detention and rape. Journalists have been barred from most
of these areas.
Particularly troubling are reports that U.S.-supplied weapons
have been used against Indonesian citizens. OV-10 Bronco
counter-insurgency aircraft have reportedly been used in assaults on
villages outside of Banda Aceh, and C-130 Hercules transport planes
have been used to drop paratroopers on the first day of the
operation.
In addition, we are deeply disturbed by the emerging crackdown in
Aceh against non-governmental organizations engaged in peaceful
human rights and other advocacy. On May 27, 2003 approximately 100
young men calling themselves "Pemuda Panca Marga" (sons of
the military) attacked the Jakarta offices of KONTRAS (The
Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence) and the
Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, reportedly because the
organizations' statements on Aceh were not patriotic.
We urge you to convey to Indonesian authorities in the strongest
possible terms that the military must respect human rights and cease
attacks and intimidation against civilians, peaceful human rights
and political activists, journalists and others now under threat. We
must not tolerate such blatant human rights violations.
We support Indonesian government efforts to pursue a peaceful
strategy to the conflict in Aceh. The signing of the Cessation of
Hostilities Agreement (CoHA) between the Government of Indonesia and
GAM was an important step towards ending the conflict. Now that the
agreement has broken down, we hope you will continue to encourage
the Indonesian government and GAM at the highest levels to end the
hostilities in Aceh and return to the negotiating table. We
encourage the United States to take a leadership role in building an
international consensus for cessation of hostilities and the
protection of human rights in Aceh.
We thank you for your consideration and look forward to your
response on these most urgent matters.
Sincerely,
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Senator Patty Murray
Senator Carl Levin
Senator Edward Kennedy
Senator Christopher Dodd
Senator Debbie Stabenow
Senator Tom Harkin
Senator Ron Wyden
Senator Russell Feingold
Senator Herbert Kohl
Senator Richard Durbin
Senator James Jeffords
Senator Barbara Boxer
Senator Daniel Akaka
Senator Byron Dorgan
Senator Thomas Daschle
Senator Frank Lautenberg
House Letter
Secretary of State Colin Powell
United States Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Secretary Powell:
June 26, 2003
Secretary of State Colin Powell
United States Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Secretary Powell:
We are writing to express our deep concern about the on-going
military campaign conducted by the Indonesian military in Aceh. The
signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA) between the
Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in December
2002 was an important step towards ending the conflict. We applaud
U.S. efforts to support the agreement with its full implementation
and deeply regret its subsequent breakdown. Nevertheless we hope you
will continue to encourage both the Indonesian government and GAM to
end the hostilities in Aceh and return to the negotiating table.
In the on-going campaign in Aceh, the Indonesian military has
reportedly committed human rights abuses against civilians,
including extrajudicial execution, torture and arbitrary detention.
There is also an emerging crackdown against non-governmental
organizations engaged in peaceful human rights and other advocacy.
These organizations and other members of Acehnese civil society have
been specifically targeted for murder, disappearance and detention
by the military.
We are also disturbed by the reported use of U.S-supplied weapons
by the Indonesian military in operations. While this equipment was
supplied prior to the ban in 1991, it will be detrimental to the
view of the Acehnese people towards the United States if such
equipment is used to kill, maim, and intimidate civilians.
We therefore urge you to ask the Indonesian government at the
highest level to end the use of U.S equipment in Aceh and to work
toward an immediate ceasefire in Aceh. If the military campaign and
human rights violations persist, the U.S - Indonesia bilateral
relationship will undoubtedly be jeopardized. To avoid this strain
in our bilateral relationship, we encourage the United States to
take a leadership role in building an international consensus for
cessation of hostilities and the protection of human rights in Aceh.
We also urge that the U.S raise the deteriorating human rights
tragedy in Aceh at the United Nations Security Council.
We thank you for your consideration and look forward to your
response on these most urgent matters.
Sincerely,
Tom Lantos (D-CA), Gary L. Ackerman (D-NY), Howard L. Berman
(D-CA), Jeff Flake, Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Neil Abercrombie (D-HI),
Peter A. Defazio (D-OR), Lloyd Dogget (D-TX), Sam Farr (D-CA),
Barney Frank (D-MA), Raul M. Grijalva (D-AZ), Christopher H. Smith
(R-NJ), Dale E. Kildee (D-MI), James R. Langevin (D-RI), Jim
McDermott (D-WA), George Miller (D-CA), Bobby L. Rush (D-IL), James
L. Oberstar (D-MN), Major R. Owens (D-NY), Ed Pastor (D-AZ), Mark
Udall (d-CO), Lane Evans (D-IL), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC),
Barbara Lee (D-CA), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI),
Maurice D. Hinchey (D-NY), Dennis A. Cardoza (D-CA), Nita M. Lowey
(D-NY), Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Todd Russell Platts (R-PA),
Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI), Fortney Pete Stark (D-CA), Joseph M.
Hoeffel (D-PA), Eni F. H. Faleomavaega (D-AS), Frank R. Wolf (R-VA),
Nydia M. Velazquez (D-NY), James P. Moran (D-VA), Sherrod Brown
(D-OH), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Phil English (R-PA), Tom Udall
(D-NM), Bob Beauprez (R-CO), Anthony D. Weiner (D-NY), Carolyn C.
Kilpatrick (D-MI), William Lacy Clay (D-MO)
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