Congressional Action on East Timor (Statements, Letters, Hearings and more)

November 21 - U.S. Congress Maintains Restrictions on Military Assistance for Indonesia
November 11 - East Timor NGOs Urge U.S. Congress to End Assistance to Indonesian Military & to Work for Justice & International Tribunal
October 12 - Members of Congress Oppose U.S. Assistance to Unreformed, "Corrupt" Indonesian Military
October 6 - Senator Feingold on justice for East Timor

September 24 - U.S. Senate Continues Restrictions on Military and IMET Assistance for Indonesia
August 5 - Congress Disappointed with Secretary Rumsfeld’s Plans for U.S.-Indonesia Military Ties

July 21 - ETAN: Members of Congress Stress Concern Over East Timor-Australia Boundary Dispute During Australia Free Trade Debate
July 6 - Congress Urges UN to Actively Pursue Justice for East Timor; 78 Representatives Write UN Secretary-General

June 28 - Senators call for UN Special Rep. on Aceh/Papua
June 24 - House Subcommittee Continues Ban on Military Assistance for Indonesia; Calls for IMET, Military Sales to Remain Restricted
June 24 - TLGOV: U.S. Congress Increases Aid to Timor-Leste

March 26 - Rep. K ennedy (D-RI) congratulates Irish MPs for challenging sham vote in West Papua*
March 9 - Congress Tells Australia to Treat East Timor Fairly; Urges Expeditious Talks on Permanent Maritime Boundary

February 26 - P. Kennedy, McGovern, B. Frank Letter to Powell on UN in East Timor
January 22 - Congress Reinstates Ban on Military Training for Indonesia, Defies Administration

2003

October 29 - U.S. Senate Bans Military Training for Indonesia, Defies Administration Over Lack of Progress in Prosecuting Killers of U.S. Citizens
October 27 - Colorado Representatives Write Senate to Urge on IMET Ban
October 17 - Rep. Lane Evans Dear Colleague on Bush and Indonesian Military

August 1 - House Colorado Delegation to Sec. Powell on IMET
July 24 - U.S. House of Representatives Reiterates "No IMET for Indonesia"
|July 22 - U.S. Rewards Indonesian Military as Papua Probe Continues (Christian Science Monitor)
July 17 - U.S. Senate App. Committee: Indonesia and East Timor provisions in the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee
July 15 - House of Representatives Reinstates Restrictions on Military Training for Indonesia; Rep. Hefley Strips Indonesia of Military Training Funds Until U.S., Coloradan Receive Answers to Terrorist Attack
July 10 -U.S. Senate Chafee (R-RI) Writes Powell on Justice for Timor

June 27 - U.S. Congress Demonstrates Strong Support for Justice for East Timor
June 27- Congress Expresses Deep Concern about Military Offensive and Human Rights Violations in Aceh Representatives Criticize Indonesia’s Use of U.S. Military Equipment

May 22 - Rights Groups Praise Senators for Restricting Military Training for Indonesia
Spring 2003 -Estafeta: Legislation, Language and Lobbying - A Report from Washington, D.C.
May 8 - House International Relations Committee Expresses Strong Support for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution in Indonesia and East Timor; Criticizes Indonesian Justice Efforts; Calls for Alternatives

April 10 - U.S. House of Representatives members write to Sec. Powell on justice for Timor
January 23 - Senate Votes Down Restrictions on Military Training for Indonesia

2002
September 3 - Members of House Oppose Renewal of IMET and FMF for Indonesia

July 19 - Statement by the East Timor Action Network on Restoration of IMET Military Training by Senate Appropriations Committee; News Reports
July 18 - Senator Leahy's opening statement to Appropriations Committee, July 18, 2002; U.S. Senate panel votes to aid Indonesia's military
July 17 - Renewed Military Aid for Indonesia Faces Key Test
July 16 - Leahy Conditions on Restrictions of Military Assistance for Indonesia Have Not Been Met; NGOs Urge Congress to Renew Restrictions on Military Training and Weapons Sales to Indonesia

May 24 - Senate Resolution on independence passes unanimously Senator Reed (D-RI) Celebrates Independence; Senator Torricelli on independence
May 21 - U.S. House of Representatives Congratulates East Timor: Endorses Continued Restrictions on U.S.-Indonesia Military Ties, Expresses Concern about Lack of Justice; House statements on resolution congratulating ET; U.S. House welcomes new nation East Timor; Frank Wolf (R-VA) on E Timor Independence Pat Kennedy (D-RI) on East Timor's independence; Rep. McGovern Congratulates East Timor
May 2 - Congress call for assistance to East Timor

February 15 - Ramos-Horta Commends U.S. Rep. Tony Hall
January 10 - Congressmembers Write ET Constituent Assembly on Constitution

Connect with ETAN

2001

December 21 - ETAN/IHRN: Congress Bolsters Ban on Training for Indonesia With One Bill, While Opening a Loophole with Another
December 20- ETAN/IHRN:Rights Groups Condemn End Run on Military Training Restrictions for Indonesia

November 29 - Congressional Letters on Santa Cruz Massacre Anniversary: House; Senate
November 28 - U.S. to widen demands for Indonesian military reforms

November 16 - Kofi Annan and United Nations Are Stained With Blood - Hon. Cynthia A. McKinney
November 6- House letter on Economic Assistance to Indonesia (CGI)

October 25- House letter re. peacekeeping in E. Timor
October 10- Rep. Leach letter re. peacekeeping in E. Timor

September 10 - Senator Feingold (D-WI) on recent elections in East Timor
September 6 - Statements at Sept. 6, 2001 press conference organized by ETAN (Rep. McGovern, Sen. Harkin, Sen. Reed, Rep. Evans)
September 4 - Congress writes Megawati asking for respect of human rights

July 31 - Indonesia Plan Irks Democrats
July 24 - House of Representatives Reaffirms Support for Indonesian Military Reform and for East Timor
July 16 - House of Representatives Write Powell on Refugees
July 14- Appleton donations make magic in East Timor
July 11 - House Committee leaders letter on Timorese refugees
July 7 - Finish the Job in East Timor, Congressman Hall Urges; Rep. Tony Hall Travels to East Timor

June 25 - Senators Write Powell on Refugees
June 21 - Senate passes resolution on murder of UNHCR workers in W Timor

May 22 - Senators Leahy and Kennedy on Economic Assistance for East Timor
May 17 - Dili Leaders Meet Washington Lawmakers Prior to Big Aid Package
May 16 - U.S. House of Representatives Shows Support for Human Rights and Reconstruction in East Timor; HR 1646 text; excerpts from Congressional Record

February 15 - Sen. Kennedy on E Timor Transition to Independence Act of 2001
February 14 - Rep. Lantos Urges Congress to Support Democracy in East Timor
February 13 - Senate Resolution on Int'l Tribunal for East Timor Introduced
February 1 - Senate Letter to Powell re. Tribunal for ET

January 30 - House Letter to Powell on International Tribunal for ET
January - Wisconsin Members of Congress Support Madison-Ainaro Sister City

2000

November 3- Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Jack Reed (D-RI) letters to President Clinton, requesting that the administration formally designate Eurico Guterres and other militia leaders as international terrorists and Indonesian Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri to question her support for Guterres.

October 30- House Letter to Albright on Aceh and W. Papua

October 27- Five Senators to Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright on official violence in Aceh, West Papua (Irian Jaya), and West Timor

Oct. 26 -U.S. Congress Reaffirms Support for East Timor in Foreign Operations Appropriations, ETAN media release
October 16 - 15 Representatives to President World Bank calling for postponement of the CGI

September 27 - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Passes Ban on U.S. Military Ties to Indonesia
September 18 - Resolution Introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Jafar Siddiq Hamzah; Text of H.Res. 580
September 15 - Statement of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold On Secretary Cohen's visit to Indonesia
September 12 - Kennedy's Resolution Condemns Militia Attack in West Timor, Calls For An End To The Violence
September 12 - House Resolution condemning the September 6, 2000, militia attack on UN workers in West Timor (H.Con.Res. 395)

August 18 - House letter to President Clinton on resumption of some forms of military cooperation with Indonesia

July 27 - Senator Wellstone statement: "Now is not the time to re-engage with the Indonesian military"

April 5 - Senate. Hearing. - United Nations Peacekeeping Missions and Their Proliferation, TEXT (from U.S. gov't website)

March 17 - Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI) praises ETAN

February 16 - Indonesia: Confronting the Political and Economic Crises (House Subcommittee on Asia) PDF file* (from committee website)
February 15 - Congresswoman McKinney Urges President Clinton to Investigate Atrocities against the people of East Timor
February 10 - Eyewitness East Timor: ETAN Testimony submitted to Joint Congressional Hearing on East Timor
February 10 - East Timor: A New Beginning? (House Subcommittee on Asia with the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate) Text (from U.S. government website)

Legislation

U.S. Congress Reaffirms Support for East Timor in Foreign Operations Appropriations (Oct. 26, 2000)

HR 5253: East Timor Transition to Independence Act of 2000 introduced September 21, 2000 (Note: a new version of this bill is expected to be introduced in the House and Senate early in 2001 during the 107th Congress.)

H.Con.Res. 395 - Expressing the sense of the Congress condemning the September 6, 2000, militia attack on United Nations refugee workers in West Timor and calling for an end to militia violence in East and West Timor.

H. Res. 580 - A resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the murder of Acehnese human rights lawyer Jafar Siddiq Hamzah in Medan, Indonesia.

H.R. 4357 - the East Timor Repatriation and Security Act of 2000 - would prohibit military relations and assistance to the armed forces of Indonesia until the Indonesian government provides for the territorial integrity of East Timor, the security and safe return of refugees, the safety of the population of East Timor, and has brought to justice those individuals responsible for murder, rape, torture and other crimes against humanity in East Timor and elsewhere.

S. 2621 - the East Timor Repatriation and Security Act of 2000 would continue the current prohibition of military cooperation with the armed forces of the Republic of Indonesia until the President determines and certifies to the Congress that certain conditions are being met. Passed by Senate Foreign Relations Committee, September 27, 2000.

1999

H.R. 1063 - the International Military Training Transparency and Accountability Act closes loopholes that have enabled the Pentagon to continue training militaries with records of gross human rights violations in spite of congressional intent to halt such training.

The Omnibus/DC Appropriations Conference Report (HR 3194), passed by the House of Representatives, would restrict military assistance until East Timorese forcibly displaced to West Timor and other parts of Indonesia return home. (Fall 1999)

Hearing on the Humanitarian Crisis in East Timor; Washington, DC, September 30, 1999; International Operations And Human Rights Subcommittee of the House Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights

PANEL 1 (with administration officials)
PANEL 2 (with Xanana Gusmao, Jose Ramos-Horta)
PANEL 3 (with Allan Nairn [journalist], Arnold Kohen [author], T Kumar [Amnesty International] and Emilia Pires [CNRT])

December 30 - Kennedy Coordinates Letters By Colleagues On The Economic, Political Future Of East Timor

November 19 - Sen. Feingold (D-WI) on East Timor Self-Determination Act of 1999, S.2621
November 19 - Senate Passes Appropriations Bill Restricting U.S. Military Assistance to Indonesia (ETAN)
November 12 - Rep. Kennedy Urges Clinton To Provide U.S. Assistance To People Of East Timor

October 20 - Rep. Kennedy Hails Indonesia's Vote to Ratify Independence for People Of East Timor

September 30 - Hearing on the Humanitarian Crisis in East Timor; Washington, DC; House
International Operations And Human Rights Subcommittee
PANEL 1 (with administration officials)
PANEL 2 (with Xanana Gusmao, Jose Ramos-Horta)
PANEL 3 (with Allan Nairn [journalist/ETAN], Arnold Kohen [author], T Kumar [Amnesty International] and Emilia Pires [CNRT])
Full hearing TEXT (228K) PDF (1.8M) (from committee website)

September 29 - Tragedy in East Timor, Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL)
September 28 - House Debates and Passes H. Res. 292 expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the referendum in East Timor.
September 27 - Senate Foreign Relations Committee passes freeze on military relations with Indonesia (S 1568)
September 25 - End to Jakarta Military Aid Urged (NY Times)
September 14 - Mark-Up on H. Res. 292, A resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the referendum in East Timor. House Subcommittee on Asia; Stemming the Tide of Violence in East Timor, Senator Feingold (D-WI)
September 13 - Representative McGovern (D-MA) on Frs. Hilariao Madeira and Francisco Soares; The Situation in East Timor, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA); Rep. Kennedy, Tavares Discuss East Timor With Concerned Community Leaders At St. Francis Xavier Church In E. Providence

September 9 - The Political Futures of Indonesia and East Timor (Joint Hearing of House and Senate Subcommittees on Asia and with Thomas R. Pickering, Undersecretary for Political Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Amb. Paul Wolfowitz, Dean, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University; Dr. Donald K. Emmerson, Senior Fellow, Asia/Pacific Research Center, Stanford University; Sidney Jones, Executive Director, Asia Division, Human Rights Watch) Text, PDF (from gov't website)
September 9 - Feingold Calls for Suspension of U.S. Military and Economic Benefits to Indonesia; Wellstone Calls for Halt of U.S. Trade Assistance to Indonesia; Frank Moves to Help East Timor

September 8 - Rep. Smith Pushes for International Peacekeeping Force in East Timor; Rep. McGovern: The Violence in East Timor Must Stop Now
September 8- Statements on Introduction of S. 1568 to suspend assistance to Indonesia [Senators Feingold, Reed, Kennedy]
September 8 - 14 - Various statements by Senators [Wellstone (D-MN); Senator Boxer (D-CA); Senator Hutchinson (R-TX); Senator Kerry (D-MA); Senator Wyden (D-OR); Senator Mikulski (D-MD)]; Statement by Senator Harkin (D-IA)
September 4- Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) On Election in East Timor; Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) Urges Clinton To End Support For Indonesia Until Violence Is Halted In East Timor

August 30 - Indonesia must Respect the East Timorese Vote by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) (The Providence Journal)
August 26 - 100 members of the House call for Clinton to influence Jakarta to end paramilitary violence; NGO Letter to President urges action
August 21 - US senator calls for armed UN peacekeepers in East Timor
August 11 - 100 members of Congress call on President Clinton to use all channels to press Indonesian on East Timor
August 3 - ETAN praises continuing Congressional pressure in support of a free and fair vote in East Timor following passage of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill (HR 2606).

July 21 - Congressional Record report of House of Representatives Debate on East Timor; ETAN press release: House of Representatives unanimously called for a tougher U.S. policy in support of a free and fair vote
June 30 - U.S. Senate Votes 98-0 to Step Up U.S. Pressure on Indonesia for Peaceful East Timor Ballot (ETAN media release). Text of amendment
June 23 - Two letters sent by Rep. Frank Wolf to Clinton administration officials.
June 22 - The U.S. Senate unanimously passed an amendment urging a tougher U.S. policy in support of a free and fair UN-sponsored vote in Indonesian-occupied East Timor. See ETAN press release and Congressional Record on Senate Amendment.

May 22 - Senate Resolution 237: Expressing the Sense of the Senate Regarding the Situation in Indonesia and East Timor introduced
May 20 - Congress Approves $6.5 Million for East Timor Vote. More Than Just Money Needed says ETAN
May 12 - House members write Albright on militia violence, press release
May 8 - US Congress Urges Greater Pressure on Indonesia in Support of East Timor (ETAN)
May 5 - Senators Russ Feingold and Patrick Leahy speak on behalf of SRES 96 regarding a peaceful process of self-determination in East Timor. ETAN: Congress urges greater pressure on Indonesia in support of East Timor; Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy introduces H. CON. RES. 97 which urges a prohibition on military assistance and arms transfers to Indonesia.
May 5 & 4 - Senator Mitch McConnell and Senator Kerry on East Timor and Indonesia.

March 12 - Albright writes U.S. Senators
March 1 - 16 Senators write Albright on E Timor

April 19 - Rep. Kennedy Outraged at Recent Violent Attacks (press release)
April 12 - House Letter to Sec. Albright on East Timor Massacre

March 18 - Senator Feingold's Opening Statement, Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific Hearing on Indonesia: Countdown to the Elections
March 10 - Bill introduced introduced to ban most military training to Indonesia because of ongoing human rights violations (H.R. 1063). see also ETAN media release.
March 1 - 16 Senators write Secretary Albright on E Timor

February 26 - House letter to Albright on militia military violence in E Timor
February 9 - Human Rights Caucus on Human Rights in Indonesia & ET hearing: Rep. Pitts opening statement.
February 1999 - Rep. Wolf's Letter to Sec'y of State Albright

January 29 - Rep Kennedy "Cautiously Optimistic," Press Release
January 28. 1999 - Senators commend Indonesia remarks, press release and letter to Indonesian ambassador
January 4 - Senators write Albright to urge UN presence in E Timor

1998

December 22 - Seven Reps. Call for UN Observers, Letter to Madeleine Albright
November 24 - Rep. Frank Wolf to U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia with responses
October 21 - ETAN cites105th Congress support for freedom for East Timor. Omnibus Appropriations bill contains provisions relating to Indonesia and East Timor.

September 29 - Congress ban comes in response to training and rights abuses involving Indonesia (ETAN).
September 23 - 59 NGOs petition House International Relations Committee urging support of self-determination for East Timor.
September 21 - House of Representatives Continues Military Training Ban for Indonesia; Ban on U.S. Weapons in East Timor Reaffirmed (ETAN)
September 16 - Congressman Patrick Kennedy writes State Department
September 10 - House Appropriations Committee called for an "internationally supervised referendum" in foreign operations appropriations bill (ETAN)
September 9 - More than 100 Members of Congress write President Clinton and Indonesian President Habibie. Letter text.
September 3 - Senate passes legislation requiring that any agreement to sell weapons to Indonesia "shall state that such items will not be used in East Timor." (ETAN)

July 10 - Senate UNANIMOUSLY passes Senate Resolution 237 supporting self-determination. ETAN called on the President to shift U.S. policy to one supporting East Timor’s democratic rights. See also, U.S. Senate Endorses Referendum, White House and UN Slow to Act (ETAN)
July 1 - Statements to U.N. Decolonization Committee on behalf of Reps. Nita Lowey (D-NY) and Chris Smith (R-NJ)

June 12 - Senators Feingold and Reed to President Habibie
May 20 - Statements by Rep. Cynthia McKinney, Rep. Chris Smith, Lynn Fredrikkson (ETAN) and Constancio Pinto (CNRT) on the Indonesia Human Rights Before Military Assistance Act (HR 3918)

May 19 - Rep. Cynthia McKinney to Introduce Legislation to Freeze All Lethal Equipment to Indonesia
May 11 - Senator Wellstone (D-MN) on Human Rights in Indonesia

May 7 - Human Rights in Indonesia: Hearing conducted by the Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights,
Committee on International Relations, United States House of Representatives with Pius Lustrilanang, disappeared Indonesian activist; Aryati, Indonesian researcher; Constâncio Pinto, East Timorese torture survivor; Jafar Siddiq Hamzah, Acehnese lawyer; and Allan Nairn, on U.S. military (PDF)

Spring - Pentagon Documents Show Indonesian Military Training Continues Despite Congressional Ban

March 25 - ETAN: Congress Opposes Military Training for Indonesia (and Dear Colleague Letters from Reps Lowey and Evans)

March 17, 1998 - Statements of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Lane Evans (D-IL) on Reports of U.S. Training of the Indonesian
Military, on Indonesian Special Forces and JCET;
ETAN and additional statements from March 17 Press Conference in Washington, DC

Spring - Estafeta" Congress Votes to Bar Use of US Weapons in East Timor (vote was Nov. 1997)

1997

November 13 - Congress Votes to Bar Use of U.S. Weapons in East Timor (ETAN)
Spring - Estafeta: Washington Report: Sufficiently Sanitized by the Nobel Prize
June - Suharto rejects F-16s, Criticizes Congress (FEER, Antara)

1996

November 18 - Feingold and other Senators Write Clinton on APEC
November 14 - Congress will target rights abuse in Timor (Sydney Morning Herald)
November 10 - Rep. Gilman (R-NY) Letter on F-16s (Washington Post)
October 11 - Senator Feingold on Nobel Peace Prize
May-June - Senator Pell (D-RI) report on his visit to East Timor

1995

December 7 - East Timor Human Rights Accountability Act introduced

October - U.S. Senators and Representatives Write Clinton on Suharto Visit

September 21 - Feingold on small arms ban and more

1994