Subject: CONG: House members write Albright on
militia violence
Date: Sat, 22 May 1999 10:10:59 -0400
From: "John M. Miller" <fbp@igc.apc.org>Congressional Press Releases
May 12, 1999, Wednesday
AGAINST MILITIA VIOLENCE IN EAST TIMOR
BARNEY FRANK , REPRESENTATIVE , HOUSE , KEY HOUSE HUMAN RIGHTS LEADERS URGE STATE
DEPARTMENT TO ACT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MAY 11, 1999 KEY HOUSE HUMAN RIGHTS LEADERS URGE STATE DEPARTMENT
TO ACT AGAINST MILITIA VIOLENCE IN EAST TIMOR
On Friday, a bipartisan group of 9 Members of Congress wrote to Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright pressing for concrete action by the United States to help stop
paramilitary violence in East Timor. , Militia groups reportedly backed by the Indonesian
military are advancing a campaign of terror and violence aimed at keeping pro-
independence East Timorese from voting in an August referendum on autonomy for East Timor.
This has generated concern from many members of Congress, who over the past several
months have signed letters to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and President Clinton
calling for an immediate introduction of UN and other international observers into East
Timor and urging the United States to use its influence to insist that the Indonesian
government disarm and remove the militia troops from East Timor.
However, recent reports by relief workers, human rights groups, and Western military
analysts confirm that vicious attacks by the paramilitary units are continuing. The
militia groups have reportedly created a death list of leaders of the pro- independence
movement., and in certain areas, large numbers of East Timorese are being relocated and
held captive to assure a vote against independence.
Key human rights leaders in the House of Representatives wrote to Secretary Albright
last Friday to request a meeting with the State Department to learn "what specific
actions the U.S. has taken to assure that the people of East Timor can vote on
independence in an atmosphere as free of intimidation as possible, so that an accurate
expression of East Timorese opinion is possible."
Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) said, "The Portuguese government has been taking the lead
in the fight to defend the rights of the people of East Timor, and we believe it is long
overdue for the United States government to become full participants in this effort."
In addition to Frank, the letter was signed by Reps. Tony Hall (D- OH)- Patrick Kennedy
(D-RI)- Nita Lowey (D-NY)- James McGovern (D- MA)- Joseph Pitts (R-PA); John Porter (R-
IL), co-chair of the House Human Rights Caucus- Christopher Smith (R-NJ), chairman of the
International Relations Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights, and
Frank Wolf (R-VA), an Appropriations Subcommittee chairman.
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